Chachi Yarra Valley

Chachi Yarra Valley is a small Italian-influenced restaurant and espresso bar tucked into a laneway off Maroondah Highway in Healesville, and it is named after the owner's dog, which tells you where its sympathies lie. The kitchen turns out handmade pasta, calzones, wood-fired pizza and proper coffee, and dogs are welcome in the outdoor laneway seating.

The dog setup

Dogs join you in the outdoor laneway area, which is cosy by design and comes with blankets, so it holds up even on a cold Yarra Valley morning. Water bowls are generally available. The interior is tiny, so book ahead and ask for an outdoor table when you do, and expect your dog to be sitting close to neighbouring tables in the lane.

Worth knowing

The draw is the handmade pasta and the Italian baking, with croissants and cookies in the cabinet alongside specialty coffee, and local and Italian wines by the glass. Booking platforms have at times shown the venue as temporarily closed or listed inconsistent hours, so ring or check online before you drive out rather than assuming.

Getting there and parking

The address is 191B Maroondah Highway, but the seating sits back in the lane, so head past the road frontage to find it. Free street parking runs out front with some off-street options nearby, and the laneway entry is easy with a dog on lead.

Close by with the dogs

The Healesville Showgrounds Dog Off Leash Area gives the dog an off lead run before you settle in for pasta. For another dog-friendly table in town, My Little Kitchen Cafe & Bar runs a heated, undercover courtyard with its own laneway entrance and water bowls.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly restaurants guide and the Healesville destination page.