Molly's Pavilion // Cafe - Bar - Dining

Molly's Pavilion runs the cafe, bar and dining side of the Cheltenham Recreation Club, operated with caterers Salt & Pepper Co under head chef Lutful Kamal. Its verandah is the reason dog owners keep coming back: al fresco seating in the shade, looking over the club's manicured croquet lawns in leafy Cheltenham, with dogs genuinely welcome at the table.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor verandah only - the indoor dining rooms stay people-only. Staff are well practised at hosting dogs and will bring water out for them, but the verandah is the venue's most sought-after seating, so book ahead and ask specifically for an outside table to guarantee the dog's spot. Bookings are taken over the phone.

Worth knowing

The kitchen serves a full breakfast and lunch menu Tuesday to Saturday from 9am, with last kitchen orders at 2:30pm; the bar and cafe side trades a little later, closing between 4pm and 6pm depending on the day. Sundays and Mondays the pavilion is closed, so plan the dog-lunch around that. If you time it well, morning tea and cakes on the verandah between the croquet and tennis players is the classic Cheltenham outing.

Close by with the dogs

The local off-leash options around the club are strong: Cheltenham Park's off-leash area and the fenced Snowdon Reserve and Farm Road Reserve dog parks all sit within a few minutes, and West Epping Park's fenced dog park is just over the boundary if you are headed that way. For another coffee stop, Provence Garden Cafe in Eastwood keeps dogs welcome in its garden seating.