The Laneway Pink Cantina

The Laneway Pink Cantina is a small, family-run Mexican bar and eatery at the rear of 185 Maroondah Highway in central Healesville, reached through a walkway off the main strip. The reason to come with a dog is the covered garden courtyard out the back: old brick walls, greenery, weather protection overhead and enough room for a dog to settle beside the table.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the covered courtyard, not in the small indoor room. The roof overhead means a grey day does not end the plan, water bowls are provided and staff often hand out treats, so it is one of the more genuinely dog-welcoming tables in town. Ask for courtyard seating when you arrive or book.

Worth knowing

The kitchen runs Mexican street food across brunch, lunch and dinner: brisket tacos and brisket nachos, breakfast burritos, jalapeno poppers, with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options handled properly. The bar side is serious too, with a famous pickle margarita and gin and vodka tasting paddles from the distillery next door.

Getting there and parking

Look for the walkway entrance rather than a highway frontage; the venue sits back off the path near the lower car park area. Street parking is on Maroondah Highway and the side streets behind the shops and gets busy, but central Healesville is compact, so it is an easy walk from most town parking with the dog.

Close by with the dogs

Park once and wander: the town centre is walkable on lead, and the Healesville Showgrounds Dog Off Leash Area is close for a proper run before or after. For another dog-friendly table, No.7 Healesville welcomes dogs in its courtyard, and Cherry Tree Cafe has a quiet garden courtyard set back off the highway.

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