nature cafe bar

Nature Cafe Bar at 1 to 3 Thompson Street is a plant-based cafe and licensed bar in central Frankston, and it openly welcomes dogs between a leafy private courtyard and front footpath tables. With a 4.5 rating across nearly 600 reviews, it has built its following on vegan and vegetarian plates, smoothies and acai bowls, plus a full bar for something stronger.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the private courtyard at the rear and at the front footpath tables; the main indoor dining area stays people-only. Staff are known to be good with visiting dogs and will often bring water out to the courtyard, though a spare bowl never hurts. The courtyard is the pick on a sunny day, with the footpath tables as the backup when it fills.

Worth knowing

The menu is entirely plant-based: breakfasts, falafel wraps, hearty lunches, fresh-pressed juices, smoothies and a well-liked chocolate shake. There is a dedicated kids area, so the courtyard crowd is often families, and service runs 8am to 3pm on weekdays and 9am to 3pm on weekends, making this a brunch-and-lunch stop rather than a dinner option.

Max: The enclosed courtyard is ideal for a dog who needs a bit of space, but weekend brunch fills fast, so arrive early.

Getting there and parking

Thompson Street sits just off the Frankston CBD, a short walk from Frankston station, with street parking on Thompson Street and the side streets plus car parks within a couple of blocks. The walk from the station keeps you on footpaths the whole way.

Close by with the dogs

The Frankston foreshore is an easy walk down for an on-lead stretch along the bay, and Victoria Park's off-leash area near the Kananook Creek end is close for a proper run. Agha Juice and Cafe and The Laughing Lark are other dog-friendly cafe stops in town.

More around the suburb is on the Frankston destination page, and the wider list is in the Victoria restaurants index.