District Club Margaret River

The District Club is a genuine community club at 11 Tunbridge Street in Margaret River, welcoming members and visitors since 1946, and it is one of the town's most straightforward dog-friendly dining options: a covered deck, garden lawns and a relaxed crowd that expects dogs to be sprawled on the grass.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the covered deck and the lawns; the main indoor dining room stays people-only. Water bowls are typically provided outside, so this is an easy stop on a warm afternoon. The club also hosts games and private events on other days, so a confident, sociable dog fits the bill better than a nervous one when the deck is busy with a function crowd.

The vibe

This is casual club dining rather than polished restaurant service: pub-style meals made from local ingredients, local beers and wines, cocktails on the deck, happy hour and Friday-night raffles. Opening hours are tight, with Wednesday and Friday dinner from 5pm till late and other days reserved for games and private events, so check the club's Facebook page before planning a visit. Membership runs calendar-year if you become a regular.

Getting there and parking

Tunbridge Street sits centrally, a short walk from the town's main street, with free on-site and street parking around the club. The walk in from most of town is flat and easy with a dog on lead.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-lead run first, Brookfield Dog Park is in town, and tire-the-dog-out-then-settle-on-the-deck is a proven sequencing. For other dog-friendly tables, Lasa serves Filipino and pan-Asian food with alfresco seating, Settlers Tavern is the town institution, and Dear Darnell's in Witchcliffe has a shaded courtyard for wood-fired pizza.

Pepsi: Lawns to sprawl on, a water bowl already out and happy hour underway. Do the dog park first, then deck.