Elsewhere at SAM

Elsewhere at SAM is the cafe and restaurant on the ground floor of the Shepparton Art Museum at 530 Wyndham Street, looking straight over Victoria Park Lake. The lake-edge position is what makes it a dog outing: the cafe sits directly on the walking paths that circle the water, and the venue's own conditions of entry spell out exactly where dogs fit.

The dog setup

Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the designated outdoor dining areas, the paved courtyard and the immediate footpath space by the entrance. Dogs are strictly not permitted inside the restaurant or the gallery spaces, with accredited assistance dogs the exception. Keep your dog leashed and under control at all times. The cafe even runs a small dog treat menu alongside the human one, so your dog gets an order too. Weekend mornings get busy with other dogs off the lake walk, so arrive early if your dog prefers space.

The vibe and the menu

The menu is genuinely world-inspired rather than standard cafe fare: Japanese okonomiyaki, Filipino pork sisig, claypot rice with barramundi, haloumi and a build-your-own bowl option, plus vegetarian, vegan and halal-friendly choices. The bar pours local wines and beers and the coffee is a local blend. Hours run 8am to 3:30pm daily with the kitchen closing at 2:30pm, so it is a breakfast and lunch destination. Matcha and curly fries cover the between-cases crowd.

Getting there and parking

The art museum building sits at the northern end of Victoria Park Lake on Wyndham Street, Shepparton's main strip. Parking is available around the lake precinct, and the flat, paved path network around the water makes an easy on-lead lap before or after you eat.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-lead run either side of lunch, the Princess Park fenced dog park and the Ducat Reserve fenced dog park are both in Shepparton. If you are making a weekend of it, the Victoria Lake Holiday Park puts you on the same water the cafe looks over, and Terminus Hotel covers dinner on Wyndham Street.

More options are in the Victoria dog friendly restaurants guide and the Shepparton page.