Little Vietnam Restaurant (WOLLONGONG 2500)

Little Vietnam is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant at Shop 1/17 Market Street, on the Corrimal Street corner in the Wollongong CBD, with a name for pho, crispy skin chicken and proper spring rolls. The footpath tables out front are the ones to ask for when you are dining with the dog.

The dog setup

Dogs are allowed in the outdoor seating along the footpath; the indoor dining room is people only. The restaurant has not published a formal dog policy, so a quick call ahead on (02) 4225 3229 to confirm a footpath table is worth doing, particularly for a Friday or Saturday dinner. Bring your own water bowl, and expect the usual CBD foot traffic past the table, so a dog that settles through passing crowds will be happiest.

Worth knowing

The menu covers the Vietnamese classics: beef pho, rice paper rolls, cha gio spring rolls, vermicelli salads, crispy Vietnamese pancakes with a gluten-free option, and imported Vietnamese beers alongside the usual iced coffee. Lunch runs 11am to 3pm and dinner from 5pm to 9:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with the restaurant closed on Mondays. Off-peak sittings are easier with a dog, since the small room and its footpath strip fill quickly at prime time.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant sits mid-block on Market Street in the heart of the CBD. Street parking nearby is paid and time-limited, so the Wollongong Central car parks a short walk away are the practical option for a longer dinner.

Close by with the dogs

The foreshore paths towards Belmore Basin make an easy on-lead walk after a meal, and Coniston Dog Beach is a short drive south for off-leash sand and a swim. C9 Chocolate and Gelato keeps a dog-friendly stop on the same CBD circuit.

Pepsi: footpath table, passing pats, and the best-smelling broth in the Gong. I call that a good night out.