Oxley’s On The Bay

Oxley's On The Bay sits at the entrance to Wellington Point Recreation Reserve on Main Road, and it has become the pitstop for the suburb's dog walkers: bay views, a big outdoor deck, and a menu running from bacon and egg rolls at 7am through to fish and chips, calamari, seafood baskets and thickshakes in the afternoon. With the reserve's paths, the beach and the famous low-tide sandbar walk to King Island all starting within metres of the door, it is a rare restaurant where a water bowl on the deck is part of the furniture.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the deck and the other outdoor seating, and the space is roomy enough for prams and leashed dogs to share; the indoor building stays dog-free. Water bowls are regularly put out in the outdoor area. Keep your dog leashed and close to the table, and note the venue trades daytime hours only: from 8am Tuesday to Friday and 7am on weekends, with Monday closed.

The vibe

It is casual beach-kiosk-meets-cafe rather than destination dining, and the outlook over the water and mangroves is the reason to linger. Weekend mornings are busy with walkers, so an early arrival gets you both a table and a park.

Getting there and parking

Oxley's is at 1 Main Road, Wellington Point, at the reserve entrance. The large public carpark for the reserve is right alongside and fills fast on sunny weekends and at low tide, when the King Island sandbar walk draws crowds. Check tide times before you plan the sandbar; at high tide it disappears.

Pair it with

The reserve itself is an on-leash area, and council rules keep dogs off King Island itself and away from playgrounds, so the sandbar walk is a leashed one. For an off-lead run, Wellington Point Dog Park is the fenced option next suburb over in Birkdale. Other dog-friendly tables in the suburb include Farmhouse Restaurant and Cafe and Tanja's Cafe and Restaurant.

More ideas are on the Queensland dog friendly restaurants guide and the Wellington Point destination page.