Livi's La Ceylon

Livi's La Ceylon is a casual Sri Lankan restaurant and cafe at 196 Albert Road, South Melbourne, serving koththu, hot butter cuttlefish, hoppers and a Ceylon-style high tea. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables out the front, which puts a proper Sri Lankan feed within reach of anyone walking the Albert Park side streets with a dog on a lead.

The dog setup

Dogs join you in the alfresco seating on the Albert Road footpath, not inside the main dining room. Keep them leashed and settled beside the table; the street is busy enough that a relaxed dog is the price of an outside seat. Staff read as accommodating, so ask for a water bowl when you sit down rather than assuming one appears. Indoor dining is off the table for dogs, so this is a fair-weather option, and the front tables go quickly on warm weekends.

Pepsi: book ahead and ask for an outdoor table by name. Inside is lovely, but your dog only gets a look at the koththu from the footpath.

Worth knowing

The kitchen is known for generous, authentic plates: the hot butter cuttlefish and chicken koththu get singled out constantly, portions run large enough to share, and the high tea is the draw for a slower afternoon. Hours run 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 4pm to 10pm Sunday, so breakfast and lunch are on the menu as well as dinner. It is a small, relaxed room, which is exactly why the footpath tables are the call with a dog.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant sits on Albert Road between the St Kilda Road end and the Clarendon Street shops. Trams along St Kilda Road and Clarendon Street both leave a short walk, and there is street parking on the surrounding blocks, though the free spots tighten up on weekends. Coming by car with a dog, allow a lap or two before you find a kerb.

Close by with the dogs

Albert Park is the obvious pairing: Albert Park Dog Off Leash Area is a short walk south for a proper run before you order, and Eastern Reserve Dog Park is the quieter fenced option nearby. For coffee the next morning, Jack the Geezer in Middle Park keeps the dog-friendly run going along the same tram line.

The way to do it: an early lap of the Albert Park off-leash area while the grass is quiet, then koththu and an iced coffee at a front table before the lunch crowd claims the footpath. Sunset dinners work too, just book the outside seats in advance.