Best Dog Friendly Restaurants Edinburgh – It is often asked, “Is Edinburgh dog friendly?” Edinburgh is definitely a dog-friendly city. However, whenever we travel, it means we don’t spend much time exploring Scotland’s capital with the boy. We’ve been long overdue for a weekend at home, so when Hotel Indigo invited us to review their boutique hotel at York Place, we jumped at the chance.
The hotel is situated in a Georgian townhouse in the heart of the new town. Shops, restaurants, bars, tourist attractions, parks and more are on the hotel’s doorstep. It is within walking distance of Edinburgh mainline train station. The airport tram service stops outside, so the hotel is a great base for exploring Edinburgh.
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Hotel Indigo has 60 rooms ranging from comfortable doubles to luxury suites. Facilities include a fitness room, bar and breakfast room. The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, but there are several on the doorstep, so it’s not a deal breaker.
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We stayed on the ‘Supav Stays’ package. For £15 a night, your four-legged friend can stay with you and enjoy a dog-friendly Edinburgh holiday. The ‘Supaw Stays’ package includes healthy food and a dog bed and bowl.
Our elevated king room was spacious. It had a large bed and sitting area and a mini bar (with free snacks).
The decor and soft furnishings are stylish accents in teal – adding a modern twist to the classic Georgian interior.
It was the perfect place to relax and unwind – but first we had a city to explore.
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After checking out of the hotel, we swapped the Georgian architecture for the tall buildings of the Old Town, the medieval heart of the city.
Our Old Town Wanderer took us to Blair Street outside the Cowgate. One of our favorite dog-friendly Edinburgh restaurants is located on Blair Street, so it seemed like the perfect time to stop for dinner.
City Cafe is an American-style diner serving Edinburgh residents hot dogs, burgers and milkshakes since the early 80s.
Inside we were given a choice of tables and made a beeline for a booth with a 1950s jukebox. The tunes were great and the food and beverage options on the menu were even better.
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We both ordered ice cream floats – cherry cola for me and regular cola for Mr G, and since it was Friday we ordered alcoholic drinks – a pina colada for me and a little sparkling beer for Mr G.
I had beef chili and cheese and sprinkled jalapeño fries. They were amazing. Mr. G had macaroni cheese and fries and was equally happy with his choice.
After dinner we walked the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace. The castle is the official royal residence of Scotland and the one-time home of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Our Old Town ramble from Holyrood took us to New Carlton Cemetery. A watch tower has been built to deter looters at a haunted Georgian cemetery. Many graves are decorated with skulls and bones.
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Now it’s time to relax. The boy curled up on the dog bed and Mr. G and I settled into our comfy king bed to watch TV.
The next morning I got up and took a shower and got ready for the next day. The sun was shining and we were looking forward to spending the day in town with the boy – but first breakfast.
I wasn’t sure how good breakfast would be at a hotel without a restaurant, but I was pleasantly surprised. A good selection of breakfast items is provided, including several cooked options and several continental breakfast items.
We both opted for a cooked breakfast – I opted for ‘The Full Edinburgh’ (minus the beans), more specifically the haggis. Mr G had the old favorite Egg Royale and the dish did not disappoint.
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Our first stop was the St. Jacob’s neighborhood outside our hotel. The Galleria is a much-hyped summer 2021 replacement for the 1960s nightmare. The new Galleria attracted many high-end shops and restaurants in Edinburgh’s east end.
If your four-legged friend doesn’t have the energy to shop like you, the Galleria is dog-friendly, with dog-watering stations and pushchairs. Many shops and restaurants are dog-friendly, including the famous British John Lewis, which we visited.
He made a beeline for the boy’s dog’s room. There are treats, toys and cute clothes from the likes of Barber & Jules.
After browsing, she chooses a sweater and a toy from the Barbour range. There was a picture of her little face as we took her to the checkout to buy her stuff.
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Not being fans of shopping, our encounter with John Lewis was more of a day of retail therapy.
The National Portrait Gallery of Scotland is just a few doors away from Hotel Indigo. It was one of my favorite Edinburgh attractions during my student days, but it’s been years since I’ve been here. Being by the door gave me the best opportunity to visit the gallery in a long time.
The gallery is not dog friendly, but there is a leafy square next to it, so we took it in turns to visit, while the other sat with his son, soaking up the early autumn sunshine.
A visit to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is a must when visiting Edinburgh – not only for the stunning artworks of famous Scots spanning hundreds of years – Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, The Herald, Billy Connolly and others. They are others. The gallery also has an interesting (and slightly macabre) collection of Edinburgh serial killers Burke and Hare’s death masks.
The Cramond Inn, Edinburgh
If seeing the multitude of faces of the great Kent Scott isn’t enough entertainment, the inside of the gallery will knock your socks off because it’s amazing.
A short walk from Edinburgh’s fashionable George Street after Art Coffee is Burr & Co, a high-end coffee shop that welcomes people and food.
A hop, skip and a jump away from the hustle and bustle of George Street we reach the green oasis of Prince Street Gardens. We stopped briefly in the East Garden to hear a great street performance of Con te Partiro (time to say goodbye) singing in perfect Italian before heading to the West Garden to wander around.
The West Garden brings back childhood memories, with a children’s playground, a beautiful fountain and a flowery cuckoo clock. Our arrival was good as Way Birdie was about to arrive. And a familiar raven, cuckoo” call that took me back to that halcyon childhood.
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We left the paradise of Princes Street and returned to the hustle and bustle of the city, to the historic Old Town – my favorite stomping ground when I was home.
There we heard the second street performer of the day – the piper, playing two-tap tunes in front of the spot where the High Street meets the Lawnmarket, and the notorious murderer William Burke was hanged for the crime after his partner William. Hare turns King’s evidence and confesses to their crime for their own freedom.
The High Street has some unexpected dog-friendly Edinburgh attractions, one of which is the amazing Camera Obscura and World of Portraits, and the other is St Giles’ Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I. Despite its gray exterior due to its Victorian stone roof, the interior of the cathedral is an architectural gem, and visiting it is like stepping back in time.
St Giles has seen much of Edinburgh’s history over the centuries – from invading English armies, religious upheavals and the Jacobite Rebellion. The eyes of the world were on St Giles as HRH Queen Elizabeth stayed for 24 hours.
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Tourists thronged the High Street outside St Giles Cathedral so it seemed like a good time for a refreshing drink. We walked to Cockburn (Co Burr) Street and near the Flash Market (not as scary as it sounds).
We were heading to one of our favorite traditional watering holes in the old town – the Jingle Geordie Bar.
Jinglin’ Geordie Bar is one of Edinburgh’s many dog-friendly bars. It is named after George Herriot, goldsmith to King James VI. Heriot was said to be so rich that his pockets were full of gold.
We found a table inside and ordered drinks. White wine for me and local lager for Mr G – aaaaaand Relax.
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After liquid refreshment it was time for dinner. Booked a table at Bruhemia near the flash market.
Bruhemia is one of the most dog friendly places we have ever visited. Warm welcome, thank you, water, biscuits, bed. It was in the child’s body.
Brahmia is Edinburgh’s largest restaurant.
