Riversmith

Riversmith occupies a stylishly renovated former service station at 122 Bussell Highway, right on Margaret River's main strip, and it opens 7am to 1pm every day for breakfast and lunch. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor alfresco seating along the highway frontage, where shade umbrellas keep the tables workable through the warmer months.

The dog setup

Alfresco only: the indoor dining room and counter stay dog-free under standard food-safety rules, so settle in outside. Keep your dog leashed and under the table, since the footpath carries steady foot traffic along the main street. Water bowls are usually available outdoors, but a travel bowl earns its keep on hot days. Weekend brunch fills the tables, so an early start gets you the quieter ones.

The kitchen

The menu runs to South West produce and strong coffee: smashed avocado, corn fritters, poached eggs, sourdough toast and a halloumi burger, with live music adding to the laid-back room. It is a people-watching spot as much as a dining one, sitting on the pedestrian-precinct stretch of the main drag.

Getting there and a walk after

Street parking runs along Bussell Highway with public car parks behind the main-street buildings, and it is an easy walk from central accommodation. After breakfast, the Rotary South Bank River Trail is a short drive or a good walk away, all on-lead along the shire-managed river path. For an off-lead run, Brookfield Dog Park is the town's fenced option, and the leashed-dog sections of the coast around Prevelly and Gnarabup are about a 10 minute drive for a beach walk afterwards.

For another meal in town, morries and Settlers Tavern both keep dog-friendly seating. The WA restaurants index and Margaret River destination page cover the rest of the region.