Omari Bendigo

Omari Bendigo sits inside the Bendigo Botanic Gardens in White Hills, which makes it one of those rare cafes where the walk and the table are the same outing. It serves all day brunch and specialty coffee from 8am to 3pm, Wednesday to Sunday, with a large outdoor deck overlooking the garden's pond. Dogs are welcome on the deck and veranda seating, so a morning lap of the gardens can finish with eggs Benedict and a bowl of water at your feet.

Dogs at Omari Bendigo

The deck and surrounding veranda are where dogs are welcome; indoor tables are for humans only. Deck seating is first come, first served, so let staff know you have a dog when you arrive and they will steer you to the right tables. Water bowls are usually on hand, and staff are accustomed to dogs of all sizes on leads. On weekends the deck hosts events and group bookings, so a midweek visit or an early Saturday arrival is the safer bet for a dog friendly spot.

Max: gulls at the beach are overrated. A pond full of ducks, a deck full of bacon, and a human who cannot move fast in deck chairs. That is my Bendigo.

On the plate

The kitchen runs all day breakfast and lunch: the Omari Breakfast Roll with crispy bacon, fried egg and hash brown, eggs Benedict with hollandaise, smashed avocado, plus house made pastries and scones for the morning tea crowd. Seafood shows up too, with calamari a regular order. It is a full cafe restaurant rather than a counter only kiosk, so you can settle in for a proper meal after the walk rather than grabbing and going.

Getting there and parking

The address is 27/32 Hamelin Street, White Hills, with entry via the Botanic Gardens car park where parking is free. The gardens sit on the northern edge of Bendigo, about ten minutes from the centre. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 8am to 3pm; the cafe is closed Monday and Tuesday, so plan dog walks on those days around something else.

Close by with the dogs

The Bendigo Botanic Gardens are literally next door, with leashed paths winding past the pond, and White Hills Reserve adds more open space a short walk on. If you are making a weekend of it, BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks Bendigo is a pet friendly base in the same suburb. Browse more dog friendly pubs across Victoria or see what else is on around White Hills.

Worth knowing

Keep leads on in the gardens themselves, as it is a shared civic space with ducks and kids on bikes. The deck can be sun exposed through the middle of the day in summer, so morning sessions suit thick coated dogs best. Bookings are taken for larger groups, but the dog friendly deck runs on walk in traffic.