morries

Morries is a modern Australian small-plates restaurant and cocktail bar at 2/149 Bussell Highway in the middle of Margaret River, and it is an evening venue: doors open from 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, with Mondays and Sundays closed. Think shared plates, tap wine and cocktails with live music in the background, and the covered, heated front patio is where dogs are welcome.

The dog setup

Dogs join you on the covered patio off the main street footpath, which keeps them out of the weather and out of the indoor dining room. Ask for a patio table when you book, and flag that you are bringing a dog, because the space is limited and weekends fill. Staff have a good reputation for bringing out a water dish, but a travel bowl is still worth packing.

Pepsi: patio table, early booking, and I am set for the evening. The trick with busy small-plates joints is picking a corner spot where I am not in the walkway.

Worth knowing

The menu runs tapas-style with ceviche, croquettes, octopus and beef cheeks among the signatures, and the early-evening crowd is lively rather than hushed. It is listed by RAC among the region's dog-friendly venues, so it is a known stop for travelling dog owners. Free street parking runs along Bussell Highway with carparks behind the main-street shops.

Pair it with

For a daytime run before dinner, Brookfield Dog Park offers a fenced off-lead area in town, and the river trails are on-lead territory under shire rules. If you are planning a dog-friendly weekend, Settlers Tavern has outdoor seating where dogs can join you, Aldo's Cafe covers breakfast, and Cape Mentelle is a dog-friendly cellar door nearby.

More options are on the Western Australia dog friendly restaurants guide and the Margaret River destination page.