Oliver Brown(Ringwood)

Oliver Brown is the Belgian chocolate cafe inside Eastland Shopping Centre, at Shop 1123, 175 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood. It is a dessert stop rather than a brunch cafe: Belgian hot chocolates and mochas, waffles, crepes, churros with chocolate fondue, and coffee, with lighter breakfast and toastie options for anyone who wants food first. For dog owners, the setup is the open-air section of Eastland, where the cafe's outdoor tables face the pedestrian walkways near Town Square.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables in the open-air parts of the centre, which sit outside the indoor service boundary, in line with standard shopping centre rules. The area gets busy and noisy through the day, so it best suits a settled dog that is comfortable around crowds. Water bowls are not provided as a rule, so carry your own, and check with staff on the day if you are unsure where the outdoor boundary sits.

The chocolate

The point of coming is the Belgian chocolate: drinking chocolate made from imported couverture, milk and dark fondue for churros and strawberries, and the waffle and crepe list. Mochas, iced chocolates and shakes cover the cold end of the menu. The dark chocolate is dairy free, which matters if someone at the table avoids dairy, and there is enough on the light-bites side to turn dessert into lunch.

Getting there and parking

Eastland fronts Maroondah Highway in central Ringwood, with free multi-level parking across the precinct. The quickest route with a dog is to park near the Town Square end and walk through the open-air section to the outdoor tables. Ringwood station is next to the centre if you come by train.

Nearby with the dogs

Before the waffles, the fenced Greenwood Park Dog Off Leash Area or Towerhill Drive Reserve are the local run options, and Peter Vergers Reserve is the third council off-leash choice. If you would rather a quieter coffee, Bean in the Woods is the other Ringwood cafe on PawScapes.

More of the area is on the Ringwood destination page, and the full list is in the VIC cafes index.