The Bridgeview Hotel

The Bridgeview — 'The Bridgey' — has been a Willoughby pub since 1928, a Tooth's & Company heritage-listed build that has spent the better part of a century as a neighbourhood local for the Lower North Shore. The layout splits cleanly: a casual public bar handles the midweek trade and live sport, a separate dining room runs a seasonally-changing menu when the brief shifts more formal, and a rooftop terrace catches the afternoon on warmer days. Trivia nights sell out regularly — a decent indicator of the crowd size.

Dogs are welcome on the rooftop terrace and in the public bar. The dining room and the accommodation rooms upstairs are off-limits, which is the policy spelled out on the venue's FAQ. It's a tidy, honest read on a dog policy — plenty of access, some clear rules, no guessing.