You don’t need to leave your fur baby at home when holidaying in Sydney — see your four-legged friend’s ears shoot up and tail start wagging furiously as you kick off another unforgettable day taking in the sights, sounds and scents of the city together. Many Inner Sydney neighbourhood bars and cafés welcome your pet, and you can pamper your pooch with a luxurious hotel stay, delicious doggy meals and long walks through the city’s gorgeous parks.
Embrace the freedom of the outdoors
Once you’ve checked into one of Sydney’s dog-friendly hotels and your furry friend has sniffed every last piece of furniture in your room, you’ll want to head out to explore the city as quickly as possible. Brace yourself for ever more urgent tugs on the leash as you approach the shoreline at one of Sydney’s dog-accessible beaches, including off-leash stretches of sand in the Eastern Suburbs and Northern Beaches. Or soak up spectacular views as your pet meets and greets some of the local hounds on a long walk along one of the city’s stunning coastal tracks or bushland trails, many of which allow dogs.
Let your dog run free and make friends at the expansive Sydney Park in the Inner West suburb of St Peters, a 20-minute drive from central Sydney. Grab coffee and a breakfast roll at the funky kiosk next to the children’s playground (the only part of the park where dogs must be kept on a leash at all times), then connect with the local dog-owning community as you watch a newly formed canine gang race across the park’s steep rolling hills and around connecting ponds.
Getting out and about with your pooch is more than just burning off some of that seemingly boundless canine energy — you can also stimulate your furry friend with an endless array of sights, sounds and scents as you browse outdoor markets.
Check out the stalls at Surry Hills Markets, held on the first Saturday of every month at Shannon Reserve on Crown Street in Surry Hills, for recycled fashion, secondhand vinyl records and knick-knacks and handmade craft objects while your dog is happily entertained by a non-stop stream of sensory information. Pop over to Cuckoo Callay café, across the road from the markets on Crown Street, and treat your pooch to a ‘puppaccino’ and an array of dog treats while you refuel with fresh juices and pastries.
Carriageworks Farmers Market, in the inner-city suburb of Eveleigh, showcases amazing seasonal produce from around the state — and offers plenty of options for tasty breakfast bites as well as great coffee. Pick up some up goodies and head to nearby Victoria Park or Sydney Park to enjoy a morning picnic with your pup.
Eat, drink and be amused by adorable puppy antics
You’ll find a plenty of dog-friendly places to eat and drink across the inner city. Your pup will be in doggie heaven in Sydney’s Inner West, where there are hordes of hipster hounds to meet. After promenading along Newtown’s colourful King Street shopping strip, head to nearby Camperdown Memorial Rest Park for an off-leash adventure before refreshing with an ale in the beer garden at The Courthouse Hotel, across the road from the park, where dogs are ”always encouraged”. Follow the dog-walking locals to the canine-conducive beer gardens at The Henson, a classic suburban pub in Marrickville, and The Erko in Erskineville, where your pup can chow down on a doggy menu that includes raw beef tartare and homemade Erko dog biscuits.
You and your pup may feel like you’ve entered a country retreat when you visit The Grounds of Alexandria, with its sustainable garden, small farm animals, themed laneways and fountains, around 5km from Sydney’s centre. Dogs are welcome at this former industrial precinct turned gourmet epicentre, with the exception of indoor sections of the café, so you can savour gourmet salads and pastas in the Potting Shed or watch barbecues sizzle and pizza ovens smoke in the courtyard garden with your furry friend.
Make your dog’s day with lunch in the courtyard at Henry Lee’s in Redfern, where puppy treats are served alongside the café’s signature colourful dishes. Or head over to the Duck Inn pub in Chippendale, a hip neighbourhood near Redfern, where your dog can stretch out in the rear beer garden as you refuel with lunch from the pub’s well regarded kitchen.
Once your pup has drained its battery racing around a park or sniffing all those unfamiliar scents as you explore inner-city streets, head over to the pet-friendly Arcadia Liquors bar in Redfern for an afternoon drink — it’s the perfect spot to sit back and unwind with a cocktail or craft beer with your pup at your side.
Grab a courtyard seat at The Winery, in a leafy laneway off Surry Hills’s Crown Street, to enjoy a glass of wine and some Sydney Rock oysters as your pup gets to know the local pooches at the other tables. Or head over to The Carrington, a quiet neighbourhood pub on Bourke Street in Surry Hills, for classic pub fare like chicken schnitzel while your pup wolfs down one of the special doggy meals on the menu: steak and veggies; beef tartare; ‘pupcakes’; and a brown rice and veggie dish.
Make some lasting memories
After a few trips to a park or the beach, pamper your puppy with a blow-out at Hachi Sydney, a dog boutique and spa that specialises in Japanese-style canine grooming techniques. You’ll find it on Steam Mill Lane, in Darling Square, Haymarket, a 15-minute walk from Surry Hills. And once your furry friend is looking its best, you can also splash out on a private photo session at the Hachi Studio, and load up on healthy canine treats and a stylish new dog collar or sweater.
Take home the ultimate souvenir of your stay in Sydney with a portrait of your pet against a scenic backdrop. A professional Pawtastic Photography dog photographer can set up an outdoor photo shoot for you, or celebrate your dog’s birthday with a Cake-Smash package by Call of the Wild, who will supply a dairy- and sugar-free cake to present to your dog as a photographer creates a unique portrait.
