Salt House

Salt House sits right at Marina Point on the edge of Trinity Inlet, an open-air Argentinean grill and bar where the draw is the water view and the breeze coming off the marina. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, so it works for a sunset drink or a long lunch with your dog settled at your feet.

The dog setup

Dogs go in the outdoor dining area only, the breezy waterfront tables looking over the marina; the main restaurant inside is off limits. Staff are used to dogs and will usually bring a water bowl, but pack your own to be safe. Keep your dog leashed and tucked under the table, because the deck gets busy on warm evenings and there is a constant stream of passers-by along the marina walk.

Worth knowing

The kitchen leans on the Argentinean grill, cooking fresh seafood and meats over open flame, and the bar runs one of the better-known sunset positions in Cairns. Live music features regularly, so an early table is the calmer pick if your dog is noise-shy. Hours run long, from 11:30am through to late, seven days a week, which makes it flexible for lunch as well as the classic sunset slot. Good for social dogs who are happy in a busy, buzzy spot.

Getting there and parking

The address is 6/2 Pier Point Road, at the entrance to the Marlin Marina. Paid parking sits around the marina and through the surrounding CBD streets, and it is an easy flat walk from most central Cairns hotels and the Esplanade.

Pepsi: Grab an outdoor table before the music starts, watch the boats, and the marina walk afterwards is the perfect leg-stretch.

Close by with the dogs

The Marlin Marina walk runs right past the door, and the Cairns Esplanade boardwalk is a short stroll away with grass and ocean air; note dogs are not allowed inside the fenced Esplanade Lagoon, but the surrounding parklands are fine on lead. Other dog-friendly tables nearby include Dundees on the Waterfront on the Harbour Lights boardwalk, Hemingway's Brewery in the cruise terminal shed, and Candy Cafe Bar in the city for something smaller.