Palm Cove is a beachfront strip of white tablecloths and $60 mains, and then one street back there is a pub. The Palm Cove Tavern is where you go when you want a parmy and a schooner rather than a degustation, and it is the friendliest room in the suburb for anyone travelling with a dog.
The dog bit, because it is the reason we keep going back
We have taken our beagles here and they were made properly welcome, which in this part of the world is not a given. The tavern’s own line is that it is a hot spot for local pooches to chill, snack and mingle with mates, and the outdoor beer garden and dining areas are where that happens.
It is not lip service either. There is a doggy dine-in menu at $8 AUD a bowl, water bowls come out without being asked, and the A-frame by the entrance spells out the one rule: all doggos must be on a lead at all times so the place can stay pet friendly. Ours have had the macaroni and meatballs.
That puts it near the top of our dog-friendly Cairns list, and it is one of very few places in Palm Cove where you can sit down to a real meal without leaving the dog in the car or the room.
The food, which is better than it needs to be
Aussie pub classics with a nod to the tropics, and it is a genuinely good menu rather than a freezer-to-fryer operation. The weekly rhythm is the thing to plan around: Parma Tuesdays, steak specials on Wednesday, and a Sunday roast.
Bistro hours are 11:30am to 8:30pm Sunday to Thursday and 11:30am to 9:00pm Friday and Saturday. The kitchen closing before nine most nights is the one to watch if you have been at the beach all day and lost track.
The bar and the week
The bar runs 10:00am to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 10:00am to 2:00am Friday and Saturday, so it is also the answer to the question of where anything is open late in Palm Cove. There is sport on, trivia, and live music on Sundays, which turns a roast into an afternoon.
Where it is
24 Veivers Road, one street back from the beachfront in Palm Cove. That is a two minute walk from Williams Esplanade, so you can eat here and still have the beach for the sunset. If you want the other end of the spectrum on the same night, Vivo is on the Esplanade itself.
The verdict
Come for the parmy on a Tuesday, bring the dog, sit in the beer garden. It is not trying to be anything other than a good pub in a very pretty place, and Palm Cove is better for having it. It also solves the problem every dog owner in Far North Queensland knows well, which is finding somewhere that actually means it when it says dogs welcome.
FAQs
Is the Palm Cove Tavern dog friendly?
Yes, and genuinely so. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor beer garden and dining areas, and the tavern actively bills itself as a spot for local dogs.
What are the Palm Cove Tavern’s opening hours?
Bistro 11:30am to 8:30pm Sunday to Thursday and 11:30am to 9:00pm Friday and Saturday. Bar 10:00am to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 10:00am to 2:00am Friday and Saturday.
What are the weekly specials?
Parma on Tuesdays, steak on Wednesdays, and a roast on Sundays, with live music on Sunday afternoons.
Where is the Palm Cove Tavern?
24 Veivers Road, one street back from Williams Esplanade in Palm Cove.
Visitor info
- Address: 24 Veivers Road, Palm Cove QLD 4879
- Bistro: 11:30am to 8:30pm Sun to Thu, 11:30am to 9:00pm Fri and Sat
- Bar: 10:00am to midnight Sun to Thu, 10:00am to 2:00am Fri and Sat
- Dogs: Welcome in the beer garden and outdoor dining areas
- Website: palmcovetavern.com.au
Book tours and experiences
The tavern takes its own bookings direct. If you are filling out the rest of the trip, check live prices and availability with our booking partner Viator:
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