The Rainbow Hotel

The Rainbow Hotel is a traditional Fitzroy pub at 27 St David Street, just off Brunswick Street, and the drawcard for dog owners is its spacious, covered beer garden, one of the better courtyards in the inner north for a relaxed pint with a dog at your feet.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the beer garden and deck area, on lead and under your control, but not inside the main bar or dining rooms. You reach the courtyard through a side entrance directly off St David Street, so there is no threading a dog through the pub. The garden is largely covered with outdoor heating, which makes it work in rain or on a hot afternoon, and water bowls are provided. If you are booking ahead, ask for a table in the beer garden rather than inside.

The vibe

It is an unpretentious backstreet local: classic pub food including a Sunday roast, a full bar with craft beer, vegan options, live music and a pool table in the courtyard. There is no pet fee for the beer garden. Weekends get busy, so an early arrival is the reliable way to get a table for two humans and a dog.

Max: this is a lead-on venue. The courtyard fills with people moving between tables, so a dog who can settle under a chair is the one who gets invited back.

Getting there

The pub sits on tram route 11, just off Brunswick Street, with street parking on St David Street and surrounding residential streets, checking signage for permit zones. Doors open from midday on weekends and 3pm earlier in the week; hours run latest on Thursday to Saturday nights.

Close by with the dogs

For off-lead time before a pint, the Edinburgh Gardens off-leash area is a short walk north, with the Merri Creek Trail beyond it. The Standard Hotel and Rochester Castle Hotel are other listed Fitzroy pubs for a second stop.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly pub guide and the Fitzroy destination page.