Tyne and Wear has plenty of places that will happily seat you and your dog, from Ouseburn pubs to seafront cafés. Most of what follows comes from the NewcastleGateshead tourism board, Nexus, local press and National Trust pages rather than CAMRA tags, and some sources are a couple of years old, so we’ve flagged where a quick phone call or a look at the venue’s Facebook page is sensible.
National Trust cafés
The Lighthouse Café at Souter Lighthouse and The Leas, near Sunderland, welcomes dogs in the café and grounds on a short lead (only assistance dogs are allowed inside the lighthouse itself), and there is dog-friendly ice cream. At Gibside, near Gateshead, the Market Place café and the Carriage House Coffee Shop allow dogs indoors and out, on the floor in the dog-friendly seating area, with a paw-cleaning station and a treat with your drink.
Newcastle and Gateshead pubs
Tourism and local-press lists name the Tyne Bar in the Ouseburn (dogs throughout, including the beer garden), The Cluny, the Bridge Tavern (until 7pm), The Redhouse, City Tavern (which has a dog treat menu), the Northumberland Hussar in Heaton, the Brandling Villa in South Gosforth and Twenty Twenty. On the Gateshead side, Microbus and The Schooner are listed. These lists date from 2024, so ring ahead if you’re making a special trip.
One to check carefully: Dog and Scone on the Quayside. The tourism board describes it as a dog café with resident dogs, but Nexus says visiting dogs aren’t allowed inside, and we couldn’t confirm it is currently open, so please check before you go.
South Tyneside and the coast
In South Shields, Platform 33 on the seafront (formerly the Marsden Rattler) is listed as dog-friendly by Nexus, and the Shields Gazette reports that Sanddancer says “we are dog friendly”. The Gazette also names The Grotto and Scoop and Bean via their Facebook pages, which we couldn’t read. Village Delights is outdoor seating only. Further north, Salt Cove was described in a 2020 blog as outdoors only, and directories list Hinnies and the Surf Café; we couldn’t re-verify either.
In Sunderland, an undated BorrowMyDoggy listing mentions The Promenade at Roker (the snug only) and These Things Happen. Treat those as leads rather than confirmed listings.
Border cases and genuine gaps
Washington Wetland Centre (WWT) allows no dogs, so it isn’t an option, and Washington Old Hall is excluded from this list. We couldn’t check Crusoe’s, Riley’s, the Longsands cafés, the Jesmond Dene and Saltwell Park cafés, or the Wetherspoon and BrewDog branches, and we found nothing for Hebburn, Jarrow or Wallsend. That is a limit of what we could verify, not proof there is nothing there.
A busy bar can overwhelm a nervier dog. A calming bite before you set off can help take the edge off, and if the nerves run deeper, that is a conversation for your vet. For everything else, see our Tyne and Wear dog services hub, and for somewhere to walk before lunch, our best local dog walks in Tyne and Wear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which National Trust cafés in Tyne and Wear allow dogs?
The Lighthouse Café at Souter Lighthouse and The Leas welcomes dogs on a short lead, and Gibside’s Market Place café and Carriage House Coffee Shop allow dogs indoors and out.
Can I take my dog to Washington Wetland Centre?
No. Washington Wetland Centre (WWT) does not allow dogs.
Is Dog and Scone on the Newcastle Quayside open to visiting dogs?
Sources disagree. The tourism board calls it a dog café with resident dogs, but Nexus says visiting dogs aren’t allowed inside, and we couldn’t confirm it is currently open, so check before you go.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who rates a café by the quality of its floor crumbs.
