The Elwood Tavern

The Elwood Tavern is a relaxed modern-Australian pub in the heart of Elwood village on Ormond Road, and the beer garden is its dog-friendly drawcard. A genuine local, it pairs pub meals with a daily happy hour, live music and sport on the screens, all within walking distance of Elwood Beach.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor beer garden, a sunny backyard space with a mix of tall and dining tables, and at the front footpath seating on Ormond Road, on a lead and under control next to your table. Staff are known to be accommodating and will usually bring water out. Some patrons report bringing dogs inside, but the outdoor areas are the spots you can count on, so aim for the garden or the footpath. The backyard gets busy and sociable, so it suits a settled dog rather than a nervous one; the front tables are quieter if yours is easily wound up.

The vibe

This is a neighbourhood tavern through and through: pub classics, parma nights, a wide beer selection, a daily happy hour, live music and a pool table. Hours run from 3pm Monday to Thursday, with long 12pm-to-midnight sessions on Friday and Saturday and a 12pm-to-10pm Sunday, so a weekend afternoon in the beer garden is the easiest mode for a dog.

Getting there and parking

The tavern is on Ormond Road in Elwood's village strip. Free street parking is available on Ormond Road and the surrounding streets, though it tightens up at peak times, and local buses run along Ormond Road. The beach and foreshore are a flat walk away, which is how most people arrive with a dog anyway.

Close by with the dogs

The Elwood Beach Dog Off Leash Area is walking distance, and the M.O. Moran Reserve Fenced Dog Park plus Clarke Reserve Off-Leash Park cover a run before lunch. On the same strip, Plain Sailing Elwood and Who is Bunker Spreckels both take dogs at their outdoor tables for coffee the next morning.

See the Elwood Tavern's website for its spaces and menus, and head for the beer garden with your dog.