CAMRA’s own database gives strong, verified pub coverage across most of Leicestershire’s towns. Cafés and restaurants are a much thinner picture here, as in most counties we’ve covered — with one real exception in Hinckley, thanks to an official town-level dog-friendly business list.
Leicester
- Rutland & Derby Arms, 21 Millstone Lane — dogs allowed in the rear courtyard/yard only, not inside the pub.
- Two-Tailed Lion, 22 Millstone Lane — family and dog friendly.
- Castle Inn, 8-9 Castle View — garden and dog friendly.
- Wygston’s House, 12 Applegate — dog friendly.
- Babelas, 77 Queens Road, Clarendon Park — dogs welcome downstairs.
- Queens Road Tap, 109 Queens Road, Clarendon Park — dog friendly.
Two names are worth flagging rather than recommending: the Dog House on Braunstone Gate and the Loaded Dog on London Road both sound like safe bets, but neither’s CAMRA listing actually states a dog policy. Phone ahead rather than assume from the name. We couldn’t find a verified dog-friendly café or restaurant in Leicester city itself in this pass — a genuine gap, not an oversight.
Loughborough
- Wheeltapper, 60 Woodgate — dog friendly.
- Royal Oak, 70 Leicester Road — dog friendly.
- Phantom, Leicester Road — dog friendly.
- Mini Monocle, 39B Market Street — dog friendly.
Market Harborough
- Three Swans Hotel, 21 High Street — dog friendly.
- Kings Head, 30 Church Street — dog friendly.
- Nags Head, 24 Church Street — dog friendly.
- Red Cow, 59-60 High Street — dog friendly.
- Admiral Nelson, 49 Nelson Street — “dogs are welcome.”
- Freemasons Arms, 101 St Mary’s Road — “welcomes young people, families and dogs.”
Hinckley
Pubs: New Baron (also known as the Crafty Baron), 5-7 Regent Street — dogs welcome in the front bar area only. Ashby Tavern, 62 Ashby Road — dog and family friendly. Black Horse, Upper Bond Street — dog friendly. Elbow Cask & Craft, 26 Station Road — dogs and children welcome, and free dog biscuits provided. Tin Hat, 45 Trent Road — dogs allowed in the bar only (recently reopened, so worth a quick check the policy still stands). Flintlock, 68 Roston Drive — dogs allowed in the bar only.
Cafés — genuinely confirmed via Hinckley BID’s own official dog-friendly business list, a real find for this category: Art Cafe (Ten2 Gallery & The Art Cafe), 102 Castle Street — dog-friendly for well-behaved dogs. Coffee#1 Hinckley, 6 The Crescent — dogs welcome. Also named on the same list, though we couldn’t independently verify each one’s current address and policy: Moko Coffee House & Restaurant on Regent Street, both Castle Street and The Crescent branches of Costa Coffee, Epicurean Lounge, and Marmalade Meringue.
Melton Mowbray
Half Moon, 6 Nottingham Street — dog friendly. Sysonby Knoll Hotel, Asfordby Road — dog friendly (Best Western-affiliated, worth checking their own site for detail).
Coalville, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Lutterworth, Wigston, Syston & Shepshed
- Coalville: West End, Ashby Road — welcomes large dogs. Rock Cafe & Bar, 97 Meadow Lane — dog friendly (this is a bar despite the “Cafe” in the name).
- Ashby-de-la-Zouch: White Hart, Railway Tavern, Tap at No.76, Plough and Brew — all dog friendly, all on or near Market Street.
- Lutterworth: Unicorn, 29 Church Street — dog friendly in the beer garden and bar, not the carpeted lounge.
- Wigston: Star & Garter, 114 Leicester Road — dog friendly.
- Syston: Dog & Gun, 28 Chapel Street, and Fox & Hounds, 2 High Street — both dog friendly.
- Shepshed: Pied Bull, 49 Belton Street (kitchen currently not serving food — check their Facebook for current status), and Bull & Bush, 61 Sullington Road — both dog friendly.
Castle Donington & Market Bosworth
Castle Inn, 2 High Street, Castle Donington — dog friendly. Borough Street Bar, 32 Borough Street, Castle Donington — dogs welcome, but not on the furniture. Dixie Arms, Main Street, Market Bosworth — dog friendly (its CV13 postcode is genuine — Market Bosworth sits in a CV postcode area despite being in Leicestershire).
We found no closed pubs to flag in this batch, which is unusual for this project — the handful of pubs that didn’t make this list simply lacked a published dog policy rather than being shut. Cafés and restaurants remain a near-total gap outside Hinckley: nothing confirmed in Leicester, Loughborough, Market Harborough, Melton Mowbray, Coalville, Ashby, Lutterworth, Wigston, Syston, Shepshed, Castle Donington or Market Bosworth.
A busy beer garden full of new smells and other dogs can be a lot for a nervier pub companion. If Figo’s anything to go by, a calming bite before you set off helps him settle in rather than spend the whole visit watching the door. If the anxiety runs deeper than a new environment, that’s a conversation for your vet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Leicestershire town has the best dog-friendly cafés?
Hinckley, by some distance — its town BID publishes its own official list of dog-friendly businesses, including the Art Cafe and Coffee#1. No equivalent official list exists for any other Leicestershire town.
Is the Dog House in Leicester actually dog-friendly?
We couldn’t confirm it either way — its listing doesn’t state a dog policy despite the name. Phone ahead rather than assume.
Is the Dixie Arms in Market Bosworth really in Leicestershire?
Yes — Market Bosworth sits in a CV postcode area, which looks like Warwickshire, but the town itself is in Leicestershire.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who has strong opinions about which pub gardens have the best scraps.
