Tysons Reef Hotel

Tysons Reef Hotel is a Bendigo landmark pub at 2 Weeroona Avenue, sitting just up from Lake Weeroona in the city's north. It trades on hearty, honest pub food, including lamb cutlets, parmas, steaks and seafood platters, plus a shaded outdoor beer garden and courtyard where a well-settled dog is welcome beside you.

The dog setup

Dogs on a lead are welcome in the outdoor beer garden and courtyard seating. As with most Victorian pubs, the indoor dining rooms and bar stay dog-free, so aim for an outside table, and on busy weekends it pays to arrive early or book. A water bowl may be on hand, but pack a collapsible one to be sure. The garden sits near a car park and the road, so keep your dog close in the high-traffic areas.

Pepsi: walk the lake loop first, then claim a courtyard table before the midday rush, that is the whole Bendigo day sorted.

Worth knowing

Lunch runs from midday daily, with the kitchen going until 11pm Sunday to Thursday and later on Friday and Saturday nights. The pub handles functions too, so some evenings the courtyard can be set aside for private events; a quick call to (03) 5443 0374 confirms the outdoor area is open before you set off with the dog.

Getting there and parking

Weeroona Avenue runs off the Midland Highway at the northern end of Lake Weeroona, a few minutes' drive from the Bendigo CBD. There is parking at the hotel and street parking along the avenue, and the lake's foreshore car parks are close enough to walk from if the pub fills up.

Close by with the dogs

The flat, sealed Lake Weeroona loop is about 1.8km and on-lead for dogs, which makes the classic pairing here: lap of the lake, then a pub lunch. Over in town, Old Boundary Hotel is another Bendigo pub with outdoor dining, and The Golden Bean handles the coffee stop in the CBD.

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