Fin & Tonic NT

Fin & Tonic is a casual counter-service seafood spot at Unit 6/51 Marina Boulevard in Cullen Bay, Larrakeyah, cooking fresh local fish to order and serving it into the sunset over the marina. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating and the surrounding grassy areas, and the Darwin dog-owner groups rate it as one of the reliable dinner stops in town: grab takeaway fish and chips, claim a patch of lawn and watch the sky go orange with the dog settled beside you.

The dog setup

The outdoor tables and the lawns around the counter are the dog-friendly space, on lead, which suits the takeaway style of the place. There is no dog menu or water station published, so carry water in the build-up heat; the afternoon shade and water access are the reasons people come here with their dogs rather than the CBD strips.

The menu and the week

The kitchen is built around the day's catch: classic fish and chips with salad, local species like king threadfin, potato cakes, Spanish mackerel and a short list of small plates, plus cold beer and cocktails. Hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30am to 8pm, closed Monday and Tuesday. It is counter service, so there is no booking stress and dogs on the lawn are never a problem for the flow.

Getting there and parking

Cullen Bay is a few minutes west of Darwin city, with paid marina parking off Marina Boulevard and a walkway loop around the water that suits an evening dog walk. Lola's Pergola is the other dog-friendly option in the same suburb, and The Foreshore at Nightcliff is the coastal alternative further north. For a fenced off-lead run, Lakeside Drive Dog Park at Alawa is about ten minutes away.

More Darwin venues are on the Larrakeyah destination page and in the Northern Territory restaurants index.