Dog and Parrot Tavern

The Dog and Parrot Tavern is Robina's local on Scottsdale Drive, a big community tavern that trades from 10am until the early hours, seven days a week. It is family friendly to its boots: a bistro serving wood fired pizzas and pub classics, a shaded playground and indoor playroom for the kids, live music and sport on the screens. The name might be the most dog-forward on the Gold Coast, and the outdoor areas are where dogs on a leash are accommodated.

The dog setup

Well behaved dogs are permitted in the designated outdoor and terrace areas, alongside the alfresco seating. Because the layout mixes bistro, playground and family zones, it pays to call ahead on (07) 5575 7955 and confirm a terrace table when you are bringing the dog, particularly for a weekend dinner. Water is available on request from staff, and the deck is a comfortable spot to park a settled dog while the rest of the family eats.

The vibe

The bistro menu runs from share plates to hearty mains, and the XL 300g chicken parmigiana is the headline act, with schnitzels, steak sandwiches and wood fired pizzas in support. Seafood fans get a shareboard and full platters, and there are dedicated seniors meals plus a kids menu that often comes with a Paddle Pop for dessert. Live music rolls through on weekends, the sports bar carries the big games, and the tavern keeps its kitchen and bars open far later than most Gold Coast pubs.

Getting there and parking

The tavern sits at 2 Scottsdale Drive in Robina, off the Robina Parkway side of the suburb, with plenty of on site parking around the building. It is minutes from Robina Town Centre and the M1, and roughly 15 minutes inland from the coast beaches. Doors open from 10am daily and the venue runs until 4am, so it covers everything from a long lunch to a late one.

While you're out there

Burn off lunch first at Robina Common Fenced Dog Park or the Robina Parkway Park Fenced Dog Park, which adds agility obstacles and water stations. For a swim, Pizzey Offleash Dog Area at Mermaid Waters has a freshwater beach section, and Palm Beach Dog Off-Leash Beach is about 15 minutes south for a proper ocean run.

Pepsi: a tavern with my name in the title. The parmy is huge, the terrace is mine, the Paddle Pop is negotiable.

Find more venues on the Queensland pubs list or see Robina for the local set.