Having a dog can be a bit like having a small child – they need feeding, fresh air, a good dose of daily exercise, and they can’t be left on their own for long. There was a time when taking your furry friend with you other than to the park was a no-go. But thank goodness times have changed and you can now take your best friend on dates, into cafes, pubs and even whilst you eat dinner. Manchester has a great array of pooch friendly venues so all you need to do is pack some doggie treats, favourite chewy and poo bags for the stroll home. Here are culturecalling.com’s pick of the best
Escape to Freight Island
11 Baring St, Manchester M1 2PZ
This cool open-air venue in the centre of Manchester is doggy heaven – if they like a bit of noise that is. The Depot’s assortment of eateries where you can sample anything from Indian street food, pies, pizza, slow cooked beef and a ton more, will have your furry little friend jumping for joy (just think of all the tasty morsels on the floor!).
They also do a mean roast from the Seconds Sunday Roast Carvery which is a great accompaniment if you’re on a dog walk around the city centre. There’s live entertainment most weekends so it may not be suitable for those pups who are noise sensitive. Dogs are welcome across the whole site, inside and out.
To check out what’s on and what to eat, click here
Rudy’s
Check here for your local restaurant
We love this home-grown pizza restaurant and it looks like you do too! In a little over 5 years there are now 24 Rudy’s restaurants. But we’re not surprised! Just like in Naples, the team make the dough on site every day, takes 24 hours to double ferment and just about 60 seconds to cook. It’s soft, light and there’s a good choice of classic margheritas, ham and mushroom, Calabrese and many more to sink your teeth into. Once you start, you seriously can’t stop! We love Rudy’s even more because it’s dog friendly. They state that “We love dogs and will happily welcome small, well-trained dogs into our pizzerias”.
You’ve also got the added bonus of their ‘Back at Home’ delivery service – if you can’t be bothered leaving your sofa on a cold and rainy Manc night.
You can book a table here
Ducie Street Warehouse
We love this! This funky social space in the heart of Manchester is a lounge, bar restaurant, and cinema. Oh and it’s also dog friendly. The ground floor is this Grade II listed building is a cool drinking and dining destination. Guests can enjoy coffee, wine, snacks, and cocktails at the Counter bar. The restaurant is chic and accessible offering favourites such as roast lamb, fish and chips, rump and tomahawk steak. You can share or be selfish! There’s also a nice South facing terrace for when the sun makes an appearance in Manchester and you can kick-back, sip on a cocktail and share a platter.
There’s an eclectic mix of events running each month which you can take your pooh a long too, for more info. click here
You can book a table here
Feel Good Club
26-28 Hilton St, Manchester M1 2EH
Home-grown small café chain, Feel Good exudes warmth and positive vibes which it extends to our favourite furry friends. It’s true that really positive things happen when you put your mind to it, even when you’re at your lowest. Founder Kiera opened the café to channel her own mental health struggles and tell her story in a book - A guide to feeling good and being okay with it when you're not. By day, the café provides a beautiful friendly environment for coffee, brunch, lunch, cocktails and beers with an amazing selection of non alcoholic beverages too. By night they host events aimed to spread joy and positivity and includes everything from cabaret, spoken word, comedy and story telling.
Check out their full line-up of events here
Mackie Mayor
Smithfield Market Hall, 1 Eagle St, Manchester M4 5BU
This award-winning food hall in the centre of Manchester centre welcomes dogs in its communal seating areas so long as it’s happy to be around lots of people and the sounds and smells swirling around this grand Victorian market. It’s a great spot for Sunday breakfast, meeting up with friends and is both veggie and vegan friendly. No booking’s required and the relaxed shared wooden table arrangement makes it dog friendly.
Federal Cafe
G22 Smithfield Building, 36 Tib Street, Manchester, Northern Quarter, M4 1LA
There are 4 dog friendly Federal coffee shops across Manchester to choose from. It’s a large industrial space serving great coffee from Origin Roasters, breakfast, brunch, salads and sandwiches. We’re a fan of The Foundation Fry Up, which as you’d expect, serves up everything including sweet potato mash with homemade beans on toast! Worth noting, there’s a Vegan equivalent. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, we’d recommend tucking into one of their large Salad Bowls complete with roasted aubergine, courgette, peppers & red onion with hummus, couscous, rocket, pomegranate & served with your choice of either Falafel, Feta or Harissa Chicken.
No need to book, just stroll in.
The Refuge
Oxford Street, Manchester M60 7HA
Part of the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, this is a stunningr 1920’s fully restored art deco building on Oxford Road. It’s dog friendly and you might want to consider giving them a good brush before you stroll into the cool surroundings. It’s a great space to sit and have a coffee or sip on a cocktail whilst listening to the DJ spin some jazz, funk, soul and house. The restaurant serves up small plates including – tiger prawns in shrimp butter, Korean chicken wings in gochujang glaze or a good old plate of triple cooked chips.
It it’s a Sunday lunch you’re hankering after an energetic stroll with the dog, then the Refuge Sunday roast will not disappoint. Try the Roast Platter for Two, garlic and thyme-roasted Cumbrian chicken or vegan wellington. It’ll be hard to leave for the stroll home.
Haunt
58 Peter St, Manchester M2 3NQ
Offers a little taste of home-cooked Italian food. It’s all about easy living and is super dog friendly and you’ll want to return again and again. This chic coffee shop offers a delectable choice of brunches including – pastries, home-made Ciabatta with pancetta and eggs and smoked mozzarella with portobello mushrooms. You can expect the afternoon to serve up gourmet Italian favourite sandwiches like Caprese, Pollo Arrosto – that’s lemon and herb roasted chicken to you and me – and a fresh soup of the day. Their pastries and cheeses are all sourced locally. If you’re dropping in in the evening, you can try Haunt’s ever-changing craft beers, curated Mediterranean style cocktails and the great wine selection.. You can snack on their delicious Antipasti or a Sicilian pizza slice whiile you do.
They offer a Click and Collect service here
Pollen
Cotton Field Wharf, 8 Union Street, Manchester M4 6FQ
Pollen is a superb bakery & cafe located in Cotton Wharf, Ancoats Marina and the Kampus Development. Using the finest ingredients we have been baking sourdough, pastries & cakes since 2016. We also serve a seasonal brunch menu & speciality coffee at both our Kampus & Ancoats bakeries. Cotton Warf next to Ancoats Marina. Their cakes are exceptionally good and lucky for us, there's alot to choose from, including: Carrot Cake, Basque Cheesecake, Double Chocolate Cookie, Marbled Matcha Cookie and the quintessentially British -Egg Custard Tart - at the Weekends only. There's also a great selection of pastries for the morning including - Pain au Chocolate, Cinnamon Morning Bun Seasonal Fruit Danish Ham & Cheese Croissant. It's very dog friendly; they can bask in the sun drenched large windows or outside terrace.