A few jugs or bottles of beer accompanied by laughter, delicious meals, and a little sunshine. The most crucial thing is to spend time with your friends. If you invite all of your friends, imagine their shock if they learned you had not invited them.
The idea is to pick a location where Rovers are welcome, give them a glass of water, and let them participate in every part of your afternoon. Rover is your best friend, or the human’s best friend, and would also get highly broken emotions if left at home. Of course, with a few chips hidden under the table.
All the pubs, restaurants, and cafes listed below welcome animal patrons in any or all of the respective areas. Several even provide canine-specific menus, dog-specific Instagram profiles, or canine merchandise.
1. Trinity St Kilda
The old Trinity church hall of St. Kilda has been revived as a 300-person bar, beer garden, entertainment venue, and food truck parking, beginning a new chapter in its past. It may be found where Brighton Road and Chapel Street meet.
The third-generation resort tycoon of Melbourne, Matt Nikakis, owns the pet-friendly hotel Trinity, which has become quite well-liked in St. Kilda.
A covered courtyard is filled with picnic benches and the day’s roster of mobile eateries at the entrance. Trinity’s resident chef, who lives in a shiny 1956 Airstream, is joined by various rotating visitors (including, for example, Nem ‘n Nem and Cha Chas Vegan Mexican).
Stop by for some Southern-style chicken burgers ($17), Southern-style onion rings ($9), or a grilled fish roll with dill tartar ($17), as well as appetisers like grilled chicken tenders ($14), mac ‘n’ cream bites ($13), and crispy onion rings ($9).
The red-brick old church hall is now a bright, airy beer hall with high ceilings and a huge central bar. There are spacious booths draped in green velvet, a distinct sitting area filled with a curated collection of antique furniture, and a suite of great Art Deco-inspired embellishments. The private bar on the glass-walled mezzanine is perfect for small gatherings.
There is an extensive list of beverages available. Traditional favourites, including Balter, four Pines, and Mountain Goat, are just a few of the 12 beers on tap. Newer additions to the beer fridges include the Colonial pale lager ($9), the Kaiju Krush tropical brew ($9), and a wide variety of Saintly seltzers.
Mainly regional wines are featured, such as the Sewn Chardonnay from Seville Estate or the Wilds Gully Tempranillo from King Valley. At the same time, cocktails pay homage to updated takes on old favourites.
Whether you’re in the mood for one of three margaritas, the house homage to Four Pillars’ shiraz gin ($22), or the mezcal-infused Holy Trinity ($25), you’ll find a drink that suits your mood.
2. Zymurgy
The term “Zymurgy” may seem intimidating to those unfamiliar with the field. A new bar has opened in Footscray, but it’s not your typical dive. You should only spend time getting to know the area if you like locally produced liquor, creative cuisine prepared over open flames, and beer gardens basking in the warm sunshine.
Zymurgy is a collaborative venture between Duncan Gibson, Sam Hambour, and Julian Hills of Hop Nation Brewing Co. It quietly opened its doors at the end of November. Tucked up behind a closed Sri Lankan eatery on Barkly Lane is a dog- and kid-friendly outdoor venue complete with a bar and an elevated take on the backyard BBQ.
Zymurgy’s meals and drink menus pay homage to fermentation as an art form, alluding to the restaurant’s name. Roasted pretzels with grilled wagyu cheese ($8), asparagus with pepita unravel ($10), and cream cheese emulsion, accompanied with a riff on the traditional Reuben sandwich made with bull tongue ($17) are just a few examples of the inventive dishes that Hills is creating using wood and charcoal while flipping the traditional barbecue on its head.
Charcoal-crusted pig scotch ($25) is paired with pickled elderberry and salted cherries, while warm smoked rainbows trout ($18) is served with mustard and potato. Elements like miso aioli, sourdough, and koji raise the ferment flag.
The drinks are similarly artisanal, with ten different Hop Nation beers on tap. In addition to a carefully curated selection of tap wines and cocktails, you can enjoy fan favourites.
You may also discover a local collection of experimental beverages, such as updates from Hambour and Dun Gibson’s vinous initiative Site Wine, to savour with friends and family in the sunshine.
The present iteration of Zymurgy will continue operating until December, with upgrades and additions scheduled for the following year.
3. College Lawn Hotel
This southside tavern and cafe tucked away in Prahran’s terrace-lined backstreets, is a trustworthy local that undoubtedly annoys its neighbours on the weekends. The big, astroturf-lined beer garden, which can accommodate hundreds of people on warm summer days, is in addition to the main bar, eating area, public bar, and bottle store. It also includes an outdoor bar for convenience.
Even though it might be challenging to get a seat during the notorious Sunday Sessions, this bar is a cozy retreat away from Chapel Street’s bustle throughout the week. It provides fantastic deals on pub fare, including a $12 residents’ night on Mondays.
4. The Old Garage
The Old Garage elevates the idea of a canine-friendly café to new heights, nestled in the green centre of Camberwell. Yes, the restaurant’s sidewalk seating area is always bustling with lovely dogs, and its Instagram page is packed with pictures of adorable, wet-nosed patrons.
It also has vegan recipes for every dish it serves, frequent fundraisers in favour of neighbourhood animal shelters, and a special menu just for dogs.
This old garage and gas station has become a beloved neighbourhood hangout with upcycled furnishings, unique copper lighting, and yellow-striped umbrellas gracing the entrance.
Besides its traditional Australian brunch fare, the menu also contains innovative dishes inspired by other cuisines, such as those from South America and the Mediterranean.
Harley Salanitri, formerly the head chef at 400 Gradi, will take excellent care of you as he prepares dishes. The dishes include chipotle scrambles with melted provolone ($21/$26), Lebanese fried eggs ($18), and breakfast tacos ($18/$23). Brioche french toast topped with candied bacon and tiramisu ($21.5/26.5) is also featured in this broad menu.
The classic toastie has four varieties of cheese ($17.25), and the house-made bircher is capped with cream biscuit crumbles ($17.19). The Southern fried chicken and peri fries are priced at $19.5 and $25, respectively.
Yes, every item on the menu has a plant-based substitute, and the kitchen supports high-quality vegan goods like those made by Beyond Meat. The Old Garage ensures that nobody misses out by offering a daily-changing menu of doggie foods and a few pricey puppychinos ($2).
5. Pilgrim Bar
You’ve found the correct spot if you’re looking to get hammered at a venue on the water in the middle of Melbourne. Pilgrim is situated in the vaults of the iconic Federation Wharf in the Central Business District of Melbourne, which makes it the perfect location for getting together with friends while taking in the sights of the River Yarra.
You’ll discover seasonal share dishes for nibbling while basking in the noon sun on the restaurant’s menu. Try the prosciutto board packed with wild salami, baguette, noix de jambon, and bush chutney for something that can be eaten in smaller portions.
There is a sheep rib bush stew with wild minty honey and saltbush, with a cured gin ocean fish with Davidson taro chips, plum, crème, sea succulents and Fraiche if you are looking for something more substantial to eat.
The gin tea drinks are the bar’s specialty at the waterside location. Try the drink made from gin and fragrant chai spices for something sweet and spicy. There is also a drink made with earl grey tea, blood orange, and wonder foam.
6. Welcome to Thornbury
Melbourne’s population no longer wanders in quest of their favourite food truck. Some of Melbourne’s most popular food trucks are clustered in one location, thanks to Welcome Thornbury, the first permanent food truck trailer park. Every week from Tuesday through Sunday.
Located at 520 High Street and conceptualised by Mr Burger’s elite, Welcome to Thornbury is conveniently close to Croxton Train Station and the 86 tram route. The remodelled, 4000 square meter space, once a used car lot, now accommodates as many as 700 hungry customers every night, thanks to its indoor and outdoor seating options.
The weekly food truck lineup and other themed culinary events are advertised on the Welcome to Thornbury website calendar. They also have a 200-seat bar on the premises where you can get bottled or draft alcohol.
7. Jamsheed Wines
Preston has recently been steadily solidifying its position as a premier location for alcohol. The massive new brewery from Moon Dog moved into the neighbourhood at the end of 2019. A few months later, famous label Jamsheed opened Melbourne’s first fully operational independent urban vineyard.
Since 2003, the Gary Mills-owned business has operated out of the Yarra Valley, although it has never had a cellar door. By the end of 2019, Mills transferred all operations to Preston.
His ground-breaking urban winery was inspired by similar places he had visited while living in Portland, Oregon, USA. According to Mills, “I reasoned if all the brewery and distillery coming up in Melbourne at the time can succeed, so would a winery.”
Jamsheed’s new home is a two-story, 170-person warehouse located on Albert Street, only a short distance from Moon Dog World and 3 Ravens Brewery. It has a distinct, spirits-focused dive bar above and a vineyard and tasting bar with plenty of greenery below.
It’s a chill, industrial-style lounge where you’re invited to pull up a chair, sample some excellent regional wines, and take in a natural, functioning winery’s sights, sounds, and aromas. The range of Jamsheed drinks, including the most recent releases, are available at the bar, along with a sizable retail selection of bottles to take home.
Along with an excellent selection of domestic artisanal spirits, there is also a selection of craft breweries and ciders from neighbourhood friends, including Hop Nation and 3 Ravens. If you go upstairs, you’ll find an even cozier hideaway with a pool table you can play for free, vinyl music, and cozy antique armchairs.
Josh Nicholson Catering offers a menu of frequently-changing appetisers and entrées, such as steak tartare ($18), LP’s pig’s head chorizo with pipis and toast ($20), and curried baby chats ($12).
8. Moon Dog World
The brewing firm, Moon Dog’s Preston, founded in Abbotsford, provides the best service to its customers. The massive brewery, bar, and beer garden, “Moon Dog World,” is the realisation of the expansive ambitions that the team revealed in March 2019 for their future endeavours. It has been estimated that the multi-warehouse complex, at 12,000 square meters, is longer than the MCG and can accommodate 725 spectators.
The name seems like it might be the name of an amusement park or an adventurous paradise. What lies in store for you is a verdant jungle filled with lush vegetation, a bar decorated in the tiki fashion, a waterfall, and an illuminating lagoon that flows directly through the centre. Deck chairs with vertical blue and white stripes are sure to be in high demand no matter the time of year.
There is also a VIP terrace, and DJ booth mishmash of containers turned into several cozy chambers, concealed seats, and expansive balconies spread over two levels. A little pinball arcade may even be stashed away somewhere within the restaurant.
Never before have so many Moon Dog beers been available in one location as at the big central bar, which boasts no fewer than 72 taps. The Old Mate pale lager and Cake Hole black forest stout are label favourites, as is tradition, and there are also seasonal beers like the Cherry Seinfeld sour ale.
A rotation of guest taps completes the beer selection. Still, for those seeking something else, there is also an all-Aussie wine list, a selection of traditional tap cocktails, and a few original creations.
With a menu that includes burgers, sharing plates, and charcoal specialties, it is a place for all events. Grab a drink and unwind with some crispy chicken ribs drenched in lime and chilli caramel, squid karaage accompanied with lemon and kewpie mayo, or perhaps the swordfish skewers topped with feta, capsicum mojo Rojo, almond dukkah.
Burgers range in price from a crispy chicken burger with kewpie and barbecue sauce to a sweet potato and kimchi patty-topped vegan burger. You may also get a half or complete free-range chicken, topped with sauce, spicy za’atar oil, or chilli oil, fresh from the kitchen’s charcoal rotisserie — the ideal Sunday dinner.
After considering the few sports TVs and the pleasant outside beer garden, you won’t want to leave this drunken theme park.
9. Dr Morse
Dr Morse is currently in the entire operation, finished with a recently acquired permit, blazing open flame, beer garden, and one of the best bargain burgers in Melbourne. For the past four months, they have been luring customers with their coffee area, which is ingeniously located on the trail to Victoria Park station.
In the recent past, this location served as the pizza shop for Kiss FM. After that, it became the Johnston Street Milk Bar, but currently, in its most recent iteration, it is known as Dr Morse. The proprietors of the building have brought back some of the building’s historical characteristics, like the brick wall banner promoting Indian Root Pills as more than just a treatment for dyspepsia.
The building was once used as an ancient pharmacy. Paying honour to the company’s earlier achievements would assist the new management in establishing their legacy.
It’s an excellent place to hang out, and every detail has been given a thoughtful consideration. The beer garden should be a delight in the summer, considering a barbecue suggesting future ideas. The open fire area is a significant bonus, soothing the faces and fingers of the good bunch that nabs the couch and ottoman seats surrounding it.
The goal of this establishment was to provide a location that would promote Sunday meetings and laid-back afternoons spent sipping craft cider and nibbling on freshly cut chips served with chipotle aioli for $6. Or, are you seeking a remedy for any of your problems on a Saturday night? That is what the beef burger does for you.
At under ten dollars, it’s a deal, considering how buttery and deliciously it is. The quinoa salad with pomegranate, avocado, pistachio, maize, and a boiled egg costs $16, and it’s a treatment of a kind that is also an excellent bargain. Before the main doors are opened at 11.30 am, the coffee window opens at seven to provide early-hour commuters with a dose of espresso and baked meals so they may hit the road.
The proprietors of nearby businesses are given priority on the beverage menu. For example, Moondog beer is served from the taps, and the wine selection focuses on other Victorian brands.
No matter what ails you, Dr Morse wants to treat it — or help you relax for some time.
10. The Palace Hotel
If you are interested in pairing a hearty pub meal with one or more handcrafted beers, the Palace Hotel in South Melbourne should be a regular stop for you both for your supper and on the weekends for lunch. This hidden treasure has an extensive collection of specialty beers, a menu full of pub standards, and a Sunday roast dinner that serves as the ideal way to warm yourself on a chilly winter Saturday.
Come at noon every week, claim a position by the campfire, and bite into a delicious ancient roast plate, which comes heaped with veggies and is drenched with rich gravy prepared in the restaurant. You’ve discovered a fantastic winter scenario if you give some attention to the resident dog, Billy, and give him a few pats.
11. The Great Northern
Carlton is well-known for its assortment of quaint and intimate eateries. People seldom talk about the city’s vast spreading pubs, even though there are dozens of little pizza restaurants with gigantic guys promoting them. There are also fantastic cafés along narrow laneways.
People who like drinking in public places, particularly those knowledgeable about beer, enjoy watching sports congregate at The Great Northern. This is the ideal to go if you want a pint since it has 22 taps with a constant rotation of microbrews like 2 Brothers, Mountain Goat, Stone & Wood, and a variety from the ubiquitous Brooklyn Brewery.
12. Newmarket Hotel
The Newmarket Hotel combines vintage funk and contemporary elegance, driven by the urban grunge found in the roots of St. Kilda. This St. Kilda institution is well worth a visit because of its stunning decor, innovative take on traditional Australian pub fare, beautiful beer garden adorned with twinkling fairy lights, and a special concert area.
The hotel has been completely revitalised after undergoing substantial renovations over the last several years. These repairs started from the bottom up and worked their way up. The menu, which features a variety of pub standards in addition to dishes with Newmarket influences, was designed to go well with Melbourne’s dynamic weather.
The beer and wine selections are almost as impressive as the meal. You’ll have almost 17 beers available to choose from on tap.
Additionally, the pub shares our belief that any of our four-legged pals deserves a nice pub dinner. Therefore, the bar offers dog-friendly parmas on Tuesdays for simply $5 each. The small chicken schnitzel is served with a complement of chips and salad, and it has bocconcini and shredded ham on top.
Furthermore, there are parmas for people here; the meal costs $15 on Tuesdays (as opposed to the typical $21) and comes with a plate of beer-battered chips and a salad. Additionally, if you arrive from 4 to 7 p.m., you can take advantage of happy hour prices on draft beer, sparkling wine, and spirits, as well as $12 cocktails.
Conclusion
Everyone enjoys spending time with and having a meal with their best friend—human or dog. Melbourne is a great city to live in if you’re a dog owner, with plenty of drinking and dining venues welcoming pups with open arms (and plenty of pats).
Some venues even go one step further, offering unique dishes and facilities for use by canine customers. Enjoy a dog’s breakfast (or lunch or dinner) at one of Melbourne’s dog-friendly bars, cafes, and restaurants.