Coombe Yarra Valley

Coombe is the former home of opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, now a cellar door, restaurant and ten acres of formal gardens on the Maroondah Highway at Coldstream. For dog owners the draw is the outdoor area behind the cellar door, where you can taste estate wines with your dog beside you rather than left in the car.

The dog setup. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas behind the cellar door, with some undercover seating, but not inside the restaurant or the indoor tasting room. The gardens are a manicured ceremony space, so keep your dog on a lead and to the seated area rather than the lawns. Bring your own water bowl.

Good to know. Reviewers come for the wine tasting, the scones and the garden setting, with the restaurant leaning refined. If you want the full sit-down meal, ask at booking exactly where a dog can be seated, since the dog-friendly zone is the outdoor cellar door area rather than the dining room.

Getting there. On-site parking is available at 675 Maroondah Hwy, roughly an hour from the Melbourne CBD and easy to reach off the main highway.

Nearby with the dogs. Yarra Glen is a few minutes on with dog-friendly cafes and outdoor seating, and several neighbouring Coldstream wineries take dogs in their courtyards for a second stop.

Visit on a weekday for the quietest run of the gardens and cellar door. Confirm the dog seating when you book so the table is sorted before you arrive.

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.