VEND CAFE

VEND Cafe sits inside VEND Marketplace on Sandgate Road in Virginia, a retro-styled shopping and dining precinct with more than 80 small businesses under one roof, and it is genuinely dog-friendly rather than politely tolerant. The marketplace operators confirm dogs are welcome in the cafe's outdoor area and through much of the shopping floor itself.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the spacious, shaded outdoor lawn and table area, which backs onto the big kids' playground, and management allows dogs on lead through the wider marketplace stalls too. Water bowls are generally put out, and there is a stall inside selling dog treats and accessories if you want to come away with something. Keep your dog leashed and close; the walkways get busy, especially on weekends.

Worth knowing

The setting is the drawcard as much as the menu: a vintage-market atmosphere, an old-school arcade setup and breakfast and lunch built on fresh, local produce, with fritters, eggs benedict and pumpkin bruschetta among the picks and gluten-free options covered. Hours run 7:30am to 2:30pm on weekdays and 7am to 3pm on weekends.

Getting there and parking

The address is 1760 Sandgate Road, Virginia QLD 4014. A large free on-site car park makes arrival straightforward, though it thickens during peak weekend market hours, so come early if you want an easy lap and a good table.

Close by with the dogs

For the run after brunch, the Nudgee Waterhole Reserve Fenced Dog Park is a short drive with a fully fenced 24/7 enclosure, and Boondall Dog Park is another nearby fenced option. If you want to extend the outing on lead, the Downfall Creek Bushland Centre trails wind through bushland near the precinct. For another coffee, Moes Munch Box is close by.

Pepsi: a whole market you can wander on lead beats a plain courtyard any day. Go early on weekends before the crowds and prams take over the walkways.

More Brisbane northside options sit under the Queensland cafes listing, and the Virginia guide covers the area.