South Eastern Hotel

The South Eastern Hotel at 17-21 Penola Road is a big, family-owned local on the main northern route into Mount Gambier, running a bistro, a sports bar and an indoor kids' play area. For dog owners the relevant zone is the outdoor beer garden and the seating across the front of the pub, which is where dogs are welcome.

The dog setup

Dogs on leads settle into the beer garden and the front alfresco seating, which works best in warmer months and milder evenings. Indoors stays people only: the bistro, sports bar and playground are all off limits under the usual food rules. There is no formal dog menu and bowls are not guaranteed, so pack a travel bowl, though the outdoor staff are generally easygoing with well-settled dogs.

Worth knowing

The bistro's signature is the self-serve salad and hot vegetable bar that comes with the mains, alongside pub staples like chicken and beef schnitzels, parmis and ribs. The kitchen serves lunch from about 11:30am to 2pm and dinner from 5pm to 8pm daily, with the front bar covering the afternoon gap. The front bar carries TAB, Keno and pool, and the venue handles groups well, so it copes with families and travelling crews alike.

Getting there and parking

There is on-site off-street parking by the hotel entrance, plus street parking along Penola Road and the side streets. Coming in from the north on the Penola Road route, it is effectively the first big pub you reach.

Close by with the dogs

The 3.6km crater walk around Blue Lake (Warwar) is a few minutes away, with dogs welcome on lead along the main trail, and our Blue Lake loop guide covers the circuit. One caution: dogs are not permitted down inside the Umpherston Sinkhole (Balumbul) sunken garden, so enjoy it from the upper rim pathways only. For off-lead time, Hastings Cunningham Reserve fenced dog park is the reliable run.

More options are on the South Australia dog friendly restaurants guide and the Mount Gambier destination page.

Max: lunch on the beer garden side after the Blue Lake circuit is the play. Skip the sinkhole descent, it is a no-dog zone past the rim.