Paradiso Airlie Beach

Paradiso Airlie Beach is a beachfront restaurant and rooftop bar on Shute Harbour Road looking out across the Coral Sea and the lagoon, with live music and a modern Australian menu that leans tropical. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor and alfresco seating, which fronts directly onto the pedestrian path, so you can walk in off the boardwalk without cutting through the dining room.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome across the footpath-level alfresco tables off the boardwalk; the air-conditioned indoor restaurant is not open to dogs. Staff are known to bring out water bowls, and calling ahead to confirm a dog-friendly table is worth doing in busy periods, when the prime front-row seats go early.

The vibe

The draw is the waterfront outlook as much as the plate: a modern Australian menu with calamari, arancini and barramundi on rotation, a long cocktail list, happy hour and frequent live music. Doors open from 7:30am most days, so it covers breakfast through to evening sessions. It is a busy beachfront crowd, best suited to dogs who settle in lively surroundings.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant is at 265 Shute Harbour Road, on the main strip beside the lagoon. Paid street parking and the public car parks near the lagoon are the practical options, and it is an easy walk in along the boardwalk or the main-street footpaths.

Close by with the dogs

The boardwalk runs along the water for an on-leash walk in either direction, and the parklands around the lagoon are walkable, though dogs cannot enter the lagoon swimming area itself. For off-lead time, Boathaven Beach at Port of Airlie allows dogs off-leash in the morning window, roughly 5:30am to 8:30am, so check current signage. Coral Sea Pavilion and La Marina are other waterfront tables that take dogs.

Worth knowing

Time your visit around sunset or the live music for the full effect. More options are on the Queensland dog-friendly restaurants guide and the Airlie Beach destination page.