Nero's Table

Nero's Table is the relaxed Italian on Bull Street in central Bendigo, running a proper woodfired oven for Napoli-style pizzas and Mediterranean plates. For dog owners it is a good-value dinner option in the city: the footpath tables out front are where leashed dogs are welcome, and the Bull Street strip is one of the better people-watching spots in town for a dog to settle.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on lead at the outdoor footpath seating on Bull Street; the indoor dining room is for people only. Tables out front are limited, so call ahead on (03) 5443 3243 to confirm one is free before you arrive with a dog. Staff are accommodating, but the venue is not kitted out with pet gear, so pack your own water bowl.

Worth knowing

The kitchen ferments its pizza bases slowly and fires them in an imported Italian woodfired oven, with the Nero's Inferno the signature pie and vegetarian options across the menu. Beyond pizza there are small plates like garlic sourdough and caprese pastry, house-made pasta, and mains such as slow-baked lamb shoulder and crispy pork belly, backed by a wine list, cocktails and tap beers. Hours run from 11:30am, to 9pm Monday and Wednesday to Sunday and to 10pm Friday and Saturday, with Tuesday closed.

Getting there and parking

Find it at 58 Bull Street, walkable from the Bendigo business district and the central tourist strip. Street parking runs along Bull Street and the surrounding blocks, metered in the core, so check the signage before leaving the car.

Close by with the dogs

Lake Weeroona is a short walk north for an on-lead lap of the water, and for proper off-lead time Emily Way Dog Off Leash Area in Golden Square is a short drive away. Another city option taking dogs is Old Boundary Hotel.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly restaurants guide and the Bendigo destination page.

Pepsi: ring ahead for a footpath table at Nero's Table. There are only a handful out front, and Bendigo dinner service fills them quickly.