Gotti's Pizzeria

Gotti's Pizzeria is a family-run wood-fired pizza shop at 21 Tapleys Hill Road in Hendon, on Adelaide's western side near the airport. Pizza, pasta and chicken parmigiana come out of a small, casual room, and dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, which makes this one of the few evening dinner options in the suburb where the dog is not left in the car.

The dog setup

Dogs are permitted in the outdoor seating area only, kept leashed and under control while other diners come and go. A fire pit warms the outdoor space on cooler nights, which is worth knowing because the kitchen only opens in the evenings, Thursday to Sunday, and stays closed Monday to Wednesday. Water and treats are not guaranteed, so bring your own bowl.

Max: the fire pit corner is the spot on a cold night. Arrive at opening rather than 7pm if you want a table beside it.

The vibe

The oven does the talking: thin, wood-fired pizza with fresh toppings leads the menu, backed by pasta and a well-liked chicken parmigiana, with Nutella pizza finishing things off for the table. The room is compact and family-oriented, so a settled dog beside an outdoor table fits the rhythm of the place.

Getting there and parking

Tapleys Hill Road carries traffic through the western suburbs toward the coast, and there is parking at the small strip where the pizzeria sits. Plane spotting comes free, given the flight path, which some dogs find more interesting than others.

Pair it with

For daytime options nearby, coffee by the beans in Lockleys and Henley Breeze Cafe on the coast are both dog-friendly, and MALOBO Bakery & Terrace Bar adds a terrace option at Henley Beach. Torrensville Dog Park is a short drive north for an off-lead run before dinner.

More choices are on the South Australia dog friendly restaurants guide and the Hendon destination page.