Tinamba Hotel

The Tinamba Hotel is a small-town pub in Central Gippsland that has quietly become one of regional Victoria's serious dining rooms, with Chef Hat awards and state restaurant gongs behind it. Dogs are welcome out on the verandah and the front lawn, which makes it a genuine destination lunch or dinner stop if you are travelling through Gippsland with a dog.

The dog setup

Dining with a dog happens on the covered front verandah and the lawn out front, both proper dining spaces rather than an afterthought. The hotel's own answer to bad weather is the conservatory, which it uses as a backup for guests with dogs. Dog-friendly seating is limited to those areas, so mention the dog when you book. Staff go out of their way for four-legged diners, and water is rarely a problem, but ask when you arrive in case arrangements have changed.

The vibe

The kitchen is built on Gippsland produce: seasonal a la carte, two and three-course set menus and a six-course tasting menu with optional wine flights, alongside a hearty parma and sharing platters in the bar. Gippsland craft beers pour on tap. Hours: closed Monday and Tuesday, 3pm to 10pm Wednesday and Thursday, 11:45am to 10pm Friday and Saturday, and 11:45am to 4pm Sunday, with set lunch and dinner seating windows. Book ahead; this is a destination dining room, not walk-in country trade.

Max: Ask for the verandah when you book, and if the weather turns they will move you into the conservatory rather than turn you away.

Getting there and parking

The hotel sits at 4-6 Tinamba-Seaton Road in Tinamba, between Maffra and Maffra West, roughly 15 minutes from Sale and 2.5 hours east of Melbourne. There is free on-site parking plus easy street parking.

Before or after lunch, The Food Store at Maffra covers the coffee stop, Barron River Hotel at Stratford is the alternative pub meal on the drive, and Stratford Caravan Park works for an overnight with the dog. The Victoria dog friendly restaurants guide and the Tinamba destination page cover the rest.