Take the hassle out of Christmas and take a dog-friendly festive staycation this year. You don’t even have to worry about conjuring up a traditional yuletide feast for friends and family – just head to one of these dog-friendly restaurants serving Christmas dinner in wonderful holiday destinations around the UK.
Derby Arms, Longridge, Lancashire
Think roaring fires, delicious festive menus and a yuletide atmosphere for a hassle-free Christmas with the dog snoozing beneath the table. After the likes of lobster ravioli, free-range turkey and all the trimmings, step out into the Forest of Bowland for some much-needed walkies in the English countryside. This would be an awesome pub for Christmas dinner while staying in this wonderful area of Lancashire.
Website: derbyarmslongridge.co.uk
The Godolphin, Marazion, Cornwall
There are few more idyllic places to tuck into a 5-course Christmas lunch than peeping out to the ocean and the enchanting fortress of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. You might even glimpse kite surfers dancing across the white caps, or sea dippers braving the chilly waters. And once you’ve filled up on delectable festive dishes – from oysters and salmon, to turkey and beef, wall washed down with a glass of port – step outside this dog-friendly foodie haven onto the vast sand and pebble beach of Marazion. Here you can walk across the causeway to the sea-wrapped castle, or stroll along the shoreline while the dog frolics in the sea foam.
Website: thegodolphin.com/eat/christmas-2022
The Rose and Crown, Snettisham, Norfolk
Staff will spoil your dog rotten when you come for Christmas dinner at this quintessentially English pub in Norfolk. Think open log fires, sparkling decorations and a classic festive menu – all wrapped up in an ambience that’s won The Rose and Crown a well-deserved place in the Good Beer Guide’s Top Ten pubs in the UK for a few years running. So stuff yourself like a figgy pudding, roast like a chestnut beside the crackling fire, then walk off your feast in the woodland or on the dog-friendly beaches of this seaside town near King’s Lynn.
Website: roseandcrownsnettisham.co.uk
The Riverside, Aymestry, Herefordshire
Sip mulled wine by the fire and enjoy waggy-tailed walks through the River Lugg Valley, as a prelude to Christmas dinner at this divine dog-friendly pub on the edge of Mortimer Forest. Your festive feast is packed with local and seasonal ingredients that have earned this atmospheric 16th-century haunt the title of the ‘Best Sustainable Pub 2022’. Think Jerusalem artichokes picked from the kitchen garden, locally sourced smoked partridge, hand-dived British scallops and organic local bronze turkey. It’s an idyllic place for a Christmas dinner while on holiday in Herefordshire with a four-legged friend.
Website: riversideaymestrey.co.uk/christmas/
The Buddle Inn, Niton, Isle of Wight
A family favourite where you can pile in with dogs and kids for a festive feast, The Buddle Inn is perched on the clifftops on the Isle of Wight, peering out over the English Channel. Work up an appetite on a bracing briny-aired stroll to St Catherine’s Lighthouse, then come inside and gorge on roast turkey, yule log and mince pies. There’s a children’s menu with popping candy, treats for hounds and a warm welcome to a cosy smugglers’ inn dripping in Christmas cheer.
Website: characterinns.co.uk/the-buddle-inn
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