Lola's Pergola Darwin

Lola's Pergola sits right on the Cullen Bay marina in Larrakeyah, a colourful, tropical-themed bar and pizza spot with sprawling outdoor seating over the water. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, which makes it one of Darwin's easy answers for a marina-side lunch or a sunset drink with the dog in tow.

The dog setup

Access is outdoor only: dogs are welcome on the pet-friendly deck overlooking the marina, but not inside the main dining room. The patio's concrete and deck flooring leaves plenty of room for a dog to settle beside your chair, and the rule is leash on and under control the whole time, given the busy public deck.

Staff are generally accommodating, but a water bowl is not guaranteed, so bring your own. It is worth calling ahead to confirm a pet-friendly table, particularly on weekend evenings when the deck is tight.

Pepsi: book a late afternoon table rather than turning up. Sunset is when this deck is at its best and its busiest, and the pet-friendly tables go first.

The vibe

Expect a lively, casual crowd drawn by pizzas, cocktails, the house Lola Beer and the harbour views, with crocodile spring rolls on the menu for the brave. It trades 11am to late most days, later still on Friday and Saturday nights.

Getting there

The venue is in the Cullen Bay Marina complex on Marina Boulevard, with free public parking around the precinct. The Cullen Bay foreshore path runs right outside, so a leg-stretch before or after the meal needs no driving at all.

Close by with the dogs

Fin & Tonic NT is another Cullen Bay option in the same pocket, Karma Cafe at Parap covers daytime coffee, and Bundilla Fenced Dog Park at Fannie Bay is a short drive for an off-lead run beforehand.

More options are in the NT dog friendly pubs guide and on the Larrakeyah destination page.