LDNGuide

Where To Eat With Your Dog

Not every restaurant in London is welcoming to your four-legged friend. This is a guide to the restaurants that are.
The garden at Exale Brewery in Walthamstow.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

You love your dog. Your dog loves your food. So it’s only natural that he or she wants to join you when you’re going out to eat. And you want the same. But some restaurants are fussy. Others aren’t friendly to those with fur. Some simply aren’t equipped to deal with more than one insatiably hungry species. 

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best places in London you and your real best mate can eat inside, away from the drizzle. Because they’d feed us a crafty sausage under the table if roles were reversed, wouldn’t they?


THE SPOTS

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Bakery/Cafe

Ealing

$$$$Perfect For:Catching Up With MatesCoffee & A Light BiteLunchBreakfastBrunch
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Kanenas is more wholesome than Keanu Reeves playing with puppies. And that scenario actually feels possible here. Tucked into Ealing’s side streets, this is a family-run cafe where names and coffee orders are remembered, grandmas are enquired after, and you keep mopping in vain at your plate of Cretan eggs hoping for one last tomatoey swipe. Settle into the wooden booth at the back for a three-hour debrief with your mate, which will inevitably have to be paused every few minutes to fuss over another golden retriever.

Is it a wine bar? Is it a pizza place? Is it a charming little space in Notting Hill where you’re likely to see a dog wearing a £48 COS sweater? Yes, yes, and (if you’re lucky) yes. Beyond that perfect trifecta, there’s even more to love about this toasty spot. Think, margarita Mondays and excellent Detroit-style pizza too. The square slices are so good we’d even make the trip to eat them without the promise of spotting a fully clothed dog.

Trattoria Brutto’s mascot is a deeply dashing Frenchie called Bailey. He is very handsome, and we lovingly watch his Instagram stories from afar. This fuss-free Clerkenwell spot is one of the best Italian restaurants in London—and that’s partly down to Brutto’s tagliatelle al ragu. It will arrive with a heaped bowl of grated parmesan, and if that isn’t the ultimate hint that this place has nailed that old-school, effortless feel, we don’t know what is. Get the tiramisu too—it’s what Bailey wants for you.

Is The Tamil Prince a pub? Is it an Indian restaurant? It doesn’t really matter—all you need to know is that it’s a buzzing place on a quiet corner off Caledonian Road, serving pints to people with elegant blue-grey whippets and scruffy rescues in Barbour jackets (we’re still talking about dogs). Get the huge show-stopping channa bhatura. Chickpea-covered fingers, chicken lollipop dipping, and many napkins are a must here. FYI leads are a must too, those are the rules.

The first time we went to Carousel, we took nine pictures of an unsuspecting spaniel. Whether this counts as an invasion of said pup’s privacy remains to be seen. But when you’re witnessing a cutie begging for a bite of an elite take on a Filet-O-Fish, it’s really hard not to become canine paparazzi. This bright and breezy wine bar in Fitzrovia serves a lunch-to-dinner seasonal menu of things like habanero and honey fried chicken, bavette, and orange wine. It’s kind of perfect for impressing someone while keeping things casual. Or just impressing your small, well-behaved dog friend.

You might think that taking your dog to a vegan restaurant will make you their least favourite parent. But at Tofu Vegan, you can get some delicious housemade silken tofu in Sichuan sauce, mock meats like Chongqing chicken, dim sum, and more plant-based dishes that may surprise you—and your dog-child—with how impressive they are. It’s a big-ish space, with tables spilling out onto the pavement, and it’s an excellent option when you’re around the Angel end of Upper Street.

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Don’t be offended if your dog immediately sets up camp with the closest strangers at this excellent pub. Home to one of the best Sunday roasts in London and some all-round 10/10 meat and fish dishes, we’d probably go beg at a stranger’s feet for a bite of the lemon sole, too. This place is more of a sophisticated Fulham restaurant than a sticky boozer, so it might not be the best option if your pup is prone to a serious case of the sillies or a whole lot of barking.

Yes, your dog would appreciate the comfy interiors of this refurbished Chelsea pub just as much as the next human, and thankfully, they’re invited too. But whether you decide to share the excellent ham, egg, and chips (that could easily end up being one of the top 10 pub meals you ever eat) with your bestie under the table is up to you. Happily, this show-stopping pub keeps things simple and delightful. Think a massive golden brown chicken kiev, pie, steak, and a dining room that you’ll want to spend hours in.

Feeding £29 jamon iberico to your dog under the table does in fact make you the world’s greatest dog parent. Maybe they’ll even forget that you had the audacity to not let them sniff every single lamppost in the two-mile surrounding area. Either way, you’ll both have a lovely time at Pizarro in London Bridge. A classic Spanish restaurant with everything from croquetas to cuttlefish a la plancha on the menu, it’s a great little place to try a few dishes with a nice bottle of wine.

This Clapham pub has a huge—we mean huge—pub garden, and it’s the perfect spot for when you want to have a proper boozy laugh with your dog in tow. We’ve been here for countless birthdays over the years, and even if it’s pissing it down, the pub garden (which has a bit of cover) always has the energy of a sunny bank holiday—it’s basically XOYO for your dog. But if you’d rather stay bone dry—see what we did there?—dogs are also very welcome inside. Hungry? Get the buttermilk chicken burger.

We love the halloumi with black seed honey at Bubala as much as your dog loves that toy it’s had since it was a pup. Our feelings for the Middle Eastern small plates at this all-vegetarian spot in Spitalfields are pretty intense. You’re definitely going to want to get involved in the confit potato latkes, hummus, and fried aubergine—just be aware that it’s a small space, so this isn’t the place for any St. Bernards.

Sitting at Levan, comté fries on the counter, some soft 2007 indie hit playing in the background, and your best mate gazing up at you as if you very well might be a deity. Well, life doesn’t get much better than that. You might as well just lay down on the floor of this achingly cool and charming all-day Peckham wine bar next to Buddy, with a big, excellent glass of pinot noir and kiss the world goodbye. Also, if you mention in your booking notes that you’re bringing a dog, these guys will seat you somewhere suitable, too.

You want wine, they want strangers to tell them they’re cute. To be honest, you also want strangers to tell you you’re cute, but you’ll settle for a great bottle of bordeaux. Both of you will find what you’re looking for at the aptly named wine bar Diogenes The Dog. This cosy little spot in Elephant and Castle has a handful of high tables, as well as some romantic-looking low ones. Enjoy the rillette of the week, some quality burrata, and all the compliments the ever-friendly servers are giving your four-legged friend.

Do you have a strong suspicion that when your pup does that twitchy run thing in their sleep that they’re dreaming of legging it through Jardin De Luxembourg while wearing a tiny beret? Perfect, it’s time for you and your chien to head for Chelsea’s Colbert. This all-day brasserie serves classic French dishes like steak tartare, soupe à l’oignon, and fresh macarons. Plus, in true Parisian cafe style, there’s also some pretty lovely outdoor terrace seating.

Going on Big Jo’s tagged Instagram photos will please anyone who just really loves watching a giant poodle eat baked goods. An all-day bakery on Holloway’s Hornsey Road, Big Jo can always be relied upon for a mid-morning danish, a lunchtime serving of pizza fritta, and delicious things covered in pancetta come evening. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone that you’re actually there for the dogtent. Just know that this spot is more suited to chilled out basset hounds than overexcitable labradoodle puppies.

You know that look of pure, intoxicated glee your dog gives you when they see a fresh pile of fox turd to roll in? That’s how we look when Daddy Bao’s shiitake mushroom bao arrives at our table. This charming and casual Taiwanese spot in Tooting not only serves some of the very best fried chicken and bao in London, it also has a plum wine negroni we go all bubble-eyed for.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, will ever make you as happy as your dog is when you say “walkies.” Except maybe eating pizza. Sodo in Clapton serves sourdough pizzas and natural wine in a space that’s perfect for a catch-up with friends (of all species), or a casual, candlelit date night. And no, we’re not judging you for bringing your dog on a date, arguably it’s one of life’s great power moves.

Kudu is the sort of restaurant that every neighbourhood in London needs. It’s a casual but classy South African restaurant in Peckham that’s good for dates, mates, and most importantly, dogs. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on the bread—it comes with either melted bacon or seafood butter, and it is very good. Walkies in Peckham?

It’s been four days since you gave them a b-a-t-h and they’re still acting like you constituted a worldwide ban on tennis balls before calling the neighbour’s pug “a good boy” in front of them. It’s time for some bonding, quality time for the both of you, and at 40 Dean Street in Soho that means a cosy sit down for them, and some pasta and negronis for you. From the homely, family restaurant feel to the pistachio tiramisu, this Italian place is a proper charmer.

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