RATTLE Restaurant & Bar

RATTLE Restaurant and Bar sits right across from the sand at 104 Fiddaman Road, Emerald Beach, doing Mediterranean-inspired share plates, fresh local seafood and a serious drinks list with the ocean a few steps away. Dogs are welcome on the outdoor deck, which makes it one of the better dinner-with-a-dog options on the Coffs Coast.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor deck, which looks straight out over the water, on lead and settled beside your table. The indoor dining room is not a dog space, so the deck is the only option and it is worth confirming a deck table when you book, particularly for dinner service. Water bowls are not guaranteed, so carry a portable bowl on warm days.

The vibe and the menu

The kitchen leans Mediterranean: mezzé and share plates, Nambucca River rock oysters and other local seafood, burrata and a creme brulée to finish. The cocktail list works with local distillers and native ingredients, and the wine list is mostly independent Australian makers. It is popular for sunset drinks and happy hour spritzes, with the sound of the surf through the open deck. Hours run Wednesday to Saturday from midday, with Sunday brunch and lunch, and the venue closes Monday and Tuesday.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant is at 104 Fiddaman Road in the Emerald Beach shop strip, about 15 minutes south of Coffs Harbour. Free street parking is available on Fiddaman Road and the surrounding residential streets, and the main beach access point is directly across the road.

Close by with the dogs

The beach out front and the paved headland walkway make an easy pre- or post-meal stroll, and the off-leash beach north of Fiddamans Creek covers the run-around part of the day, subject to council signage. The Reflections Moonee Beach Holiday Park just north is a pet-friendly stay if you are making a weekend of it, and the Moonee Beach Hotel is another dog-friendly drink stop in the same pocket.

More dog-friendly places around the suburb are on the Emerald Beach destination page, with the wider list in the NSW restaurants index.