Helen's Hill Estate

Helen's Hill Estate is a family-owned single-vineyard winery on the Lilydale edge of the Yarra Valley, and it wears its dog-friendly label as a genuine feature rather than a footnote. Between the deck restaurant, the lawn and a cellar door pouring estate-grown pinot noir, chardonnay and syrah, it is an easy long lunch with the dog stretched out at your feet.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on a lead, with the deck and the lower lawn the natural spots to settle; the lawn gives restless dogs room to flop without crowding other tables. The venue supplies water bowls and dog waste bags, and staff are famously fond of four-legged guests. The one ask is consideration: keep your dog settled, and manage things if the barking starts. The venue's own dog policy runs further than the usual outdoor-table arrangement, so it is worth asking staff on the day about indoor areas.

The vibe

The kitchen runs a share-style menu with wood-fired pizzas and grazing boards, generally Thursday to Monday, and the deck looks straight over the vines. Hours shift with the season, so check the website before you drive out; Tuesday and Wednesday are currently quiet days for the estate.

Getting there and parking

The estate is at 16 Ingram Road, Lilydale, just off the Maroondah Highway, with free on-site parking and wheelchair-accessible cellar door entry. Sunny weekends fill the best lawn and deck spots, so book ahead or arrive early.

Make a day of it

Before lunch, burn some energy at Lillydale Lake (North West) Dog Off Leash Area, a short drive away, or warm up along the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail.

If the afternoon stretches on, Yarrawood Estate at Yarra Glen welcomes dogs on its lawn as well, and Lilydale Pine Hill Caravan Park is a dog-owning traveller's base nearby. The Victoria dog friendly wineries guide and the Lilydale destination page cover the rest of the valley.