Moonee Beach Hotel

Moonee Beach Hotel, about ten minutes north of Coffs Harbour, is a big family pub that has built a genuine reputation as a dog-friendly local. Dogs on a leash are welcome across all the outdoor areas, water bowls are set out through the Beer Garden and Big Top, and there is an on-site dog wash that tells you exactly what kind of clientele they expect: sandy ones.

The dog setup

Leashed dogs are welcome anywhere outside: the Beer Garden, the Big Top area and the surrounding outdoor seating. Indoor dining rooms are off limits. The hotel's own FAQ confirms the leash rule applies at all times, and staff keep water bowls out across the outdoor spaces. The Woof Wash, a dog wash tub beside the bottle shop, runs seven days a week, so a beach-dirty dog is no barrier to a table.

Worth knowing

This is a pub built for families as much as drinkers: an undercover playground, mini-golf, regular live music and a courtesy bus servicing nearby spots including the Reflections holiday park. The kitchen covers the pub staples, with the steak sandwich and pork belly drawing repeat orders. It trades long hours daily, and weekends fill quickly, so arrive early if your dog needs room to settle.

Getting there and parking

The hotel sits on Moonee Beach Road off the Pacific Highway, with a large free car park on site. It is a short drive from Coffs Harbour and even closer to Woolgoolga.

Close by with the dogs

The beach out front is on-lead only under City of Coffs Harbour rules; for a legal off-lead run, Emerald Beach north of Fiddamans Creek is the closest off-leash stretch, five to ten minutes up the road, and the council provides free dog waste bag dispensers at both beach access points. Reflections Moonee Beach Holiday Park is walking distance if you are staying local, and Mo's Artisan Wood Fired Pizza is the other dog-friendly eat in the same suburb.

More options are on the New South Wales dog friendly pubs guide and the Moonee Beach destination page.

Pepsi: off-lead sprints at Emerald Beach, then the Woof Wash, then a beer garden nap while the humans argue over the last steak sandwich.