London is fast following in the footsteps of our French dog-loving cousins and allowing dogs to come into restaurants, hotels and bars. They even have their own spas these days. Here’s where to take your dog to in London
Hotels
Last month, boutique hotel The Arch London declared its doors open to all canines big and small. The hotel will treat dogs with luxurious dog beds, feeding bowls, and delicious doggy food cooked to order by the chef. Dog walking and dog-sitting services are also available. And The Arch isn’t the only dog-friendly luxury hotel in London. D&D’s smart South Place in the City might not be the first place you’d expect to pour over pooches, but it welcomes well-behaved dogs and cats.
Pubs and restaurants
There’s a surprising number of dog-friendly pubs and restaurants in London, and in most cases you don’t have to compromise on style or substance to keep your dog at your side. Blackheath’s gastro pub The Hare and Billet serves up seriously good roasts and hearty pub fare using seasonal ingredients, and dog bowls are available too. Clapham Common is rife with pooches on their daily preamble, after which they head to The Abbeville where there’s lovely villagey feel and tables of loyal regulars. Dishes will make you feel you’ve stepped into the countryside too, with the likes of pork fillet with sage crushed potato, creamy cabbage and black pudding sauce. And Lordship Lane’s Draft House also has no problems with you bringing your dog while you sample its long list of ales.
But you don’t have to go to a pub to hang out with your pooch. Chiswick’s Outsider Tart, a lovely bakery set up two New Yorkers, is happy for you to browse its shelves stacked with delicious pies, tarts and cakes, with your dog by your side. It even has a ‘Barkery’ stocked with homemade dog treats to keep them happy too. Meanwhile over in Sloane Square, The Botanist, one of the area’s most popular lunch spots, sees business men make deals next to small dogs in designer handbags. It’s no secret that the French love their chiens and they’d be aghast to see them turned away from any restaurant. Lucky then that South Kensington’s Le Pain Quotidien welcomes them in with open arms, and just round the corner, Le Colombier does the same. If it’s just a glass of wine you’re after, head to Vinoteca in Islington for a plate of charcuterie and a pinot noir with your best friend – you know who we mean.
Grooming
Of course, it’s no good your dog been seen in all the right eateries without looking the part. Thanks to Chelsea’s Pet Spa and Purple Bone in Notting Hill and Westfield Shepherd’s Bush, they’ll never have a hair out of place. All offer cuts, shampooing, blow dries, teeth cleaning and ‘pawdicures’. Purple Bone also stock a range of glamorous products, from toys, bowls and leads, to collars and jackets. For more in the way of pet accessories and latest fashion, Mungo and Maud in Mayfair and Notting Hill is the place to go. Rather than anything too glitzy and ‘Legally Blonde’, Mungo & Maud’s collection is more country chic, selling lovely tweed baskets, toys and jumpers in neutral colour palettes and wooden dog bowls.
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