The Park Werribee

The Park Werribee is Watton Street's big, busy local: a pub with craft beers on tap, live music, trivia nights, pool tables and a kitchen that does a solid steak sandwich and pork belly. It is also one of the more explicit dog venues in Melbourne's outer west, because the pub's own FAQ spells it out rather than leaving you to guess: dogs of all shapes and sizes are welcome, one hundred percent, in the street accessible beer garden and courtyard, Wednesday to Sunday.

The dog setup

The layout suits it. The beer garden and courtyard open straight onto the street, so arriving with a dog on lead is simple, and the pub's own rules put dogs in those outdoor spaces only. There is one timing detail worth memorising from their FAQ: on Fridays and Saturdays dogs are welcome in the beer garden before 6pm, which effectively makes it a long lunch and early session venue on weekend nights. Bring your own water bowl to be safe, and expect company; with the pub's popularity, weekend afternoons in the garden fill up quickly.

Worth knowing

The Park trades Tuesday through Sunday from 4pm, and from midday on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a 12am close on the weekend nights. Mondays are dark. Between the trivia and live music calendars there is usually something on, so if you are bringing the dog, check the gig schedule, because a band night in the garden is a different crowd from a quiet Wednesday pint. Watton Street is Werribee's main strip, with street parking around it and the train station a short walk away.

Before the session, burn some energy: Diversion Weir Dog Off Leash Area gives dogs a proper run by the river, and Levittown Rise Dog Park covers the other side of town. If the garden is packed, Bridge Hotel Werribee is the other dog friendly pub option nearby, and you can compare the lot in the Werribee guide.