The Beach House(Blackmans Bay)

The Beach House is a relaxed cafe, bar and bistro at 14 Ocean Esplanade in Blackmans Bay, directly across from the beach and looking over the bay itself. It runs breakfast through dinner with a seafood-leaning menu plus cafe classics, and the outdoor terrace is where dogs are welcome while you eat with the water in view.

The dog setup

Dogs on a lead are welcomed in the outdoor seating and terrace areas, but not inside the main dining room, as is standard for Tasmanian food premises. Staff are generally accommodating; water bowls are not guaranteed at every table, so carry a travel bowl. The terrace sits beside the esplanade path, so park your dog away from the foot traffic if it is nervous.

Pepsi: breakfast on the terrace, then drive the five minutes to Suncoast for a proper off-lead run, the beach itself is off the table.

Worth knowing

The beach across the road is not a dog beach: Kingborough Council restricts dogs from Blackmans Bay Beach at all times, so the post-meal walk is along the esplanade and streets rather than on the sand. Hours run Tuesday to Sunday from mid-morning, with the kitchen going through to the evening; Mondays are closed, so check the current hours before a weekday visit.

Getting there and parking

Ocean Esplanade runs along the Blackmans Bay foreshore, about 15 minutes' drive south of Hobart. Street parking lines the esplanade and fills fast on sunny weekends, so an early sitting is the safer bet in summer. It is an easy run in from Kingston along the Channel Highway.

Close by with the dogs

For real off-lead time, Suncoast fenced dog park on Tinderbox Road is the local option, a few minutes from the esplanade. Over the hill, The Salty Dog Hotel at Kingston Beach is the other dog-friendly dining room in the area, and the Alum Cliffs Track out of Kingston Beach suits an on-lead coastal walk.

More options are on the Tasmania dog friendly restaurants guide and the Blackmans Bay destination page.