Mamma's Italian

Mamma's Italian is a long-running family Italian restaurant at 69 Redcliffe Parade, on the waterfront strip at the heart of the peninsula, and dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables. The menu is traditional and generous: pasta, pizza, calzone and seafood risotto, with gluten-free and vegetarian options and cannoli to finish. It works for a sit-down dinner with the dog along, not just a quick lunch.

The dog setup

Dogs sit in the outdoor seating along Redcliffe Parade, on lead beside or under the table. Staff are used to dogs and water bowls often appear, but pack a collapsible bowl as backup. The pavement tables put you right on the busier part of the strip, so a dog that can settle through foot traffic will have the easiest time. There is step-free access from the parade, handy with a pram in tow.

Worth knowing

This is one of the busiest dining rooms on the parade, so book ahead for dinner, particularly Friday through Sunday when the waterfront fills up. Lunch service runs through the week, with Sunday the long day from 9am to 9pm. Portions lean large, which suits a shared-plate Italian dinner, and the wine list covers the classics rather than anything adventurous.

Getting there and parking

Free street parking runs along Redcliffe Parade and the cross streets, with a public car park nearby for peak times. The jetty is a short walk for an on-lead post-dinner stroll, and the foreshore paths keep dogs leashed along the whole waterfront. Bee Gees Way is around the corner if you want a nightcap of a different kind.

For off-lead time, Queens Beach North Dog Off-Leash Area is the closest sand-and-water run on Flinders Parade, and Kroll Gardens Fenced Dog Park is the fully enclosed option. Over There Cafe is the breakfast stop for the next morning.

The Queensland restaurants index and the Redcliffe destination guide list more.

Pepsi: risotto for the humans, jetty lap for me, and Sunday runs nine to nine.