LONDON’S BEST DOG-FRIENDLY ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
From Boats, Doggie Feasts, Reiki and Movies to Pools, Cable Cars and London Landmarks
London has the world’s most dog-friendly travel network, beautiful parks for the ultimate walkies and is bulging with pawsome boozers, cafes and bars, which welcome two and four-legged guests.
For the real bow-wow factor, we’ve created a guide to London's 10 best pup attractions and activities, from three-course feasts, afternoon teas, pools, doggie reiki and sound baths, to cinema trips, boat rides, cable cars and pooch-loving London landmarks.
Get those tails wagging by sniffing out the below.
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GoBoatÂ
Half of all Londoners live within a five-minute walk of a canal, river, dock or lake, yet most of us spend our time on land, looking at it or dodging armpits beneath it, rather than on it.
GoBoat rectifies this by welcoming all seadogs and owners to enjoy a self-drive, electric boat adventure from its five UK locations, which include Canary Wharf, Paddington, Kingston, Thames Ditton and Birmingham.
Let their jowls flap in the salty breeze as they take in the smells and sights of your private river cruise.
GoBoat UK, Open 7 days a week from 9am - dusk. Prices start from £85 for 1 hour and £125 for two hours on the 8-person boats. GoBoat Canary Wharf, 22 Churchill Place, London, E14 5RE
Egerton House Pawfternoon Tea
Knightsbridge’s five-star, luxury boutique hotel has ensured the frenzied wagging of tails at its lovingly designed, doggie afternoon tea. Top dogs can feast on chicken liver and beef meatloaf, peanut butter biscuits, carrot cupcake with natural yoghurt, washed down with a Dogtini chicken consommé martini with meat skewers, shaken and not stirred. This is followed by sweet crunchy carrot crudites, strawberry surprises and Scooby protein balls. WOOF.Â
Egerton House, Egerton Terrace, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 2BX. £30 per dog.
Dog-Friendly Cinema
You don’t need to leave your hound at home to catch a movie. PictureHouse cinemas in Piccadilly, Clapham, Hackney and Bromley host dog-friendly Sunday screenings, so you can cuddle up for a film and a hot dog.
Water and snacks are provided for your furry companion, the volume is lowered for their sensitive ears and fluffy blankets are provided for them to relax on the seat or floor.
PictureHouse. Various London on select Sundays
Tower Bridge
London is all about furry companions until you want to go inside the big tourist attractions.Â
However, Tower Bridge is a proud exception, welcoming pooches for walkies across its astonishing glass walkways, 42 metres above the Thames and letting them explore the historic towers and Victorian Engine Rooms that once powered Tower Bridge. The staff make a big fuss of all four-legged visitors and pets have always been a big part of Tower Bridge’s story - until the early 1980s, it had several cats living in and around the Engine Rooms, with a Cat Manager was employed to take care of the cats onsite.
Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 2UP. Adult tickets £12pp. Children 5-15 £6.20pp. Under 5s and dogs go free.
Gaucho Three Course Feast
Show me a dog who doesn’t want a three course feast at a fancy steak restaurant and I will show you a cat. Gaucho welcomes canines to all of its restaurants - except the O2 - until 6pm. And on the first Saturday of every month, its turbo-dog-friendly Hampstead branch hosts 'Doggy Saturday' when their furry friend is treated to a three-course, a la bark meal, while their two-legged companions chow down on some fine, Argentinian meat.
Gaucho, 64 Heath St, London NW3 1DN
Battersea Power Station
If there’s a more dog-friendly London landmark than the iconic Power Station, we have yet to meet it.
Poke House even has a dog walking club - The Poke Pups Club - to help make new furry friends in collaboration with Paws App and pooches can enjoy their Pup Poke Bowl, created with leading dog nutritionist Cam Wimble.Â
They will also receive belly rubs at the massive Arcade Food Hall, Battersea Brewery, Black Sheep Coffee and the Boom Cycle team will look after them while you go for a spin class. If you fancy an Indian, this Dishoom is their only dog-friendly branch, or hounds also welcome at Cinnamon Kitchen. You’ll find pooches aplenty at Fiume, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza, Le Bab’s and Megan’s, which makes sure your pooch has dog beds, treats and water bowls. Or perhaps your hound would prefer to drool over the food at Noci, No 29 Power Station West, Tapas Brindisa, Tonkotsu, Vagabond Wines, Where the Pancakes Are or seafood at Wright Bros, where the motto is the paw the merroir?
Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD. 10 March
Poolside Pooches
You can even go for a doggy paddle with your pup, at a gaggle of the capital’s watery spots, from Clapham Common and Hampstead Heath to Wimbledon Common. Epping Common’s Hollow Pond is a popular doggie splash spot, with 13 acres brimming with coves, shingly beaches and water to splash about in.
Or head out to Ruislip Lido's dedicated dog beach for a swim, a run around its shady spots, walkies in the nearby woods and a ride around the lake and woodlands on the 12-inch narrow gauge railway.
Ruislip Lido Dog Beach, Ruislip lido, reservoir road, Ruislip, HA4 7TY
Doggie Sound Baths and Reiki Healing
Bath is not usually a dog’s favourite word, but Highgate’s Ethereal Warrior provides a much more zen version - sound baths with crystal singing bowls, Koshi Chimes and 528hz Tuning Forks to calm and relax your pooch and sort out their chakras. Dogs can expect luxurious beds, water charged with Rose Quartz and pre and post-session doggy treats. They also offer animal reiki, to reduce tension or anxiety, as well as animal energy healing.
Ethereal Warrior, 246 Archway Rd, Highgate, London N6 5AX
Mexican Mutt Feast
Fitzrovia’s cosy Mexican restaurant, Catalina's loves dogs so much, they teamed up with gourmet canine hospitality company Talula Eats to design a three-course doggie dining experience.
Your pampered pooches can drool over a starter of high protein cricket powder treats, followed by seasonal, gourmet dishes with human grade ingredients, packed with vitamins and zero additives. And for a sweet ending, they can enjoy a fruit and peanut Peony Pupcake to enioy there, or take in a doggie bag for the walk home.
Catalina's. 72 Cleveland St, London W1T 6LZ
Emirates Cable Car
Dogs can look down on the city, like the kings they are, on an Emirates Cable Car ride.Â
As long as they can sit on your lap, pooches can jump aboard a cable car and soar over the Thames, panting down at Canary Wharf, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard and The O2.Â
They arrive every 30 seconds during the day and you can jump off and explore some pleasingly dog-friendly spots on both banks of the Thames.
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