The National Hotel

The National Hotel is a classic, roomy Richmond pub at 344 Victoria Street, and dogs are welcome in its beer garden. It is a genuine local rather than a destination venue, which makes it an easy stop after a walk instead of a day you plan around.

The dog setup

Dogs go in the outdoor beer garden, not the indoor bars. Head in via the Lambert Street entrance to reach the garden directly, and settle your dog on lead under the table with room to spare in a spacious courtyard.

Staff are generally accommodating and water bowls are usually around, but bring your own to be certain on a busy day.

Worth knowing

The kitchen runs the pub classics: parmas, burgers and the like, at honest prices. The garden is wheelchair accessible and is the venue's calling card, so weekend sessions fill it fast.

Weekday afternoons and early evenings are the calm window for a dog in the garden. Weekend nights and event evenings on Victoria Street get loud, which suits groups more than a nervous dog.

Getting there

Street parking runs along Victoria Street and side streets like Lambert Street, though Richmond parking is tightly signed, so read the restrictions. Trams 24 and 30 run along Victoria Street to the door.

Pair it with

The Barkly Gardens off-leash area is a short walk for a run before or after lunch, and Dame Nellie Melba Memorial Park adds a smaller riverside option.

Victoria Street itself has plenty of footpath cafe seating, with Reading Room an easy coffee stop in the same block.

More garden tables are in the Victoria pub guide and the suburb's other spots are on the Richmond destination page.