Little Gem Cafe

Little Gem is a small dog-friendly coffee kiosk on the Yarra riverfront at 207 Yarra Street, Warrandyte, next to the Wonguim Wilam playspace. It is built for walkers: grab a coffee and a toastie and settle in by the river with the dog, which is exactly how the locals use it.

The dog setup

The covered patio and surrounding outdoor area welcome dogs, with water bowls provided and dog treats often available to buy. A fire pit runs in the colder months, which makes winter river walks a genuinely good reason to come. Keep your dog clear of the playspace itself, where dogs are not permitted.

Worth knowing

The kitchen keeps it simple: coffee, hot chocolate and chai, toasted sandwiches, and cakes and cookies from local Nine Bakery on the counter. Hours shift seasonally, generally 9am to 2pm on weekdays with slightly longer weekend service, so check their social media before a special trip, especially in the quieter months.

Getting there and parking

The kiosk sits on the riverbank by the Wonguim Wilam playspace, with street parking along Yarra Street that fills on fine weekends. Warrandyte is an easy run from Melbourne's north-eastern suburbs, and most visitors arrive on foot from the river tracks.

Pair it with

The Warrandyte River Reserve Dog Off Leash Area runs right along the river here, so an off-lead stretch before coffee is the natural plan. The Yarra River Water Frontage trail covers the same reach for a longer walk, and Now and Not Yet is the suburb's other dog-friendly cafe stop on the list.

More north-eastern options sit under the VIC cafes listing, and the Warrandyte destination page rounds up the suburb's dog-friendly spots.