Georgia Rose

Georgia Rose is a cafe and bar right on the Shell Cove marina, serving all-day brunch, pizza and cocktails from 7am seven days a week. For dog owners the useful part is that it takes dedicated dog-friendly table bookings, so a waterfront lunch with the dog is a plan rather than a lucky break. Dogs are welcome at the designated outdoor tables out the front, facing the boats.

The dog setup

Dogs join you at the front outdoor tables, a leashed open-air setting with marina views. Book through the venue's online booking system and flag the dog, because those front tables fill early on weekends and the indoor room is not an option. Staff are reported to bring water bowls and even dog mats for settled pups, but pack your own bowl for hot days as a backup.

The vibe and the menu

It leans casual: murals and greenery inside, boats outside, and an all-day menu of pizzas, burgers, salads and sweets. The schnitzel, corn fritters and sticky date pudding all get a mention, and there is a happy hour plus regular live music. Breakfast through to sunset drinks works here, which makes it easy to build a whole morning or evening around the marina.

Getting there and parking

The venue sits on Marina Drive at the Shell Cove marina precinct, south of Wollongong. There is extensive parking in the precinct and flat, paved boardwalk access from the car park to the door, so it is an easy walk for older dogs. Aim for a weekday morning if you want the quietest tables.

Close by with the dogs

The fenced Shell Cove Dog Park is the obvious stop to run the dog first, and the boardwalk loop around the harbour makes a good on-leash stroll after lunch. If you want to make a day of the area, Flinders Dog Beach is a short drive south for a proper swim. Leaf Cafe & Co is another dog-friendly stop in the same precinct, and The Tavern at the Links covers dinner if Georgia Rose is booked out.

More spots around the region are on the Shell Cove destination page and in the NSW pubs index.