The Green Door: The hipster hound cafe

If mason jar light fixtures and distressed drawers of sprouting herbs are your thing, The Green Door is the perfect spot for you and your furry friend. And yes, they serve ultra-hip pulled pork sliders and craft beers.
Pets Team 12 November 2015

The ‘It’ hangout for hipster paw-rents, The Green Door is tucked in the chic Dempsey Hill enclave with a hipster menu to match. The two-year-old joint serves gourmet bar bites like steak and mushroom skewers and pulled pork sliders in a rustic garden setting.

Since it opened over two years ago, the 100-seater garden-style bar has often positioned itself as the ultimate hangout spot for paw-rents and their pooches. Weekend promotions such as ‘Dogs & Hogs’ invite both humans and hounds to pig out on all-you-can-eat barbecued pork for $68, with the promise of “ample space to run, toys, and free-flow water” for Fido.

Open only at dusk (except on Sunday), The Green Door is a whimsical wonderland for grown-ups to indulge in camaraderie-filled evenings fuelled by vino, fun cocktails, and bar bites. In true wonderland style, a miniature green door has been fitted into the walls at the entrance where a seven-foot tall handcrafted wooden bear with a glowing honeypot stands. Fantastical elements like gramophone trumpet lampshades blend flawlessly with upcycled furnishings like a herb garden bathtub, and a feature wall of distressed drawerfronts that can be pulled out and used as high tables. 

While the Green Door offers both indoor and outdoor seating, the joint allows well-behaved dogs and their owners to sit anywhere they please. After your meal, traipse down a short flight of steps to a cosy patio behind the bar and relax on the garden swing while the furry one gets a little off-leash time.

PET-FRIENDLINESS
The joint is spacious and pretty relaxed, so unless your furkid starts bothering other patrons, the staff don’t usually restrict dog owners to the outdoor area. With water bowls and toys available upon request, you really can’t ask for more.

PRICE
With mains (for paw-rents, of course) ranging from $24 to $60, light bites from $10 to $35, and tipples costing about the same as at full-fledged cocktail bars, the prices are a tad steep for a casual outdoor eatery.

PAW-RATING: 3.5/5
While The Green Door has got the ambience down pat, the food could do with some sprucing up, especially at those prices.

 

For our full review on the food, ambience, and accessibility, flip to Pet-friendly Venue of our Oct/Nov 2015 issue!