Kingston Hotel

The Kingston Hotel, known locally as the Kingo, is one of Canberra's oldest pubs and one of its most reliable with dogs. The drawcard is the beer garden: a large, leafy outdoor area with two bars and a sprawling dining space that absorbs a Saturday afternoon crowd without anyone stepping over your dog.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor beer garden and dining areas, which the venue lists among its pet friendly amenities. Keep dogs leashed while you are out there, because the space gets busy on weekends with plenty of foot traffic between the bars, the grill and the salad bar. Water bowls are typically out in the garden; ask staff if you cannot spot one.

The vibe

The Kingo is known for its cook-your-own grill, help-yourself salad bar, solid steaks and a big wine list, plus a drive-through bottle shop on the way out. It runs as a genuine local rather than a polished newcomer, and that looseness is part of why dogs fit in here.

Max: a pub this size can get loud fast once the grill area fills up, so if your dog is noise sensitive, aim for an earlier sitting or a quieter weekday visit.

Getting there and parking

The hotel sits on the corner of Canberra Avenue and Giles Street in Griffith, with street parking along Giles Street and the surrounding residential streets.

Telopea Park is close by for an on-leash walk and the Lake Burley Griffin foreshore extends that into a proper outing. For daytime coffee, Good Neighbour Cafe and Giles St. Cafe & Catering both welcome dogs in Kingston. More options are on the ACT pubs guide and the Griffith destination page.