Roy Hammond

Roy Hammond is a cocktail bar and Asian-fusion kitchen at 24-28 Armstrong Street North in Ballarat Central, known for a deep spirits wall and a menu of Korean fried chicken, bao buns, gyoza and banh mi. It is mostly an indoor venue, but the footpath tables make it workable for a drink with a settled dog at your side.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables along Armstrong Street North, on lead and behaving themselves. The bar and dining room inside are not dog space, so this is strictly street-side. The footpath is narrow and the strip gets busy foot traffic, so a dog that steps calmly around prams and passers-by is the requirement here. Bring your own water bowl; this is not a venue that stocks one.

Max: One drink, one bench, one very steady dog. If yours is a puller, do the laneway venues instead.

The vibe

Inside it is low-lit and serious about drinks, with long whisky and tequila lists alongside the cocktails, and the kitchen punching above a standard pub with its crispy pork belly and loaded sweet potato fries. With a dog, treat it as a relaxed lunch or an early-evening stop: hours run from midday Thursday to Sunday and 3pm early in the week, and the street-side spot works best before the evening crowd arrives and the footpath tightens up.

Getting there and parking

The venue sits in Ballarat's Armstrong Street North eating strip, a short walk from the centre of town. Street parking lines the strip and several city car parks sit within an easy walk, so arriving with a dog in the car is no trouble.

Pair it with

Hop Temple next door has a laneway beer garden that is famously dog-welcoming if the footpath is too busy, and Earls Deli covers the daytime coffee-and-lunch end of the strip. To burn energy first, Victoria Park dog park is a few minutes' drive away. More picks are in our Ballarat Central guide and the state list of dog friendly pubs in Victoria.