Your dog has climbed Arthur’s Seat, splashed about on Portobello Beach, and even had their back scratched by a bunch of friendly students in The Meadows. Talk about a dog’s life. And now, refuelling in Edinburgh needn’t mean dining without them. The Scottish capital has a great selection of dog-friendly restaurants: from Instagram-worthy brunch hangouts to cosy kitchens making home-cooked classics. Here are the best dog-friendly restaurants in Edinburgh.
1. The Torfin
The Torfin photographed by @laurakatherinenelson
Address: 108 St John’s Rd, Corstorphine, Edinburgh EH12 8AX
Telephone: 0131 334 2837
Reservations: Recommended
Price range: ££
Recommended dish: Coconut and seabass curry
One look at The Torfin’s Instagram feed, which resembles a camera roll of cute puppy pictures, and you can tell that the staff here have a bit of a soft spot for our furry counterparts. There’s even a designated ‘dog station’ inside the restaurant, complete with biscuits, water bowls and towels for any mucky paws. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in the bar area until 8pm. Food-wise, the menu specialises in great-value hearty classics, with locally sourced meat and fish where possible. Tuesday brings customers half-priced fish and chips all day, while Mexican Wednesdays have 50% off fajitas. With dog-friendly bedrooms available for overnight stays, The Torfin is probably your dog’s new favourite place to wait for people to drop crumbs on the floor.
2. Badger & Co
Badger & Co photographed by @benji_sheltidoodle
Address: 32 Castle St, Edinburgh EH2 3HT
Telephone: 0131 226 5430
Reservations: Recommended at weekends
Price range: ££
Recommended dish: Tweed Valley sirloin
With such an animal-themed name, it’s only fitting that Badger & Co is an eatery that allows dogs inside. Here, your canine crew is given a warm welcome inside the food-serving lounge area, though it remains humans-only in the restaurant part. While the pooches are distracted by nose-twitchingly good smells, you can snap them in front of the dreamy interiors: a photogenic mix of leather seats, tiled floors, and statement chandeliers. Badger & Co’s Castle Street address is the former home of Kenneth Grahame, the author of The Wind in the Willows, which explains the arty references to toads, moles and rats throughout. Though they don’t distract from the menu’s creations which include gourmet pies, such as chicken, chorizo, leek and ham, haggis bites, and mushroom dumplings. Expect scrounging. With a hidden garden and terrace with views of Edinburgh Castle, it’s a top spot for the summer months, too.
3. The City Cafe
Address: 19 Blair St, Edinburgh, EH1 1QR
Telephone: 0131 220 0125
Reservations: Walk-ins only
Price range: ££
Recommended dish: Sizzling fajitas
Retro vibes roll at this all-day cafe, which can take you from the morning flat white through to midnight tequila shots. The American-style dog-friendly diner is right on theme with monochrome tiled floors and red leather bar stalls, while the food—served from 9am to 10pm every day—offers all the choice you’ll ever need and more, including a good range of vegetarian and vegan options. From fry-ups and pancakes to burgers and nachos, you could have breakfast, lunch and dinner at this popular place, which dates back to the 1980s. Dogs will be welcomed with water and fuss.
4. Red Squirrel
Red Squirrel photographed by @jakeinthelakes
Address: 21 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2DJ
Telephone: 0131 229 9933
Reservations: Optional
Price range: ££
Recommended dish: Red Squirrel burger
This dog-friendly burger restaurant in Edinburgh gives your pooch another reason to get excited about the word ‘squirrel’. The team here love bushy-tailed visitors. Its Instagram feed is full of sneaky dog paws and chins peeking onto tables; good boys are even allowed onto seats…as long as it’s just for a quick nap. For humans, Red Squirrel’s liquid speciality is craft beer, with Scottish and international varieties, plus rotating guest ales. The burgers aren’t a run-of-the-mill deal, either. There are many vegetarian options, including halloumi and a vegan burger, as well as its famous haggis flavour. Which, according to a little voice coming from the floor, it would be rude not to share.
5. Rabble Taphouse & Grill
Rabble photographed by @dog.aboot.toon
Address: 55A Frederick St, Edinburgh EH2 1LH
Telephone: 0131 622 7800
Reservations: Optional
Price range: ££
Recommended dish: 48-hour slow-cooked ox cheek
Sleek city-centre restaurants often seem as excited about welcoming in furry guests as your friend who just bought a white carpet. Not so in Rabble–a beautifully designed gin bar and restaurant that is fully dog-friendly. Hidden below street level, close to Princes Street Gardens (another great Edinburgh spot for walks), staff happily accept pooches in the bar area and at tables. Food falls into the ‘low and slow’ category: locally sourced meat and fish are cooked in a charcoal oven to bring out high-intensity flavours and leave dishes flaking at the touch of a fork. Drinks are designed to be a feature here, too, with unpasteurised craft beer poured from copper tanks to give a fresh-from-the-brewery experience, while special events span boozy brunches and cocktail garnishing classes.
6. The Caley Sample Room
The Caley Sample Room photographed by @mabelofcamberwell
Address: 42-58 Angle Park Terrace, Edinburgh EH11 2JR
Telephone: 0131 337 7204
Reservations: Optional
Price range: ££
Recommended dish: Scotsman burger
Taking the concept of a post-walk pint with your pooch to the next level, The Caley Sample Room is a restaurant that even serves dog beer. That’s not all. There’s actually an entire menu just for dogs, featuring bottles of Snuffles’ finest liquor (AKA some lovely chicken-flavoured broth) to swig, and a variety of treats. Ten years ago, that would have been more choice than on most vegetarian menus. The restaurant’s proximity to popular dog-walking routes such as Harrison Park and Union Canal adds to the high paw-fall here. Outside, large tables and chilled gastropub vibes make it the perfect spot for a lazy Sunday roast.
7. The Brunch Club Edinburgh
The Brunch Club Edinburgh
Address: 4-6 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DH
Telephone: 0131 556 5646
Reservations: Bookings are only taken for groups of 6+
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Fried chicken and waffles
The Edinburgh outpost of this Glasgow-born all-day brunch joint brings its legendary fried chicken and waffles to the capital, plus four boozy incarnations of the Bloody Mary cocktail. “So, what’s in it for me?” your dog is thinking, with that cute head tilt. Well, for starters there are £1 puppuccinos topped with gravy bones for canine guests after something more decadent than water. Not to mention all the fuss and attention they’ll get.
8. Gaucho
Address: 4a St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2BD
Telephone: 0131 278 3410
Reservations: Recommended
Price range: £££
Recommended dish: Chateaubriand
All Gaucho restaurants are dog-friendly between 12-6pm, so pop your pooch on lead and head down to this legendary Argentinian steakhouse chain’s Edinburgh offering. Housed in a contemporary glass building with interior tones inspired by Argentina’s forests, the restaurant promises that all steaks are carbon neutral. And, come Sunday, you can enjoy bottomless roast dinners alongside your dog.
Other dog-friendly venues
Edinburgh has no shortage of fantastic venues that all love making a fuss of dogs. Need somewhere to grab a drink after? Then check out our list of top dog-friendly pubs in the city. Seeking more of a daytime vibe? These dog-friendly Edinburgh cafes should tick the box.
But if you know your little dude will be snoozing before you’ve even ordered your starter or first glass of wine, let one of Rover.com’s dog sitters take over for the night. Rover’s local sitters in Edinburgh will treat your dog like one of the family, giving you peace of mind to enjoy three courses knowing that they are happy, waggy-tailed, and well cared for.
Featured image: Badger & Co photographed by @benji_sheltidoodle
