Kardinia Cafe

Kardinia Cafe is the long-running, family-owned diner on the corner of Latrobe Terrace in Newtown, and its trick is simple: it never closes. Open 24 hours, every day, it is the rare dog-friendly option for a 3am coffee, a post-match feed or an early breakfast, with dogs welcome at the outdoor tables straight off the footpath.

The dog setup

Dogs go in the outdoor seating area, which is easy to reach from the corner footpath; the indoor service area stays for diners without dogs. Expectations can vary with who is on duty, so keep your dog settled at the outer tables and bring your own water bowl rather than counting on one. It is a no-fuss local spot, so a well-mannered dog who can sit through a big breakfast fits right in.

Worth knowing

The menu is big, cheap and classic diner: brekkie all hours, loaded burgers, traditional pizzas and hefty souvlaki, from the Aussie souvlaki with lamb, egg and bacon to a fish version with flathead tails and tartare. Thickshakes and chips with gravy round it out. Round-the-clock trading means the odd-hours tables are the quiet ones; skip the weekend lunch and late-night surges if you want a calm corner for the dog.

Max: nothing beats a 5am bacon-and-egg roll on the terrace after a beach run, dog asleep under the table.

Getting there and parking

The address is 354 Latrobe Terrace, Newtown, with a free off-street car park plus street parking, a genuine plus on this busy stretch. It is a short hop from Kardinia Park, which makes it an easy stop around match days, though the area gets busy then.

Close by with the dogs

The Wilsonson Heights Dog Park is the local fenced option for a run before breakfast, and the Barwon River trail is a short drive for a longer leashed walk along the water. For coffee, Barmuda is the daytime counter up the terrace, and The Birch Geelong covers the sit-down dinner end of Newtown.

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