Das Bierhaus

Das Bierhaus pours Bavarian standards from an 1855 heritage bluestone building at 310 Moorabool Street in the Geelong CBD, and for dog owners the way in is the outdoor beer garden, where well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome. It opens Wednesday and Thursday from 12pm to 9:30pm, Friday and Saturday to 11pm, and Sunday to 9pm, closing Monday and Tuesday.

The dog setup

Dogs sit with you in the beer garden only; the indoor dining room is people-only, so book an outdoor table, particularly on weekends when the garden is the busiest part of the venue. Staff have a reputation for accommodating four-legged guests and water bowls are often provided, though bringing your own removes any doubt. Live music features at times and the room gets loud, so a noise-shy dog is better off in a quieter midweek session.

From the kitchen and the taps

The food is hearty and made fresh to order: crispy pork knuckle, freshly crumbed schnitzels including the Alpine chicken, authentic sausages such as Kasekrainer and Weisswurst, and the enormous Bavarian feast plate for sharing. Otway pork belly, Flammkuchen and freshly baked pretzels round it out, with spiced apple strudel for dessert and a genuine vegetarian and vegan range. The taps carry more than twenty imported German beers poured to the Reinheitsgebot, with tasting paddles if you cannot pick.

Getting there

Moorabool Street is a main CBD thoroughfare, an easy walk from the waterfront end of town, with generally free street parking in the surrounding blocks. The waterfront precinct itself, including Eastern Beach, is an on-lead area under City of Greater Geelong rules for dogs in public places.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-lead run beforehand, the Belmont Dog Park is a short drive south with fenced agility space, or let your dog stretch along the Barwon River. For another dog-friendly beer on the water, Edge Geelong keeps a sheltered outdoor deck at Eastern Beach Road. The Victorian restaurants index and the Geelong destination guide cover the region.