Puppy Love

Rare as they may still be,some restaurants in the city are turning pet friendly and allowing guests to have a carefree time out with their pets.

Nicholas DSilva brought home his dog Pico earlier this year,and in the few months since then,Pico has become his steady companion. The two are rarely seen apart for long,whether its at work or later in the evenings when DSilva unwinds with his friends at their favourite haunts. In fact,Pico has become quite a regular at High Spirits,where hes often seen lounging by DSilvas table. We stay out quite a bit and I dont want to leave Pico alone at home,so we take him along, says DSilva,adding,There are very few pet-friendly places in the city though,so we usually hang out at the few places that do welcome pets.

Khodu Irani,the owner of High Spirits,says hes also fond of Pico. He is popular even with our other guests. Even if he was a little uncomfortable with the crowd and the music in the beginning,hes used to it now,and if anything,he enjoys all the attention. Irani,a dog lover himself,welcomes guests with their pets,and has many canine regulars at the joint. Theres another dog,a rottweiler who comes in quite often. Because we are a younger venue,nobody minds having the dogs around. In fact,other guests come over and pet them and offer to take them out for walks, he says. High Spirits also organises events specifically for pets,in collaboration with Party Barky Hai,a canine event company run by Shivani Mathur. Usually people go home after work and pet their dogs for a while,play for 10 minutes and then watch TV. But there is a completely different dynamic to hanging out with your pets, she says. Outside India,its not uncommon to see people taking their pets to work,for a walk,or to the neighbourhood cafe. In India,however,the culture is yet to catch up,says Irani.

A year ago,Cocoparra began pet-friendly Sunday brunches for guests who bring their dogs along for a day out. While the guests enjoy a lavish brunch spread,their dogs are no less pampered with pet pools,fur massages,grooming and long hours of play. Now,they have opened up the premises to pets throughout the week and the 2-acre property will have special play pens,pet pool,grooming services and expert staff to care for the pets.

While many guests have already shown up with their pets,Amar Jog,the CEO,says they hope that the idea will catch on with even more people in the future. With time,things will change. Already,there are restaurants and bakeries opening that cater solely to pets,with pet cakes and meals, he says.

The pets are usually placed in the lawn,slightly removed from the main dining area,but a guest can also ask for their table to be placed closer to their pets,says Jog. Guests tell us how being able to bring their pets along has changed the experience of going out, he adds.

At Terttulia,too,a dog sitting by one of the tables is a common sight. The restaurant has three in-house pets two dogs and a three-legged cat. One of the dogs,Bailey,sits under the same corner table every day,and someone or the other is always petting him. We also get a lot of expats who come in with their dogs. As long as the pets are well-behaved,we welcome them, says Imrun Sethi.

People walking by ask Sethi whether they allows pets and are always surprised to hear that they do. They always return with their pets in tow. Were lucky to have an outdoor space so the restaurant itself is conducive for pets. I hope the trend does catch on,itll be nice to see pets about,they add a great happy energy wherever they go, he says.

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Loading Taboola...