Bone appetit: Supper Club for dogs is part of a new era of pup-friendly venues

Welcome to the up-market restaurant where licking your plate clean isn’t only acceptable – it’s expected.

A Supper Club aimed at dogs and their owners has launched in Edinburgh, serving three-course meals prepared by a chef using seasonal, high-quality ingredients.

At Sip & Bark in Stockbridge, lucky hounds can look forward to a starter of home-baked peanut biscuits, meatballs with green beans and heritage carrots, followed by a dessert of hand-made peanut butter and banana cupcake.

Food can be washed down with a selection of doggy drinks, including an alcohol-free glass of Posh Pooch Tailwagger Creek White Wine, flavoured with elderflower, linden blossom and ginseng.

Owners will dine from a separate human-friendly menu while their pets are served their gourmet meal.

Dogs’s Supper Club

Canine cafe Sip & Bark launched the Supper Club last night to cater for the increased number of dogs adopted during the pandemic. In 2021, an estimated 3.2 million households in the UK acquired a pet a year after the pandemic began, with more than half of new owners aged from 16 to 34.

Kasia Neilson, owner of Sip & Bark, was surprised by the demand for an evening menu among customers looking for somewhere to take their dogs in the evening.

“Sip & Bark opened in spring offering a place for dogs, dog owners and even people who are just dog lovers to enjoy good food from brunch to late afternoon but, since we’ve opened, there has been a huge demand for us to open later and do an evening service,” said the former investment banker.

“The Supper Club is hopefully a way for dogs and their owners to enjoy a Saturday night meal on the town. The post-pandemic rise in dog owners is definitely part of the reason we opened.

“There are a lot of every-day pubs that are dog friendly now, which is great, but I don’t know anywhere that you can go out for a nice dinner and also take your dog. That gap existed, and I think that’s where we come in. The Supper Club is a nice place for people to dress up to go out for dinner with some wine, but also to take their dog, where they’ll get a three-course meal.”

© Andrew Cawley

Sip & Bark’s Supper Club isn’t the only business catering to canines. Cinema chains are increasingly holding dog-friendly screenings. Today, at Glasgow’s Grosvenor cinema, dogs are being welcomed to a screening of American Werewolf In London. Furry friends were welcome at The Cameo cinema in Edinburgh, for Paddington 2, earlier in the month.

Hotels are also opening their doors to guests who bring pets, including high-end guest houses such as Cameron House at Loch Lomond and the Fife Arms in Braemar.

Creating a welcoming atmosphere for pets is as tricky as making one for humans, however. Special attention is required to ensure dogs can dine in a relaxing setting.

“We’ve been trying out different suppliers, different dishes, and bringing in tasting dogs belonging to people that we know to try out different menu options so we can be confident that it’s something that the dogs will actually like,” said Kasia. “We don’t want something that looks nice and is a bit quirky, but actually, the dogs don’t respond well to it.

“When designing Sip & Bark, we took particular care in the layout so it’s not too cramped, and the dogs have plenty of room. We even chose the colour scheme to be relaxing for dogs to keep them chilled out. It’s mostly pastels and greens and pinks. It’s been great so far, our dog guests have been well-behaved.”

Pets out on the town

According to the Dogs Trust, owners should be careful when hitting the town with their pet friends.

“With so many families now owning a dog, it’s good news that many businesses are opening their doors and welcoming our canine companions inside,” said a spokesman for the Dogs Trust. “It’s important to remember, however, that even if a location is dog friendly, it might not be suitable for your dog.

“Owners need to be mindful of how their dog may behave in a new or busy environment, and consider whether they may become over excited or worried, and how they may be around lots of new people and other dogs.

“To ensure both you and your dog enjoy your trip out, we recommend working on some basic skills before heading out, including loose-lead walking and making sure they don’t jump up at people, for example. If you have any doubts around how comfortable your dog will be during your trip, consider leaving them at home.”