Bean in the Woods

Bean in the Woods is a warm, family-run brunch cafe inside Ringwood Square in Melbourne's east, with a genuine local reputation for welcoming dogs. The owners are known to keep treats on hand for visiting pups, which tells you most of what you need to know about the attitude here.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, on lead, with enough room to settle beside your chair; the indoor dining room is people only under food safety rules. Staff are happy to bring out water and the treat jar gets a run, though bringing your own bowl as a backup is smart on a packed weekend morning. The outdoor section sits within the shopping centre's arcade edge, so keep your dog clear of pram and foot traffic.

The vibe and the menu

Open 7:30am to 3pm weekdays and 8am to 3pm weekends. The menu is modern Australian cafe fare done generously: egg and bacon breakfast rolls, big breakfasts, eggs benedict, a reuben sandwich and milkshakes, with solid gluten-free and vegan options. Reviewers single out the coffee, the cakes and the generous portions, and note that waits can stretch at peak morning rushes on weekends, particularly Saturdays.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits at shops 27-29 in Ringwood Square off Maroondah Highway, with free parking in the centre's car parks, and Ringwood station nearby. For an off-lead run either side of brunch, the Greenwood Park dog off-leash area is the closest, and Fingers Crossed Cafe is the other dog-friendly coffee stop in the suburb.

More of the area's dog-friendly venues are on the Ringwood destination page, with the full state list in the Victorian cafes index.