Hey Lady Diner

Hey Lady Diner is a retro-styled bar and diner at 105 River Street in central Ballina, with footpath seating out front where dogs are welcome. It runs all day from coffee and breakfast into a livelier cocktail-and-share-plates evening, so the calm dog-friendly window is earlier in the day.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the front footpath seating on River Street, kept on-leash beside your table. Bring your own water bowl as one is not guaranteed. The venue gets busier and louder for dinner and DJ nights, so a daytime visit suits a settled dog better than a Friday evening.

Worth knowing

By day it pours ONA coffee with a breakfast and lunch menu; by night the kitchen shifts to share plates and diner classics, with karaage, ceviche, calamari, bao buns and mac and cheese among the regulars, plus a strong vegetarian and vegan line-up. The bar side runs cocktails, margaritas, local wines and craft beer, and happy hour draws a crowd. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday 8am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 8am to 10pm, and Sunday 8am to 2pm, closed Monday and Tuesday.

Getting there and parking

The diner sits on River Street, Ballina's main strip, with free street parking out front and on the surrounding blocks. On busy weekends you may end up a block away, which is a handy leg-stretch for the dog before you sit down.

Make a day of it

The Richmond River waterfront is a few blocks away, and the Missingham Park Off Leash Area gives the dog an off-lead run by the river before lunch. For a beach run, the Seven Mile Beach Dog Beach at Lennox Head is about 15 minutes north, and the Compton Dog Park in East Ballina is a fenced option close to Shaws Bay. Another sit-down dinner option nearby is Wharf Bar & Restaurant.

More options are on the New South Wales dog friendly restaurants guide and the Ballina destination page.