Correction (4 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 4 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
This page answers where you can take a dog in and around South Yarra, and what the council or the venue says about it. It covers six places: four in South Yarra, one in Prahran and one in Richmond.
The angle is rules first. The council’s wording is that its off-lead parks and reserves are open all hours, except for a list of exceptions we have not reproduced here, so for any restricted times check the council order. Bars and pubs appear only where their own site says dogs are welcome, and only for the area it names.
Each place was checked against two sources on 4 October 2026.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenced off-lead dog park | Thomas Oval Dog Park | see below | not printed here |
| Small off-lead oval | Surrey Park | see below | not printed here |
| Dog-friendly park with playground | Caroline Gardens | see below | not printed here |
| Heated dog-friendly courtyard | CaneCutters | OG FRIED CHICKEN SANGA | $18 |
| Off-lead sunken garden | Victoria Gardens | see below | not printed here |
| Dog-friendly laneway pub | Royal Saxon | Lunch special, express lunch menu item plus a beer, wine or soft drink (Mondays-Fridays 12-3pm, excludes public holidays) | $25 |
Thomas Oval Dog Park — 305-325 William Road, South Yarra VIC 3141
Per the council, Thomas Oval is Stonnington’s first dedicated dog park, south of Como Park North and reached via the boardwalk next to Alexandra Avenue. The council says it is fully fenced, with separate fenced sections for large and smaller dogs, and that seating is located throughout for owners. The same council page says Como Park North is on-lead only, so the fence line matters.
Off-leash status: off-lead inside the fenced dog park as listed by the council; for any restricted hours, check the council order.
Surrey Park — 67-73 Surrey Road, South Yarra VIC 3141
The council lists Surrey Park as one of its off-leash dog parks, a small oval-shaped grass area with walking paths and recycled timber seating around the perimeter. Its facility list shows Dogs Off-lead, a dog waste bag dispenser and drinking fountains. The council gives the location as Surrey Road.
Bring: a lead for the trip in and out, and a spare bag even though the council lists a dispenser.
Caroline Gardens — Caroline Street South, South Yarra VIC 3141
The council describes Caroline Gardens as a dog-friendly park and playground with accessible equipment, BBQ facilities and picnic seating. Its facility list includes Dogs Off-lead, drinking fountains, picnic tables, a playground and shade areas. The council gives the extent as Caroline Street to Ralston Street.
Off-leash status: listed by the council with Dogs Off-lead in its facility list; check the council order for any restricted hours.
CaneCutters — 41 Toorak Road, South Yarra VIC 3141
CaneCutters’ site lists its courtyard as under-cover, dog-friendly and heated. The same site lists hours as wednesday to sunday: 3pm to late. Its winter kitchen menu prints the OG FRIED CHICKEN SANGA at $18 and the CURRY CHEESE FRIES at $15.
On the menu (copied from canecuttersbar.com.au/Canecutters-Menu-Winter-2026.pdf on 4 October 2026):
- OG FRIED CHICKEN SANGA: $18
- B.L.T SANGA: $16
- HASHBUTTY: $14
- CURRY CHEESE FRIES: $15
Inside or outside only: the courtyard is the area the site names as dog-friendly, and we could not find a statement about dogs indoors.
Victoria Gardens — 361 High Street, Prahran VIC 3181
Victoria Gardens is in Prahran, not South Yarra. The council says the sunken garden is the only area within the gardens designated for dog off-leash exercise, which means the rest of the grounds are not designated for it. Its facility list shows Dogs Off-lead, shade areas, toilets and a water feature alongside a playground.
Off-leash status: sunken garden only, per the council; keep the lead on elsewhere in the gardens.
Royal Saxon — 545 Church Street, Richmond VIC 3121
Royal Saxon is a pub on Church Street in Richmond, outside South Yarra. Its site describes lazy afternoons in the laneway and says it is dog friendly. The site lists hours as Open 7 days from 12pm til late, with happy hour at 3pm-6pm Mon-Fri and 2-5pm Sat and Sun, and prints happy-hour schooners from $7.
On the menu (copied from royalsaxon.com/whatson and royalsaxon.com on 4 October 2026):
- Lunch special, express lunch menu item plus a beer, wine or soft drink (Mondays-Fridays 12-3pm, excludes public holidays): $25
- Schooners: $7
Inside or outside only: the dog-friendly note is attached to the laneway, so treat indoors as unconfirmed.
Quick answers
Where are the off-lead dog parks in South Yarra?
The council lists Thomas Oval Dog Park, Surrey Park and Caroline Gardens in South Yarra with off-lead status, and Victoria Gardens in Prahran, where only the sunken garden is designated for off-leash exercise. For off-lead hours, check the council order rather than relying on this page.
Is Thomas Oval Dog Park fenced?
Yes, per the council, which says the dog park is fully fenced with separate fenced sections for large and smaller dogs. It adds that seating is located throughout the park, and that neighbouring Como Park North is on-lead only.
Which South Yarra bar has a dog-friendly courtyard?
CaneCutters, on Toorak Road, lists its courtyard as under-cover, dog-friendly and heated. We could not find a statement about dogs indoors, so treat the courtyard as the dog-friendly area. Its site lists hours as wednesday to sunday: 3pm to late.
Are dogs allowed at Royal Saxon in Richmond?
Its site describes lazy afternoons in the laneway and says it is dog friendly, so the laneway is the area to ask about. Royal Saxon is in Richmond, not South Yarra, and its site lists hours as Open 7 days from 12pm til late.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 4 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, council pages, the places’ own websites and the Australian Good Food Guide. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 4 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Thomas Oval Dog Park: openstreetmap.org/290657678, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Como-Park-and-Thomas-Oval-Dog-Park, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Off-lead-parks-and-reserves
- Surrey Park: openstreetmap.org/334758293, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Surrey-Park, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Off-lead-parks-and-reserves
- Caroline Gardens: openstreetmap.org/42787190, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Caroline-Gardens, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Off-lead-parks-and-reserves
- CaneCutters: canecuttersbar.com.au, agfg.com.au/canecutters-bar-74160, canecuttersbar.com.au/Canecutters-Menu-Winter-2026.pdf, canecuttersbar.com.au/about
- Victoria Gardens: openstreetmap.org/23014265, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Victoria-Gardens, stonnington.vic.gov.au/Parks-and-sporting-facilities
- Royal Saxon: openstreetmap.org/20199309, royalsaxon.com, royalsaxon.com/whatson, royalsaxon.com/contact-2
