Taking your very best mate out on a date is pretty stock standard these days, but sometimes it’s tricky to find a place where both of you can have a nice sit down, maybe a meal and a bevvie, and just spend quality time together.
We tracked down some of the best spots around Australia where you and your four-legged friendo can hang out – or if you’re like me you can sit and stare longingly at dogs, wishing they’d come over and say hello.
Cafe Bones, Leichhardt, NSW
Potentially one of my favourite places in the entire world is Cafe Bones. A small café plonked right in the middle of a super popular off-leash park in Sydney‘s Inner West, you can sit amongst the puppies playing and admire them. Maybe cop a pat if they’re keen.
For the pooches, the cafe itself has a menu fit for kings and queens with ‘puppaccinos’ and ‘pupffins’ (I think you can have a wild guess about those), as well as a bunch of little treats and toys for the pups.
It’s a perfect spot to take your dog for some serious socialising or to just sit and pat as many puppies as you possibly can.
Vic On The Park, Marrickville, NSW
Quite possibly the greatest dog-friendly venue in all of the Inner West, The Vic is a haven for big and little pups and their doting humans.
It’s the venue for one of the biggest and best dog events of Sydney’s canine calendar, and pups from all over come to play, show off their fashions, and get lots of cuddles from locals who can’t own a dog because of space or strict landlords.
Hell, they even have a doggy badge draw every Sunday at the pub.
Cuckoo Callay, Surry Hills, NSW
After having a supremely popular spot over in Newtown, Cuckoo Callay cropped up in Sydney‘s Surry Hills and expanded their pup-friendly menu. They’ve got goats milk ‘pupachinos’, home made liver treats known as ‘pupples’, and ‘pupcakes’ – yeah, pancakes for your poochie.
And when a cafe has two little dogs as their mascots, you know the place is going to the dogs in the best way possible.
Lady Hampshire, Camperdown, NSW
What about a pub where you can take your fluffy pal just about anywhere you go? At the Lady Hampshire on Sydney‘s Parramatta Road, puppos are welcome not only in the beer garden, but in all parts of the pub (except for maybe the kitchen).
They might not have a dedicated menu for your four-legged bestie, but they also won’t say no to you sneaking a bit of your steak to the little fluffy vacuum on the floor.
Great Northern Hotel, Carlton North, VIC
This place is known for its avid AFL fanbase (two guesses as to who dominates this Carton pub on a Saturday night) but it also has such a big beer garden that pups of all sizes can come and barrack for their favourite teams as well.
Considering this pub has their own dedicated Instagram for all the puppies that visit, it’s a pretty good guess that they’re A-OK with you having your dog by your side while you have a couple of pints.
Oh, and sometimes they get a dog photographer in to take some really schmick photos of all the local mutts.
Smith & Deli, Fitzroy, VIC
If you’re in Melbourne‘s Inner North and you’re looking to grab a quick snack before wandering to a park for some sunshine, Smith & Deli are a plant-based eatery that care for animals great and small.
Soups, pastries, shakes, and toasties to die for are all found here, and your pup can stand and wait with you in line (as long as you’re ok with them probably being photographed).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXzVC_1B6n6/
Two Row Bar, Collingwood, VIC
Two Row Bar in Collingwood are dead-set about a couple of things: craft beer, toasties, and dogs.
The bar has been around for a couple of years now, providing the northern suburbs with a watering hole that’s friendly to beer lovers and their best dawgs. Maybe just don’t party too hard with your pup though.
Canvas Club, Woolloongabba, QLD
With a gorgeous big back courtyard and a killer cocktail list to boot, Canvas is a spot where you and your besto can go and feel a little bit fancy.
With a very stocked liquor cabinet and ample room to perch in for a bit of human/dogspotting, you might wanna chuck your pup’s best bandana on and enjoy a serious dog day afternoon.
Scratch Bar, Milton, QLD
A bar that prides itself on its beer selection, dedication to very good dress ups and themed nights, and definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously, Scratch Bar in the inner suburbs of Brisbane also bloody loves dogs.
They also have a wall of fame for all the pups that make up their canine community, so if you’re there enough you might just find your pup’s smiley face up on the wall too.
Obviously this is only just the tip of the iceberg of places you can go and enjoy some quality time with your dog, so if you’ve got a fave brunch spot, drinking hole, or doggy degustation, chuck ’em in the comments.
Now if you need me, I’ll be pining for pats at one of the above places.
