The Gutter Bar

The Gutter Bar is a rustic open-air bar and seafood stop at 21 Kooringal Esplanade on the southern tip of Moreton Island (Mulgumpin), with views over Day's Gutter. It welcomes dogs in its outdoor seating and garden areas, and doubles as a general store, a community hub for the island's southern end, and one of the more memorable dog-accompanied lunches in south-east Queensland if you can get there.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the casual outdoor seating and garden surrounds, where there is room for a dog to settle beside your table on sand-friendly ground. Keep the lead on and the dog under control around other patrons. Bring a portable water bowl; the bar's own setup is not something to rely on. One caveat matters here: the island is largely national park and recreation area, where dogs and other pets are prohibited on beaches, tracks and in campgrounds. The bar's outdoor areas sit on its own ground, so plan your day around that boundary and leave the beach walks out of the itinerary.

On the plate

Fresh oysters from Moreton Bay growers are the signature, joined by hot and cold seafood platters, fisherman's baskets, crumbed whiting, beer-battered flathead with chips and solid burgers, plus a kids' menu. Cold beer, wine, cider and cocktails cover the drinks. Hours run Monday to Thursday 10am to 4:30pm, Friday to 7pm, Saturday 8:30am to 7pm and Sunday 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Getting there and parking

Access is by 4WD, boat or jet ski only. Most visitors take the MICAT barge to Tangalooma, then drive about 50 minutes down Middle Road and the eastern or western beach routes; the final run into Kooringal is tide-dependent, so check tides before travelling. Free street parking sits on Kooringal Esplanade in front of the bar, and the bay off Kooringal is a popular boat anchorage.

Worth knowing

Treat the visit as a lunch stop rather than a base: campgrounds on the island do not take pets, so a dog-friendly day trip means a barge crossing, the drive south, a long seafood lunch, and back. Confirm barge and tide details on the day, as beach conditions change fast. In the village, The Perennial is the other stop in Kooringal's small set. See the full Kooringal listing or browse more Queensland venues.

Max: Time the last stretch with the outgoing tide and plan the return before dark. The beach route into Kooringal disappears quicker than the maps suggest.

Best for a settled dog that travels well by barge and 4WD. It is a long day for a dog, so keep the visit short and the water up.