A dog-friendly York weekend: where we ate & stayed

Our humans took us to Valhalla, where the Viking theme was strong and dogs were welcome throughout, downstairs and on the upper floors. Excellent: our right to supervise dinner was fully recognised.

The atmosphere was lively but comfortable, with enough room for us to settle. There were pavement tables too, although we appreciated being welcome indoors. There are steps to negotiate—a consideration for those of us with exceptionally short legs.

No bowls or treats were provided during our visit. Our humans enjoyed tapas-style food, particularly the meat, alongside excellent beer and mead. We cannot independently verify their findings, but they seemed pleased with their investigation.

They found the service good and the prices fair, and would happily return when exploring York again. We’ll accompany them to ensure the Viking standards remain intact.

Silver Bowl: a distinctive setting, very good food and a friendly indoor welcome for paws.

Our humans took us to The Fat Badger. An interesting choice when your dinner companions come from a long line of badger hunters. Thankfully, this particular badger offered friendship rather than a chase.

The staff welcomed us with water bowls, treats and cuddles. We consider this a sensible approach to dachshund diplomacy.

Dogs aren’t allowed in the nook, but other indoor areas welcome paws, with enough room for us to settle. The atmosphere was lively but comfortable, giving us plenty to observe while supervising our humans.

Outside, there’s a rustic, secluded beer courtyard, reached up some outdoor steps. Short legs should bring their humans along for any necessary assistance.

Our humans really enjoyed the Yorkshire food, found the service good and thought the prices fair. They would happily stop again when nearby. We’ll remain available for further hospitality inspections.

Silver Bowl: very good Yorkshire food, a friendly welcome and thoughtful provisions for paws, with some indoor areas reserved for humans.

Our humans chose a dog-friendly hotel in York, so naturally we arrived ready to inspect the facilities.

The room welcomed us, but there were no dog beds or bowls provided. Apparently “dog-friendly” didn’t include making our beds. Good thing we travel with organised humans.

Some areas were off limits to paws, including the restaurant. We’ll therefore offer no food verdict, although being excluded from the investigation was disappointing.

The garden view was much more promising. We could watch the squirrels outside, clearly planning something. We maintained close surveillance, and the lovely outdoor garden gave us somewhere to continue our important sniffing work.

We also respected the hotel’s quiet hours. Even professional squirrel observers must occasionally suspend operations.

Bronze Bed: a dog-friendly place to stay with a lovely garden, but bring your own creature comforts and expect some areas to be humans-only.