Black Sheep Bistro Divine Indian

Black Sheep Bistro Divine Indian sits on the Old Pacific Highway in Oxenford, a few minutes off the M1, and answers the dog question plainly: on its Tripadvisor FAQ, asked whether there is a dog friendly area, the venue confirms the outdoor dining areas welcome dogs. It is a sit-down Indian bistro with a fusion streak rather than a coffee stop, so a visit here is a proper meal with the dog settled at your feet under an outdoor table.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome across the outdoor dining areas, and the practical move is to enter from the footpath so you stay in the outdoor section instead of crossing the main dining room. Staff are easygoing about four-legged guests. Ask for a water bowl when you arrive rather than assuming one is already out, and settle your dog close to the table where they are out of the server traffic.

The food

The kitchen covers both sides of its name. The Indian menu runs to chicken korma, onion bhaji and the cheese garlic naan that gets singled out by regulars, while the bistro half puts out a pulled pork burger and a steak sandwich. Serving sizes come up again and again as generous, and there are brownies if the dog has to watch you finish dessert. The venue is licensed, so a beer with the curry is on the table.

Getting there and parking

The address is 2/108 Old Pacific Highway, Oxenford, directly on the highway with the M1 minutes away. There is free off-street parking plus street parking out front, which makes the in-and-out with a dog straightforward. Sessions currently run 11:30am to 2pm, Tuesday to Sunday, with Monday closed, so check current hours before planning an evening visit.

Close by with the dogs

The Damian Leeding Memorial Park Fenced Dog Park is a short drive up the highway, with a fenced run, water fountains and lakeside walking tracks, and the smaller Binstead Way Fenced Dog Park sits within Oxenford itself for a quieter off-lead stop. For a morning coffee run, The Fresh Pantry is one of the suburb's other dog-friendly tables.

Max: korma and cheese garlic naan at an outdoor table, and every human in the room knows who the good one is.

More Gold Coast dinner options are on the Queensland restaurants list, or browse Oxenford.