Hug a Mug Cafe

Hug a Mug is a small, owner-run cafe at 117 Nelson Place in Williamstown, directly opposite the Williamstown Botanic Gardens on the main dining strip. With 300-plus reviews behind it, the draw is generous, house-made food and coffee served properly hot, and the outdoor tables out front are set up for dogs, which is where most owners settle.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables facing Nelson Place, and staff are used to dogs passing through. The room inside is compact and intimate, so treat indoor seating as a confirm-on-arrival question and plan on the footpath tables. Bring a water bowl on warm days rather than counting on one being out.

The vibe and the food

Most dishes are made on the premises. Regulars rate the Reuben sandwich and the house-made potato croquettes, and the wider menu runs to french toast, eggs Benedict, chicken wraps, burgers and butter chicken, with coffee in generous mugs. Hours run 7:45am to 3:30pm on weekdays and to 4:30pm on weekends, an early-morning-to-afternoon operation.

Getting there and parking

Nelson Place is the waterfront dining strip, and its street parking fills on weekends; Pasco and Ann Streets are the usual fallbacks. The cafe is a short walk from Williamstown Beach station, which saves the parking hunt entirely.

Nearby with the dogs

The Botanic Gardens across the road are an easy on-lead stroll between courses, and the Williamstown coastal loop strings the waterfront and the beach into a proper walk. For off-lead time, Williamstown's fenced dog park is the dedicated option. If you are pairing cafes, The Kiosk by d'Asporto on the foreshore and Crowded House with its pet-friendly courtyard are both close by.

More of the suburb is on the Williamstown destination page, and the wider list is in the VIC cafes index.