Holmes Hall

Holmes Hall is a big, plant-filled bar and eatery at 15 Holmes Road, a former supermarket turned 300-seat venue a minute from Moonee Ponds station. Around 20 craft beers run on tap alongside wine, cocktails and a gastropub menu of share plates with solid vegan options. For dogs, the draw is the beer garden, which is where they are welcome while the main indoor room stays people-only.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor beer garden and covered patio, on a lead and settled beside your table. The garden is roomy and casual, so there is space to tuck a dog in without blocking the thoroughfare. Bring your own water bowl to be safe rather than assume one is on hand, and check the forecast before a winter visit, because if the weather turns the indoor room is not an option for your dog.

The vibe

This is a lively venue rather than a quiet one: weekly trivia, drag bingo, weekend DJs, pinball and a shuffleboard table keep the room busy. It suits a relaxed, sociable dog that can switch off next to a crowded garden, and is a poor fit for a nervous one. Hours run Wednesday and Thursday from 4pm, midday to late Friday to Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.

Getting there

Moonee Ponds station on the Craigieburn line is very close, and tram route 59 stops nearby at Moore Street, so leaving the car at home is easy. If you drive, street parking runs along Holmes Road and the surrounding streets, with paid parking nearby as backup.

Close by with the dogs

Bent Street Fenced Dog Park and the Aberfeldie Park off-leash area both work for a pre-pint run, and Darling Street Espresso covers the daytime coffee end of the suburb. Jimmy's Tap and Barrel in Ascot Vale is the nearest comparable dog-friendly beer stop one suburb over.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly restaurants guide and the Moonee Ponds destination page.

Max: go early evening on a weeknight. The garden is calm, the dog has room, and you still get the full tap list.