The Plough @ Myrniong

The Plough @ Myrniong is a historic bluestone hotel on Main Street in Myrniong, a small town between Ballan and Bacchus Marsh about an hour's drive from Melbourne up the Western Highway. Open fireplaces, a serious pub kitchen and a dedicated pet-friendly beer garden make it the anchor stop for a dog-friendly day out in the Moorabool Valley.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the beer garden from 12pm on trading days and must stay on a leash at all times. Water bowls and treats are not confirmed, so bring your own. The beer garden is shared space, so keep your dog close to your table on a short lead. Bookings are strongly recommended; call (03) 5368 7173 and mention you will have a dog so you are seated outdoors.

Worth knowing

The kitchen is a proper restaurant operation rather than a bistro afterthought: dry-aged beef burgers, steaks including a 36-hour slow-cooked Parwan Valley blade, scotch fillet and porterhouse, plus cottage pie, seafood linguine and barramundi. There is a Locals Menu on Thursdays, kids menus, and local wines on the list. Hours are worth planning around: closed Monday to Wednesday, Thursday is dinner only from 5:30pm, Friday and Saturday run lunch and dinner, and Sunday is lunch from 12pm to 4pm.

Getting there and parking

The hotel is at 17 Main Street, Myrniong, with street parking directly out front that is usually easy to find in a town this size. The venue is also popular for weddings and functions in the nearby Stables, so check ahead if a big event is on.

Make a day of it

Myrniong Recreation Reserve on Hardy Street allows off-lead exercise after 4:30pm on weekdays and all day on weekends, provided sport is not in progress. For the bigger outing, Werribee Gorge is a short drive for on-lead bushwalking. Afterward, Little Lucky Cafe and Smokehouse 720 cover Bacchus Marsh, Graze Ballan is a dog-friendly overnight stop, and Lanyon Dog Park at Gordon gives an off-lead run on the Ballan side.

Pepsi: fireplace outside me, fireplace inside them. Everyone wins.