The Normanby Hotel

The Normanby Hotel is an 1880s heritage pub on the corner of Musgrave Road and Kelvin Grove Road, at the Red Hill end of the Fiveways. It is one of Brisbane's older surviving pubs, and the drawcard for dog owners is the big open-air beer garden: the venue confirms dogs are welcome in its outdoor areas, which is exactly where most of the crowd wants to be on a weekend anyway.

The dog setup

Dogs are allowed in the beer garden and courtyard, not inside the enclosed bar areas or the gaming lounge. The venue's own rule is simple: keep your dog friendly. In practice that means leashed, supervised and comfortable around a busy table scene. Staff generally put water bowls out in the courtyard, but it is worth packing your own bowl so you are not relying on it. There is no pet fee.

Pepsi: The beer garden gets loud once the DJ starts on weekends, so if your dog is noise-shy, book an earlier sitting and be gone before the crowd peaks.

The vibe

Expect a lively weekend scene with DJ sets, big screens for the footy and classic pub food: steaks, burgers and the rump on the bone that regulars order. Weekday lunches are a different, calmer animal, and that is the better window for a dog who would rather not share their courtyard with a hundred new friends.

Getting there and parking

The pub sits at 1 Musgrave Road, Red Hill. There is a free on-site car park entered from Kelvin Grove Road with roughly 80 spaces, and several Brisbane City Council bus routes run along Kelvin Grove Road if you would rather leave the car at home. It runs daily from 10am, with the kitchen serving from 11am to 9pm.

Make a day of it

For a pre-pub run, Broncos Red Hill Dog Park is a short walk up the road and takes the edge off a dog who then needs to settle at the table. Over in Paddington, Neal Macrossan Playground Park has a fenced dog area, and the Hope and Anchor is another pet-welcoming pub nearby if you are turning it into a crawl.

Confirm the dog rules with staff when you arrive, since policies can shift with events. Browse more dog friendly pubs in Queensland on the PawScapes pubs directory, or see what else welcomes dogs around Red Hill.