Living within walking distance of central Cheltenham, we often wander into the town centre if we have a bit of free time at the weekend or for a quick coffee in the week. We’re incredibly lucky that Cheltenham is so dog friendly – we can often do a whole shopping trip with Poppy in tow!
As part of the Great Taste of Chelt campaign, Visit Cheltenham invited us to put together a guide of our favourite dog friendly places to eat and drink in Cheltenham with Poppy.
(Full disclosure, some of the below were gifted visits but we know and love all of them and visit far too often!)
No.85 Coffee & Kitchen
We’re lucky enough to live round the corner from this hidden gem. It’s a great spot for brunch and lunch with great big portions and a regularly changing menu. We love their beef brisket and avocado toast but they also do a big (and very tempting) range of cakes and cookies! The owner Steph also makes AMAZING cocktails that are definitely worth a try.
The Coffee Dispensary
Hands down the best coffee in Cheltenham and we’ve been bringing Poppy here since she was 10 weeks old! They have an incredible selection of cakes, brownies and blondies too. If you’re not a coffee drinker, it’s worth a visit for their hot chocolates too with at least 5 varieties on the menu!
This has got to be our favourite dog friendly spot in Cheltenham, and certainly our most frequently visited! We’re often in here at least once a week, and they absolutely love Poppy. We’ve been taking her since she was a tiny 12 week old puppy, and she always gets plenty of cuddles from the staff and treats on tap. This place is a coffee lovers dream, with an ever changing board of different coffee beans to choose from! They also have 6 different types of hot chocolate and the cakes are to die for!
Boston Tea Party
A great dog friendly place to visit with plenty of seating and a very popular breakfast spot! Expect your dog to get plenty of fuss from the lovely staff while you agonise choosing from the largest cake selection we’ve seen – which is definitely a good thing in our eyes. The blueberry and ginger smoothie is a particular favourite and we have been known to detour out of our way just to go past in the morning and grab one!
The Urban Meadow
One of the newest additions to Cheltenham town centre but already one of our favourites for breakfast or a quick lunch. We love the pancakes with homemade honeycomb for an indulgent breakfast or choosing from their bagel menu at lunchtime. If you fancy a walk, you can pop slightly out of town to their sister cafe The Meadow Cafe before a stroll around Cox’s Meadow.
Woodkraft
Poppy is a much loved regular at Woodkraft and always gets such a lovely welcome, water bowl and a treat or two! The food is consistently excellent and we rarely go a couple of weeks without popping in for brunch and a dog themed latte. Our favourites include eggs benedict and strawberry cheesecake pancakes. Whatever you order, make sure you get a side of hash browns – they are AMAZING!
Botanica Coffee Kitchen
Probably Cheltenham’s most instagrammable cafe in the unlikeliest of locations, Botanica has house plants adorning every wall and shelf in sight. Everything we’ve tried from their regularly changing menu of breakfast and light bites is delicious and it’s also a great spot for a coffee. Wash it down with one of their incredible sausage rolls or pastries and you won’t be disappointed. Visit their sister cafe Arc Espresso Deli by the train station for lighter bites, amazing coffee and pastries to die for.
The Swan
We’re lucky enough to have the Swan as our local and their new Indian street food menu is honestly incredible! We love being able to choose from a selection of small sharing plates and are working our way through the menu with each visit. Stand outs for us include the bacon naan (trust us, it works!) and the king prawn kadai. The Swan also has one of the best local independent beer selections in Cheltenham, you’re welcome to bring your own board games to while away a few hours on the comfy sofas!
If Thai is more your thing, they have two sister pubs called the Vine and the Railway – both super dog friendly too.
Domaine 16
Eating at Domaine 16 is literally like walking into a cheese lover’s dream. Think cheese fondues, baked cheeses and artisan meats. The truffle cheese fondue is probably the best fondue we’ve ever had. Stretchy trousers recommended!
(Make sure you let them know about your dog on booking as dogs are welcomed on the ground floor only.)
Gallimore’s Kitchen
We love this spot tucked away in Montpellier Courtyard for consistently excellent and very good value food. From breakfast through to dinner dogs are always welcomed very warmly (usually with a big plate of ham!) but it’s the daily changing fresh seafood specials that we really think are worth visiting for.
The Tavern
We love the buzzing atmosphere of the Tavern and Poppy always finds a cosy spot to snooze while we dig into an often enormous dinner! Think American classics meets British gastropub and that’s what you’ll get at the Tavern. You won’t find a better place for ribs or dirty burgers in Cheltenham! Insider tip – go hungry and if you can squeeze it in after mains, try their sticky toffee pudding – you won’t regret it!
No 3
New kid on the block No. 3 has fast become one of our favourite regular brunch and lunch spots. The staff are so friendly and we love the daily changing lunch specials offering something different every time we visit. It’s worth visiting for their bacon alone, the best we’ve ever tasted!
We know there are so many more dog friendly spots in Cheltenham and we couldn’t include them all, but these are our top picks. Do let us know if you think we’ve missed out a hidden gem and we’ll be happy to go and check it out!
Thanks for reading,
Cara, Andy and Poppy x
