Rattle n Hum Palm Cove

Rattle n Hum sits right on the Palm Cove beachfront at 119 Williams Esplanade, under a canopy of heritage listed paperbark trees. It is a bar and grill built for long sessions: an ocean view from the outdoor tables, live music and sport on the screens, and a menu of stone oven pizzas and pub classics. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating areas, which makes it one of the easier beachfront meals to plan with your dog in Far North Queensland.

The dog setup

Well behaved dogs on a leash are welcome in the outdoor sections, the same tables that look across the Esplanade to the sand. Staff are used to beachside diners rolling in straight from a walk, and water for dogs is a reasonable ask on request. Keep your dog settled at your feet and out of walkways, because the front area gets busy through lunch and dinner service.

Because the dog friendly seating is outdoors, book with the weather in mind. The paperbarks and the sea breeze take the edge off most days, but if the wet season is doing its thing, a table under cover is worth requesting when you call.

The vibe

This is a generous, family friendly pub rather than a fine diner. The kitchen turns out stone oven pizzas from 11am, with the full hot menu from midday: char grilled steaks, chicken schnitzels, burgers, pastas and fresh local seafood. Barramundi and prawns, riblets and fish tacos are the dishes regulars talk about, and kids meals land around the $15 mark. Behind the 360 degree bar there are cold beers on tap, wines and tropical cocktails. Live music and sport fill the calendar, so expect a bit of noise on weekend nights.

Getting there and parking

The venue is on the main beachfront strip of Palm Cove, about 30 minutes north of Cairns along the Captain Cook Highway. Street parking runs along Williams Esplanade and the side streets behind it, and it fills quickly on sunny weekends, so allow a lap or two. The pub trades from 11am most days, closing later on Friday and Saturday nights.

While you're out there

Palm Cove beach itself is on leash, and dogs are not allowed to run free on the main Esplanade. For proper off leash time, Harry Doyle Pickles winter off leash dog beach at Clifton Beach is a few minutes south, and Sunbird Park Fenced Dog Park at Kewarra Beach gives you a fully fenced grass run about nine minutes away. Further on, Impey Reserve Dog Off Leash Area at Caravonica has separate fenced areas for big and small dogs. If you are making a weekend of it, dog friendly stays such as Sarayi Boutique Hotel put you in walking distance of the Esplanade.

Max: ocean view, pizza and a spot on the paperbark side of the deck. Good humans, better sniffing.

Check the Queensland pub listings for more dog friendly dining across the state, or browse Palm Cove for what else is open to dogs in the village.