The Bavarian Chermside

The Bavarian is a lively German restaurant in the open-air dining precinct at Westfield Chermside, built around a beer garden, schnitzels, pretzels and pork knuckles the size of the plate. The outdoor setting near the water feature makes it a workable dog stop in Brisbane's biggest shopping hub, provided you stick to the patio.

The dog setup

Dogs are generally welcome at the outdoor tables in the open-air beer garden and patio area; indoors is off limits. Water bowls are often available, but bring your own for busy periods, because weekends here get loud and crowded. A bonus for logistics: you can reach the outdoor tables directly from the outside of the precinct, so you do not have to walk your dog through the indoor mall to get there.

Worth knowing

The menu is Bavarian pub food at volume: pork knuckle, sausages, a wide schnitzel range, pretzels and wings, with schnapps behind the bar and happy hour deals. It suits groups and families, and the festive beer-garden atmosphere is part of the draw. Lunch and dinner run daily from 11am or 11:30am into the evening, later on Friday and Saturday. Just know it sits in the main Westfield dining hub near the cinemas, so peak dinner times are noisy; a mid-afternoon slot is the calmer pick with a dog.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant is on the corner of Gympie and Hamilton Roads at Westfield Chermside. The rooftop car park or the outdoor bays near the cinemas and dining precinct are your best options, and both put you close to the outdoor tables without going through the mall.

Max: A pretzel the size of my head and a knuckle of pork under negotiation. I contribute my best sitting posture to the negotiations.

Close by with the dogs

Chermside Dog Park is a short hop across the way for open space before you claim a table, and the Chermside Hills Reserves are a short drive for a proper bushwalk. If you want an alternative pub in the area, Chermside Tavern is the local fallback.