Plenty of venues let your dog sit with you. Four go further and cook for him. These restaurants with a dog menu in Pretoria and Centurion serve everything from a cooked bowl of chicken and rice to a puppuccino, and each one has a walk close by.
We cover dog menus in Pretoria, with the price of each dish and the nearest walk for every venue. They all seat dogs outside, on a terrace or in the garden, and expect a well-behaved dog on a lead. Kleinkaap’s pup picnic needs a booking a day ahead, and Whisk asks you to call first.
Goddess Café
Goddess Café runs three sites around Pretoria, and the same Pooch Meal is on the menu at each one. Rietondale has the prettiest outdoor setting of the four, with a garden that makes it easy to settle in with your dog, who’ll be brought a fresh bowl of water and a treat at the table.
- Locations
- Rietondale: 217 Soutpansberg Road, Cnr Belrene Street, Rietondale, Pretoria
- Irene/Southdowns: Cnr John Vorster and, Karee St, Irene, Pretoria, 0157
- Waterkloof: Shop 6, Waterkloof Corner Shopping Centre, Cnr Main & Crown Ave
- Website: goddesscafe.co.za
- Pooch Meal: Chicken, rice, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli (R40)
PLTFRM Wolwespruit
Order one of PLTFRM Wolwespruit’s Doggie Bowls and the proceeds go to a pet charity, a different one each quarter. The bowls are made with pet-safe ingredients and packed with vitamins.
- Location: 501 Jochemus Street, Erasmuskloof
- Website: pltfrmwolwespruit.co.za
- Sample dishes from the pup menu:
- Baked beef chew (R40)
- Marrowbone (R40)
- Nearby dog walk: Wolwespruit Bike & Trail Park, where dogs are welcome on the walking routes
Kleinkaap Boutique Hotel Restaurant
Clubview’s Kleinkaap sets aside part of its grounds for guests arriving with a dog, and the kitchen prints its own Woof Menu. Indoor seating is for two-legged guests only, so save this one for a fair-weather day.
- Location: 87 Jim van der Merwe, Clubview, Centurion
- Website: kleinkaap.co.za/restaurant
- Requirements: Shaded terrace and garden seating only. Dogs stay on lead.
- Good to know: The Woof Menu is served at the dog-friendly tables, so ask for it when you sit down.
- Nearby dog walk: Centurion Lake, a short drive away
Kleinkaap Pup Picnic
The picnic is the bigger production. Kleinkaap packs a basket for your dog to go alongside your own picnic on the hotel lawns.
- Location: 87 Jim van der Merwe, Clubview, Centurion
- Website: kleinkaap.co.za/picnics-with-pups
- Sample dishes from the pup picnic menu:
- Barcuterie of dried liver treats and cookies
- Mini meatballs
- Puppuccino
- Yoghurt-and-banana popsicle
- Requirements: On lead at all times. It can only be booked alongside an adult picnic. Booking is essential at least 24 hours ahead, and there are no walk-ins.
- Nearby dog walk: Centurion Lake, a short drive away
Whisk Wine Bar
Whisk Wine Bar in Irene runs its Woof Menu from breakfast through to dessert. Booking is recommended, so call ahead.
- Location: 1 Cornwood Avenue, Irene, Centurion
- Website: whiskwinebar.com
- Sample dishes from the woof menu:
- The Early Bird, scrambled egg with rice and carrots (R25)
- The Mighty Mutt, meatballs with pumpkin and rice (R68)
- Spoils, banana ice cream with dog-safe peanut butter and yoghurt (R40)
- Nearby dog walk: The Big Red Barn trails in Olifantsfontein, just outside Irene, where dogs on a lead are welcome.
Planning the Outing
Booking and Why It Matters
Kleinkaap takes no walk-ins for the pup picnic and asks for 24 hours’ notice. The basket only goes out with an adult picnic, so a spontaneous Sunday will not work.
Weather is the other reason to phone ahead. Every one of these dog-friendly restaurants in Pretoria seats dogs outdoors, so a booked terrace table in January is a different proposition from the same table in July.
Is Your Dog Ready for the Table?
A dog menu is no use if your dog cannot settle. The dogs who settle best are the ones who aren’t fussed by strangers, neither nervous of them nor desperate to say hello. If yours is reactive around other dogs, a busy terrace on a Saturday is the wrong place to discover it.
If it’s your first time taking your dog to a restaurant, go early on a weekday. Most places are calmer before the lunch rush, and a short visit that ends well is worth more than a long one that ends with you apologising.
What to Take with You
A restaurant that cooks for your dog still expects you to manage him. A short lead keeps him clear of the walkway between tables, where waiters are carrying plates past your chair.
It’s a good idea to bring a mat or blanket he’s used to lying on, so he has his own spot next to the table. A collapsible bowl covers the drive there and back. If your dog pulls when he can smell food, a no-pull harness gives you more control at the door than a collar will.
The Last Bark
Dog-friendly restaurants in Pretoria give you four kitchens that will cook for your dog, from a R25 plate of eggs to a picnic basket booked a day ahead. Call before you drive out, since prices and dishes change. Then pick the venue that suits him. Worst case, you get a good walk and a decent coffee, and he will never know the menu was the point.
Heading elsewhere for the weekend? The same guide exists for dog-friendly cafes in Johannesburg and restaurants in Cape Town with dog menus. If the walk matters more than the meal, start with the dog parks in Pretoria.
