Auzilia Restaurant and Bar

Auzilia is an Italian restaurant and bar at Shop 2/640 South Pine Road, Brendale, on Brisbane's northern fringe, serving handmade pasta, Roman-style pinsa and seafood across lunch and dinner services. Dogs are welcome in the undercover outdoor terrace, so it works as a proper sit-down meal with the dog rather than a quick coffee stop.

The dog setup

Dogs join you on the covered outdoor patio rather than inside the dining room. The terrace is sheltered, so a warm or showery evening does not spoil the plan, and the casual setup suits a dog settled on a lead beside the table. Ask for an outdoor table when you book on 0426 499 832 so a dog-friendly spot is held, and bring your own water bowl to be safe.

The vibe

The kitchen leans traditional Italian with local produce: freshly baked garlic focaccia with herbs and butter to start, braised beef cheek pappardelle, potato gnocchi with truffle cream and prawn pesto linguine among the pastas, and hand-stretched pinsa Romana with a lighter, crispier base than standard pizza, including a confit garlic, mushroom and truffle oil version. There is a proper wine list and a bar side for a drink while you wait. Hours shift by day: dinner runs from 5:30pm most nights, lunch sits midday Wednesday to Saturday, and Friday and Saturday evenings push a little later, so check the site when booking.

Getting there and parking

Brendale is about 20 minutes' drive north of the Brisbane CBD, just past Carseldine. The restaurant sits in a commercial complex on South Pine Road with convenient on-site parking, so unloading the dog from the car is straightforward. The Strathpine and Eatons Hill sides of the suburb are both a few minutes away.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-leash run before dinner, the Piggott Reserve fenced dog park is close by, and the Sargent Reserve fenced dog park is a short drive west. The suburb's coffee run is covered by Ground Rules Coffee Roastery and Groupheads and Grind.

More northern-suburbs eating: Queensland restaurants and Brendale.