Auckland House

Auckland House sits in the East Shores precinct overlooking Gladstone Harbour, a laid-back indoor-outdoor venue with decks facing the marina. It is the easiest long lunch with a dog in Gladstone Central: the water-facing deck does the work, pairing harbour views with room for the dog to settle after a foreshore walk.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor decks, and this is a venue where dogs at the tables are a normal sight rather than an exception. The indoor dining room is people only, as with most Queensland food premises. Bring your own water bowl; staff are accommodating but the deck is a big open space, so pick a table with room to lie down away from the service lane.

The vibe

The menu is tropics-leaning, with a marked emphasis on local seafood plus share plates and reimagined classics; the snapper, Angus burger and chicken parmigiana come up again and again. Breakfast runs from 7am and the all-day menu starts at 11am, seven days, and the venue trades through to 11pm. Live music turns up at times, and weekends are busy and sociable.

Pepsi: late afternoon is the play. Lap the marina track first, then claim a deck table for the sunset over the harbour.

Getting there and parking

The venue sits within the East Shores development in Gladstone Central, with ample parking in the adjacent public car park and flat, paved access from the car park to the deck. The parklands and marina walkways next door are good for a lead walk before or after, though some precinct zones are signed as restricted for dogs, so follow the signage.

While you're out there

Burn off brunch at the Webb Park fenced dog park in West Gladstone, or make a day of it down the coast at Tannum Sands dog beach. Boy Espresso Bar covers the morning coffee run nearby. More picks are on the Queensland pub guide and the Gladstone Central destination page.