Mickey Bourke's Koroit Hotel

Mickey Bourke's Koroit Hotel is an Irish pub on Koroit's Commercial Road, and it trades on exactly that: Guinness on tap, a fireplace, home style cooking and a cosy front bar that has served the town for generations. Visitors report that dogs are welcome in the outdoor beer garden, which has outdoor heating for the colder months, while pets are not permitted in the hotel's accommodation rooms. The pub draws a loyal local crowd, and its reputation rests on the kitchen's home style cooking as much as the beer.

The dog setup

The beer garden is the dog zone, per visitor reports, and the outdoor heating extends the season well into a western districts winter. Pets stay out of the accommodation rooms, so this is a stop-over lunch or dinner rather than a stay. The garden is a shared space with other diners, and the pub's traditional layout means the beer garden is a proper yard rather than a footpath strip, so there's room for a dog to lie down out of the way.

Worth knowing

The kitchen runs home style cooking with a kids menu, and the Guinness and cold beer draw the regulars. Koroit sits between Warrnambool and Port Fairy on the Princes Highway, so the hotel works as a lunch stop on a Great Ocean Road region trip or a dinner when staying locally. Hours aren't published consistently, so call ahead for kitchen times, particularly midweek. Note that the venue shares some bathroom facilities, which is worth knowing if that matters for your group.

Close by with the dogs

Koroit is compact and dog-friendly in patches. The town's Koroit Dog Park gives the dog a run before you settle in at the pub, Duke's Commercial Hotel is the other hotel meal option on the same street, and Noodledoof Brewing & Distilling Co. covers the craft end of town. If you're staying in the district, Koroit-Tower Hill Caravan Park is the closest pet-friendly base.