Dog-friendly cafes are no longer the stuff of your dog’s bacon-scented fantasies. Edinburgh’s cafe and coffee shop scene is increasingly accessible to dogs; in fact, some establishments actively encourage four-legged visitors, such as the gems listed below. Which is a bonus for us, when we’re starving, need a snack or a cup of coffee, and hate to leave our best pal behind at home.
1. Tea & Sympathy
Tea & Sympathy
Address: 1E Ashley Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 11R
Telephone: 0131 337 2467
Reservations: Optional
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Haggis and pork Scotch egg
Situated next to one of Edinburgh’s most popular dog parks, Harrison Park in Shandon, this furniture upcycler-turned-cafe has been dog-friendly since opening in 2017. You’ll spot hints of the owner’s former life in the colourful art prints on the walls, and the cleverly salvaged antique tables and chairs. Enticing smells from the kitchen (think: bagels, savoury croissants, sourdough toasties, and all the avo you could want), plus an open jar of dog treats, prove that food is priority number one. Well, food and dogs. The list of local pooches that class themselves as regulars is pretty long…so much so, that Tea & Sympathy has created two doggy walls of fame (pictured above), featuring Polaroid snaps of their most special customers. Sorry humans.
2. Bross Bagels
Bross Bagels
Address: 72 Saint Stephen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 5AQ (plus branches in Bruntsfield, Portobello and St James)
Telephone: 0131 226 7999
Reservations: Check
Price range: £
Recommended dish: The Big Apple bagel
“Dogs go bananas for bagels,” laughs Canadian Larah Bross, who started Bross Bagels in 2017 after failing to find an Edinburgh equivalent to the doughy, filling-stuffed bagels from her Montreal hometown. Back then, she likely didn’t expect dogs to feature as some of her most popular clientele. But as Bross Bagels has expanded to four cafes that allow dogs, it’s rumoured those wide-eyed canine customers bag more attention from staff than the human ones. And they certainly leave bigger drool patches. Water is provided, and sometimes dog treats.
3. Burr & Co.
Burr & Co.
Address: 20 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2P
Telephone: 0131 240 7125
Reservations: Walk-ins only
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Seasonal soup
Nestled inside Edinburgh the George Hotel (owned by the Intercontinental group), dog-friendly cafe Burr & Co. has a soft spot for four-legged visitors that’s even softer than a cockapoo’s fur. Dogs are so welcome in this cafe that they’re even allowed onto the seats (clean paws, permitting). Even if your dog says that it wants to go there to drop off its CV for a job, we all know that they’re really after a BBQ pulled pork and smoked cheddar ciabatta. Free dog treats are available, though. And there are plenty of quiet corners to work during the day.
4. Chapter One Coffee Shop
Chapter One Coffee Shop
Address: 107 Dalry Rd, Edinburgh EH11 2DR
Telephone: 07900 075632 (text only)
Reservations: Optional
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Sourdough toast with scrambled tofu
If you wander into Chapter One Coffee Shop and swear you see a barista that looks decidedly…dog-shaped…well, you might not be seeing things. Dogs are held in such high regard here that there are no restrictions on where they can wander to–including behind the counter. Sadly, training any one of the five regular pooches to make a cuppa and prepare a vegan breakfast is taking a little more time to master than hoped. An old dog and those tricks, hey. Staff admit that welcoming doggy customers into their cafe truly makes their day, with cuddles treated as a main event rather than a quick scratch-and-dash. All food is 100% plant-based, not that your hairy meat-fiend will notice—with soups, falafel paninis, vegan cakes and cinnamon rolls all sending him into slobber mode. OK, and you too.
5. Patisserie Florentin
Address: 5 North West Circus Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6ST
Telephone: 0131 220 0225
Reservations: Optional
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Coffee and walnut cake
Serving Stockbridge’s sweet tooths for more than 25 years, dog-friendly Patisserie Florentin specialises in delicious pastries, cakes, homemade sandwiches and coffees. The cosy independent cafe, which wouldn’t look out of place on a cobbled Parisian street, welcomes all furry customers with a bowl of water and a wee biscuit on the house. And if people watching isn’t your thing, then the walls are adorned with work from local artists. And the back room can be booked for clubs and groups, too. How about taking your pooch along to your book club?
6. Café MILK
Cafe MILK
Address: Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, 21 Hawthornvale, Edinburgh EH6 4JT
Telephone: 0131 551 5775
Reservations: Optional
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Breakfast brioche
Need proof that Cafe MILK, the stylish eatery inside the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, is dog-friendly? Just ask Stan. Not, in fact, a man; but a French Bulldog with a soft spot for sniffing out a MILK breakfast brioche. He’s one of several pooch pals that frequent the MILK branch near Victoria Park—where all well-behaved good boys and girls are welcome, and treated to water and snacks. Or how about treating your wee lad to a dog muffin? There are also two other dog-friendly branches in the West End and Inverleith Park.
7. Blue Bear Cafe
Blue Bear Cafe photographed by @meganruth.xx
Address: 9 Brandon Terrace, Edinburgh EH3 5EA
Telephone: 0131 629 0229
Reservations: Optional
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Homemade smokey beans on toast
Ask any local why Blue Bear Cafe is so buzzy at the weekends and the answer will include the insanely good brekkie menu (come to mumma, blueberry French toast), the relaxed atmosphere, and how cute the dogs are. Blue Bear Cafe allows all dogs to join their brunch-hunting humans; the only rules are no dogs on the chairs or tables (no matter how small and cute), and on-lead only so they don’t follow their noses into the kitchen. As a reward, doggy treats are on hand, plus designated dog bowls, if guilt-tripped owners decide to share some delights from the signature Build You Own Bear breakfast.
8. Hideout Cafe
Address: 40-42 Queen Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6AT
Telephone: 0131 555 5289
Reservations: Check
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Belgian waffles and cream
Sneak away from the hustle and bustle, and hunker down with a cuppa at the aptly-named Hideout Cafe, a top caffeine-fueled Leith lounge spot. Dogs are very much valued guests in this esteemed coffee house, which serves up locally-roasted beans as well as mouth-watering sandwiches and cakes. If you’re looking for a fruit fix, then there’s a range of smoothies inspired by 80s pop stars. And if you’re in Edinburgh’s Old Town, you’re in luck, as the cafe has a branch there too, in Upper Bow.
9. Piecebox Cafe
Piecebox Cafe photographed by @dorrick_the_dog
Address: 2 Polwarth Crescent, Edinburgh EH11 1HW
Telephone: 0131 629 6284
Reservations: Optional
Price range: £
Recommended dish: Beetroot hummus and avocado on toast
We’re not saying that dogs get better treatment at Piecebox Cafe than at home, but they are welcomed in with a bowl of water and treats. No wonder your dog starts pulling on the lead when you’re out walking in Polwarth. As well as a cute-and-cosy atmosphere, human appetites are warmed with hearty classics like mac and cheese and posh hot dogs, plus a growing range of yummy vegan options. Look out for special dog-themed events, too. In 2019, Piecebox Cafe welcomed Pup Up Cafe–a company that travels around the UK hosting pop-up puppy cafes–to launch Edinburgh’s first one-day Dachshund party. Sausage is definitely a theme at Piecebox Cafe.
10. Honeycomb & Co
Honeycomb & Co.
Address: 1 Merchiston Pl, Edinburgh EH10 4NP
Telephone: 0131 228 4641
Reservations: Optional
Price range: ££
Recommended dish: Cheesy mushroom toast
Bruntsfield’s Honeycomb & Co is a win-win for dogs and their owners. All the food is made from scratch, which is great for us, and Honeycomb staff happily provide complimentary chin scratches to guests with tails. All breeds and sizes of dogs are allowed inside, with each treated to water and a grain-free biscuit. With so much attention on offer (did your dog’s ears just prick up?), it’s no surprise that there are plenty of canine regulars lapping up the fuss. Swing by for breakfast, brunch or lunch and try daytime favourites like shakshuka and French toast. This restaurant isn’t just dog-friendly, though. All the honey and pollen in Honeycomb’s dishes come from hives adopted from Plan Bee–a sustainable Scottish business promoting the ecological benefits of bees. Yeah, there’s a lot of buzz about this place.
Other dog-friendly venues
Dog-friendly Edinburgh has plenty on offer for our four-legged friends, including top restaurants and plenty of pubs.
But heading out without your furry friend? Rover.com’s trusted dog walkers and sitters in Edinburgh will happily step in on those moments when you need an extra pair of hands. Leave this list of dog-friendly cafes with them so they find the perfect pitstop for humans and pooch alike.
Featured image: Bross Bagels
