Paradise Valley Hotel

Known to locals as The Clemo, this is a Dandenong Ranges pub in Clematis where dogs can settle into a sprawling grassy beer garden while Puffing Billy steam trains roll past on the adjacent track. It opens from 11am until midnight, seven days a week.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome throughout the outdoor beer garden and courtyard, both generous and grassed, and the staff are well practised with four-legged visitors thanks to the pub's regular Doggo Day Out events. Water and shade depend on where you sit, so pick a table under cover if the day is hot.

Inside is a different story: the bistro and enclosed deck with its railway views are for humans only, so this is an outdoor-table visit. Keep your dog leashed and away from the rail side of the garden when a train is due.

The vibe

The kitchen is a genuine draw rather than an afterthought, with the chicken parmigiana, duck pie and Korean cauliflower all regular mentions. Expect a busy hills-pub crowd on warm weekends and whenever Puffing Billy is running, with the garden filling early.

Getting there and parking

The hotel sits on the Puffing Billy line at Clematis, roughly an hour east of Melbourne. On-site parking is available but fills quickly when the steam trains are due or on fine weekends, so arrive ahead of lunch if you are driving out with the dog.

Pair it with

Emerald Lake Park is close by for an on-lead walk around the water before lunch, and Pepis Land Dog Off Leash Area at Emerald covers the off-lead run. Note that dogs are not permitted on board Puffing Billy itself, though you can watch the train pass from the garden. Another dog-friendly table in the hills is The Railway Dog at Emerald.

More pubs are on the Victoria pub guide and the Clematis destination page.