To All My Friends

To All My Friends is a craft beer bar and wood-fired pizzeria in the Cook shops at 24 Cook Place in Belconnen, and it is one of the more genuinely dog-friendly drinking spots on Canberra's north side. The large covered outdoor patio is really the point of the venue: trestle tables, shelter from the weather, and dogs are welcome throughout it, with water bowls put out and staff who are used to four-legged regulars.

The dog setup

Dogs join you in the sheltered outdoor patio and covered seating, kept on a leash and close to the table while the pizzas come out. Indoors is generally service dogs only, but that hardly matters here since the covered area is the main seating anyway. Because the patio fills quickly on Friday and Saturday nights, arriving early gives a settled dog the space it needs; weeknights are the relaxed option.

The vibe

The kitchen is built around wood-fired pizzas with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options across the board, plus kids pizzas for family tables, and the pumpkin and feta gets its share of praise. The tap list rotates heavily through independent Australian breweries, with wine and cocktails behind it, and happy hour runs from 4pm to 6pm. Trivia nights and open mic sessions give it a neighbourhood-bar feel with a strong local following rather than anything polished.

Getting there and parking

Hours run from 3pm Tuesday to Friday, from midday on weekends, closed Mondays, with the kitchen winding up shortly before close. Free parking is plentiful directly behind the Cook shops off Rowan Street or Biffin Street, with flat access to the rear entrance, and bus stops along Cook's main streets cover anyone arriving without a car.

Make a day of it

A well-used off-leash park sits a short walk from the shops for a pre-dinner run-around, and serious walkers can head for the Mount Painter Nature Reserve trail a suburb over, or the loop at the National Arboretum Canberra if you want the big views before pizza.

Pepsi: claim a trestle table before the Saturday rush, order the pumpkin and feta, and let the tap list make the decisions after that.

More Belconnen nights out are on the ACT dog friendly restaurants guide, or browse Cook for the suburb round-up.