MoneyPenny

MoneyPenny is a harbourside bar and restaurant on the Honeysuckle boardwalk at 1 Honeysuckle Drive, with water views over the marina end of Newcastle Harbour and a cocktail-and-share-plates menu. It is one of the more genuinely dog-welcoming venues on the strip.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating along the boardwalk, and the venue goes beyond a bowl of water: staff put out custom dog beds and water for canine guests, and the venue has a track record of hosting adoption days and supporting animal welfare groups. Indoors follows the standard food-venue rule, so keep your dog to the open-air section and expect the terrace to fill on weekend evenings.

Pepsi: time your visit for late afternoon. The boardwalk seats get the harbour outlook, the staff actually look after dogs here, and the slushies are worth ordering for yourself.

The vibe

It leans bar rather than quiet cafe: a broad cocktail list, slushies and casual plates like sticky pork bites, dumplings and pizza, with a livelier crowd at peak times. Hours run from late morning to around 9pm most days, stretching to 11pm Fridays and Saturdays, and weekends kick off early with breakfast from 7am.

Getting there and parking

It sits right on the boardwalk. Paid parking is at the Wilson Parking on Honeysuckle Drive or metered along the street, and it is a short walk from Newcastle Interchange if you are coming by train or light rail.

Close by with the dogs

The boardwalk runs both directions for a pre- or post-lunch walk, toward the CBD or the marina. AJ's at Honeysuckle is another dog-friendly stop on the same stretch, and Horseshoe Beach is the city's off-leash dog beach a short drive around the harbour.

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