The Bay Road Cafe

The Bay Road Cafe sits inside the Bay Road Nursery at 114 Bay Road, Sandringham, which gives it something most cafes cannot offer: leafy, shaded outdoor seating scattered among the plants. For dog owners that means a calm, green spot to settle rather than a tight footpath table.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating areas around the nursery, with tables tucked among shrubs and ferns for plenty of shade. Water bowls are often provided and staff are noted as welcoming to dogs, and the garden setting keeps you well away from moving cars and footpath clutter. Keep your dog leashed and clear of the stock plants, and pick a table on the edge if your dog is likely to want to explore the greenery.

Worth knowing

The kitchen does fresh, seasonal breakfast and lunch, with scones, passionfruit puff and the chicken point sandwiches among the regular orders, and the garden-centre setting is the real draw. It trades 9am to 3pm every day, which makes it a reliable mid-morning option rather than an early coffee stop. Weekdays are quieter and easier with a dog; weekends get busy with nursery shoppers, so arrive early if you want a shady table without the crowd.

Getting there and parking

The nursery has on-site parking plus free street parking along Bay Road, and Sandringham Station is roughly a five-minute walk. For the post-brunch leg stretch, Sandringham Harbour Dog Beach is a short drive west and the off-lead space at Merindah Park is close by for a run. For another dog-friendly pour, Sandy Kiosk down by the foreshore makes a natural pairing.

More of the bayside is on the Sandringham destination page and the VIC cafes list.