Varias

Varias is the restaurant at the Queensland College of Wine Tourism on Caves Road in Stanthorpe, a modern dining room that doubles as a training ground for the region's hospitality students. Dogs are welcome on the outdoor verandah, where the tables look over the vineyard and the lake below.

The dog setup

Leashed dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating, not inside the main dining room. The covered verandah is popular, so mention your dog when you book to hold a table. Bring a water bowl, since staff are welcoming but one is not guaranteed on hand.

The vibe

The kitchen runs a locally sourced modern Australian menu built around Granite Belt produce, with matching regional wines and a dessert wine list worth the room. Lunch under the leafy trees is the usual way to do it, and the college grounds give a leashed dog a short stroll before or after the meal.

Service comes from students training for the industry, so the pace is unhurried and the room has a teaching-kitchen polish rather than pub casualness. It trades Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 8pm, and closes Sunday and Monday.

Pepsi: book ahead and say the word dog. The verandah seats go first on weekends, and the tables nearest the vineyard edge are the ones you want.

Getting there and parking

The address is 22 Caves Road, Stanthorpe, a short drive south of the town centre. There is no public transport to the door, but on-site parking is plentiful.

Pair it with

Make it a Granite Belt day with a nearby cellar door that takes dogs too: Balancing Heart Vineyard at Wyberba, Dear Vincent Wines at Ballandean, or Ravenscroft Vineyard just up the road.

More choices sit on the Queensland restaurants guide and the Stanthorpe destination page.