6/22/2019 0 Comments A Dog's life in brixtonBrixton is not technically the dog epicentre of London. It doesn’t have a proper park (though there are many a mile in most directions from Brixton centre), pet businesses, or other explicit dog-friendly amenities. But it’s nevertheless a good place to live for the discerning city dog. Kaseki came here from Tokyo where there were nice leafy places to walk, and many dog groomers... but what he really wanted was to hang out with us in the shops, cafe, bars and restaurants in the city. It's fairly rare that I need to go out without him. Even though he always tries to drag me to the tube station so we can go on an adventure, he has lots of happy places in Brixton too, which are much more fun than his Tokyo life. In this blog for canine Brixtonites, I'll talk about the places to eat, drink, shop and play with dog in tow, and then at the end I'll talk about some of the good places for dog-specific amenities. Coffeeshops
Kaseki likes a good flat white. Or rather, he likes to sniff one, while gazing lovingly at his dogmother. As such, he is a big fan of the independent coffeeshops of Brixton. His particular recommendations for dog-friendly coffee hangouts are Federation Coffee, Caya, Brixton Blend, F Mondays, Parissi and Blank. Blank is his favourite as they sometimes give him treats. Restaurants Kaseki looks favourably on a certain number of dog-friendly restaurants. It's probably about 50:50 in Brixton, with the majority being in Brixton Market, Brixton Village and Pop Brixton (hereby abbreviated to Brixton MVP) and other various patios and other outside spaces. But even on a cold night, Kaseki can enjoy dining out. He is a particular fan of sitting inside Mamma Dough, who make an amazing sourdough pizza, and Three Eight Four. He is huffy with the dog-unfriendly policies of Kricket, Canova Hall and Cattivo. Booo. Brixtonian restaurants note: it is the dog-friendly restaurants that end up with our custom! Bars and Pubs While Kaseki loves being welcome at most of the bars and pubs of Brixton MVP, he is sad about a lack of enthusiasm from some of the other nice venues. We’re looking at you, Shrub and Shutter. His irritation at not being allowed in the Wine Parlour has partially abated because they’ve opened a second outpost within Brixton Market, and according to the person I spoke to there, dog-friendly demand was one of their reasons for doing so. Outside of the Brixton MVP, he has enjoyed a sneaky drink in Three Eight Four and SW9 bar. Pub-wise, the Trinity Arms and the Duke of Edinburgh, and he has of course ventured to Naughty Piglets. Brixton entertainment Kaseki hates not being allowed in the Ritzy upstairs bar so his dogmothers can’t attend their storytelling shows and board game nights, but he does appreciate the Ritzy’s occasional dog-friendly film screenings, which are brilliant. Also hilariously, he’s been allowed to attend the life drawing classes at Brixton Pound Cafe - but that’s probably on a case by case basis, so ask first! I am pleased to report the life model didn't flinch that one time Kaseki wriggled free of his tether and curled up on the comfy cushions on which said model was reclining... He's also made an appearance at the Brixton Book Club in Effra Social. Shopping with dog in tow If you want to shop with a dog in Brixton, your best bet is the shops of the good old Brixton MVP triumvirate. Kaseki has never been turned away from a shop in the Brixton MVP. His favourite is Guzzl where they sometimes give him treats while I browse the balsamic vinegars and other posh deli things. Philip Normal sometimes has a shop dog. Kaseki is much less loved in the largely chain shops of Brixton Road but then, surprise, he’s also welcome in Morley’s Department Store! This has increased my spending in Morley’s exponentially. Obviously there’s the outdoor farmers’ markets outside Brixton Rec too. We would love a newspaper shop that allows dogs so we could buy our weekend papers while on a dogwalk but alas I think the only one is the outstanding news stand in Brixton tube station (which is no good for Kaseki because he gets too excited about going on a tube adventure and I can’t face breaking his heart by grabbing a paper and taking him home). Note: Dogs are always welcome in Brixton Market and Brixton Village. Pop Brixton previously said no to dogs but they had a change of heart. Now dogs can enjoy Pop Brixton all day Sun-Wed and before 7pm on Thu, Fri and Sat. Which is fair enough: it’s really busy on weekend evenings and when Kaseki has popped his head in, he’s feared trampling. Dog-specific shopping Guzzl sells posh dog treats. And of course food can be found in the supermarkets, plus various dog accoutrements in the Poundland. For a better selection, head over to Herne Hill's Brockwell Vets which has a proper pet store attached. It's opposite Herne Hill station. Or to the lovely Hound Hut near Oval Station. Dog-specific amenities There are no real dog-specific amenities in Brixton.
Dog-specific activities The loveliest dog activity in Brixton is the dog agility class at the Ebony Horse Club in Wyck Gardens. They offer a 6-week course for all levels, with a trainer. They're also home to Paws and Pause, a dog-sitting/doggy daycare social enterprise (and sometimes they even offer dog-friendly art events). There is of course also the occasional dog-friendly film screenings at the Brixton Ritzy cinema. Dog parks Brixton does not really have a central park where dog owners congregate.
Dogs on Facebook To keep up to date with Brixton dog news and participate in dog-themed chat, join Dogs of Brixton on Facebook I will update this page with new information, so keep an eye on it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI moved to Brixton in 2015 with my wife and dog, from faraway Camberwell, via Washington, Tokyo and Hong Kong... Archives
September 2019
Categories |