Old Noarlunga Hotel

The Old Noarlunga Hotel, known to locals as The Oldy, is a renovated country pub in the historic township of Old Noarlunga, south of Adelaide. Its beer garden and verandah take dogs, which turns a lunch stop on the way to McLaren Vale into a proper outing for the dog too.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the verandah and in the beer garden every day until 5pm, on a lead and on their best behaviour. The main dining room and indoor bar stay dog free. The beer garden itself is built for all weather, with a retractable louvre roof plus heating and cooling, and a living fern wall that shades the space on hot days.

Staff do not always have a water bowl to hand for outdoor tables, so bring your own. Plan a lunch rather than a dinner if the dog is coming, because the 5pm cutoff ends the outdoor option.

The vibe

The kitchen runs a modern pub menu with gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options, and the pub has a reputation for schnitzels and rump steak. Live music lands on Fridays and Sunday afternoons, and there is a salad bar alongside the regular fare. The crowd is relaxed and local, with McLaren Vale wines on the list.

Getting there and parking

The hotel sits on Patapinda Road in Old Noarlunga, just off Main South Road on the drive down to McLaren Vale, with a large car park on site. Doors open from 8am daily.

Make a day of it

The Onkaparinga River National Park is close by with on-lead trails for a walk before lunch, and Varney Wines is in the same township if you want to add a cellar door visit. Both pair easily with a beer garden booking.

More options sit under SA pubs or in the Old Noarlunga guide.