D.O.C Pizza and Deli Mornington

D.O.C Pizza and Deli Mornington serves Napoletana wood-fired pizza from a street-facing outdoor deck at 22 Main Street, at the beach end of the strip and a few minutes' walk from the water. Behind the restaurant the deli counter stocks imported Italian cheeses, cured meats and pantry staples, so a dinner can turn into a takeaway block of provolone on the way out. Leashed dogs are welcome on the deck and patio.

The dog setup

Dogs join you on the outdoor deck and patio only, kept on lead beside the table; the indoor dining room and deli counter are off-limits. The kitchen has been known to send out dog biscuits, which is goodwill rather than a fixture, so bring your own water bowl. It is a lively room, especially across weekend lunch and dinner, so a dog settled around bustle is the right fit; the deck suits them better mid-week or earlier in the evening.

Pepsi: book the deck side, not the dining room, and the dog gets front-row seats to the pizza oven.

Worth knowing

The menu is proper Napoletana territory: wood-fired pizza, fresh buffalo mozzarella and premium antipasto, with calzone and seafood toppings among the local favourites. Hours run from 9am to around 8:30pm on weekdays and 9pm on Friday and Saturday, covering coffee and deli runs in the morning through to late dinners.

Getting there and parking

The address is 22 Main Street, Mornington, at the beach end of the strip. Free street parking runs along Main Street but fills fast on weekends; the side streets and public car parks just off the strip are the better bet in the afternoons.

Nearby with the dogs

Mornington Park and the foreshore are a few minutes' walk down the hill, with dogs on-lead under Mornington Peninsula Shire rules, and Royal Beach Dog Off Leash Area sits just south past Schnapper Point for a proper run. For a dog-menu brunch on the same strip, The Winey Cow is nearby.

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