Wharf Bar & Restaurant Ballina

The Wharf Bar & Restaurant sits right on the Richmond River at 12-24 Fawcett Street, Ballina, a casual waterfront venue with a big outdoor deck where well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome. The draw is the river view: sunsets over the water and the riverside path running straight past the tables.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome across the outdoor dining areas, a mix of undercover and open-air tables along the waterfront. Come in via the outdoor pathway rather than walking your dog through the indoor dining room. It is a busy venue, so a calm dog and a table at the edge of the deck work best. Water bowls are often around, but carry your own to be safe.

Max: aim for a late-afternoon table on the open-air side; the sunset over the Richmond is the reason this deck fills, so book around it.

Worth knowing

The kitchen runs to fresh local seafood, wood-fired pizzas and cocktails: oysters, calamari, seafood chowder and seafood linguine get repeat mentions, and live music rolls on Sunday afternoons. It opens 7:30am to 9:30pm every day of the week, so it covers everything from a post-walk breakfast to dinner. The whole venue is flat and step-free, which makes it easy with older dogs or a pram alongside.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs along Fawcett Street with a public car park nearby. The venue sits directly on the riverside walking path, so it pairs naturally with a foreshore stroll, and the walk from central Ballina along the river is flat and easy.

Close by with the dogs

Missingham Park Off Leash Area is a short stroll along the foreshore, with the sandy spit beside it giving dogs river water to splash in. For a fenced session with agility gear, Compton Dog Park in East Ballina is a short drive, and Seven Mile Beach Dog Beach at Lennox Head is the proper ocean-beach option north of the surf club.

Nearby on PawScapes: Seven Mile Brewing Co and Tel Aviv Yafo Ballina are other dog-friendly places to eat in town. More options are on the New South Wales dog friendly restaurants guide and the Ballina destination page.