Bearded Dragon Hotel Tamborine

The Bearded Dragon Hotel is a rustic country pub on Tamborine Mountain Road with a sprawling, on-lead beer garden, weekend live music and a small zoo's worth of resident animals, and it is one of the best day-out venues for dog owners in the Scenic Rim. One caveat up front, because it matters: this is listed as a stay, but the hotel's own FAQ states dogs are not allowed inside the overnight accommodation rooms, so treat it as a day visit with your dog and book a genuine pet-friendly stay elsewhere if you need to overnight together.

Dogs at the Bearded Dragon

For day visitors, dogs on lead are welcome through the outdoor beer garden and paddock areas, with water bowls provided and staff who are used to four-legged regulars. The restaurant and bar indoors are off limits, and so are the motel-style rooms: booking platforms and the venue's own FAQ agree that pets are not allowed in the accommodation, even though some older directory listings still say pet friendly enquire. If you were hoping to stay over with your dog, ring ahead and get it confirmed in person rather than trusting a listing, because the FAQ is the venue's current word on the subject.

The other boundary comes from the property's residents: the grounds are home to farm animals and wildlife, including the well-known donkeys Clancy and Mabel plus alpacas, so pet boundaries are strictly kept across the acreage and your dog stays on lead and out of the animal paddocks.

The vibe

This is a family-and-dog crowd-pleaser rather than a quiet mountain pub: a big grassy beer garden with mountain views, a playground for the kids, weekend live music and no pokies. Reviewers love the alpaca feeding and the welcoming staff, with the main gripes being wait times on busy days. Expect a lively afternoon rather than a quiet one.

Getting there and out and about

The hotel sits on the corner of Tamborine Mountain Road and Waterford-Tamborine Road at Tamborine, in the foothills below the mountain villages, with free on-site parking and flat, easy access for dogs. For off-lead time in the region, the Tamborine Mountain leash free dog area is the designated run, and up on the mountain the Tamborine Beer Garden is another dog-welcoming outdoor venue for lunch.

For an actual overnight stay with your dog nearby, Tamborine Mountain Glades offers designated pet-friendly accommodation, and At The Avenue Coffee and More is a dog-friendly coffee stop in the village.

More options are in the Queensland pet friendly stays guide and the Tamborine destination guide.