Blue Fin & Marina

Blue Fin & Marina sits on the boardwalk in the Shell Cove Waterfront Dining Precinct, at Unit 6/9 Marina Drive with the marina right in front of it. It is a casual seafood kitchen doing breakfast and lunch seven days, and leashed dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables along the water.

The dog setup

Dogs take the outdoor tables directly outside the restaurant, looking over the harbour. Shellharbour City Council confirms dogs are welcome on-leash through the Waterfront Precinct, and the boardwalk around the marina has bag dispensers and bins, so clean-up is easy. Inside is off limits, as is standard for food premises. Bring your own water bowl rather than counting on one being supplied.

Keep the leash on the whole time: the promenades and dining strip are on-leash areas, dogs are not allowed to swim in the harbour waters, and the kids' beach inside the precinct is not a dog zone.

Max: The marina tables are the win here. I got pats from three different families and watched a pelican judge my humans the entire lunch.

The vibe

The menu is seafood-led and made to order: fish and chips, panko calamari, crumbed prawns, prawn cutlets, seafood baskets and a schnitzel burger, with bacon and egg rolls covering breakfast. Portions get steady praise for size. Doors open at 9:30am on weekdays and 8am on weekends, with last orders around 7pm.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant is on Marina Drive in the Shell Cove marina precinct, with precinct parking and street parking on Marina Drive both a short walk from the door. The boardwalk is flat and wheelchair friendly, so prams and older dogs cope fine. It is about 20 minutes south of Wollongong via the A1.

Close by with the dogs

Shell Cove Dog Park is the local off-leash option for a proper run before you claim a table. Within the same precinct, Georgia Rose and The Tavern at the Links both welcome dogs outdoors as well, and Leaf Cafe and Co covers the coffee end of the strip.

More of the area is covered on the Shell Cove destination page, with the wider region listed under dog friendly restaurants in NSW.