Petty's Orchards

Petty's Orchards is a cafe set inside a historic 44 hectare working orchard at 1 Homestead Road, Templestowe, on a bend of the Yarra. Dogs on leads are welcome through the orchard grounds and the outdoor seating, and riverside walking tracks start right at the gate, which makes this one of the more rewarding dog days out in Melbourne's north east.

The dog setup

Most of the seating is outdoors or under a covered verandah, so settling in with a leashed dog is easy. Water bowls are typically put out around the courtyard areas, though it is worth packing your own as a backup on busy weekends.

There is no dedicated dog menu, so treat this as a coffee-and-cake stop rather than a puppuccino run. Keep your dog leashed at all times: this is a working organic orchard run with the Heritage Fruits Society, and kangaroos are often around in the trees near the cafe.

Worth knowing

The draw for humans is organic produce, homemade pies and cakes, and Devonshire teas, with the orchard holding one of the largest heritage apple collections on mainland Australia. It opens Wednesday to Friday from 9am and Saturday to Sunday from 8:30am, closing at 5:30pm, and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so check hours before a long trip.

Max: the paths along the Yarra beside the orchard get busy with cyclists and walkers on weekends, so keep your dog close and pick a table away from the track if yours is reactive.

Getting there

The orchard sits at 1 Homestead Road in Templestowe, reached by car off Homestead Road, with ample free on-site parking. It is a genuine destination cafe, so most visitors drive in.

Pair it with

Make it a proper outing by walking a stretch of the Main Yarra Trail from Candlebark Park to Tikalara Park before coffee, or burning off the pie at the Serpells Community Reserve Dog Off Leash Area on the way home.

More stops are on the Victoria cafe guide and the Templestowe destination page.