The number of dog-friendly cafes has been on a steady rise in recent times, and Aberdeen boasts a few.
From the Long Dog Cafe on Claremont Street to the newly opened Barking Mad Coffee and Cakes at the beach, hungry dog owners are well catered for.
But it was the Duck and Dog on Rosemount Place I visited recently to enjoy a relaxed Sunday lunch with my family – and our chocolate Lab Bonnie.
The Duck and Dog took over the premises that formerly housed Italian cafe Virginia’s, which had been running for some years.
While always sad to see an establishment close down, the opening of a new business brings excitement and new beginnings.
The Duck and Dog has been on the scene since before the pandemic but I had never visited, unlike my wife and kids who are regulars and love what the cafe has to offer.
So, I was keen to find out what the fuss was all about.
The Venue
The cafe is fairly small with a few tables inside and out, but what it might lack in space it makes up for in character.
There is reclaimed wood all around and lots of nice touches including fairy lights, pictures of dogs and colourful wall-mounted dog tails for coat hooks.
The Wi-Fi code is Iloveicecream, a clever nod to the fact there is a range of ice creams on the menu.
If people watching is your thing then the Duck and Dog is the perfect place for you. With windows on two sides – the cafe sits on the corner of Rosemount Place and Wallfield Place – you can sit back and observe people going about their lives.
We did just that and saw plenty of colourful characters walking up and down the busy road.
When we walked in we received a warm welcome and the first thing the waitress did was bring out a bowl of water for our thirsty pooch.
However, she has been here before and was far more interested in what delights she could smell coming from the kitchen. She would just have to wait, something she is not very good at!
The Food
Much like Bonnie, we were hungry and scanned the menu to see what was on offer. First things first though, we needed to choose something from the dog menu.
There are four options including chicken and turkey, ham and raw egg and beef and veg in gravy sauce. But for Bonnie we ordered Yogi’s Treat which is two sliced cooked sausages as that is her favourite.
For humans there is a decent selection to choose from depending on how hungry you might be.
You can go for the light lunch option with a bowl of soup, maybe adding a sandwich. Baked potatoes with a number of fillings are also an option. Then there are chicken wings, mac ‘n cheese, lasagne and even burgers.
We all chose paninis but I also liked the sound of the avocado salad which my wife and I agreed to share.
Unfortunately, we were told that the last avocado was off but they were happy to make us up a fresh salad instead, which we were happy with.
Bonnie’s food came out first, much to her delight, and the chopped sausages were inhaled in four seconds flat.
The kids’ paninis were next. One with cheese and one cheese and bacon. My daughter was very impressed as the bacon had “no white bits daddy”, the fat trimmed off so only the meat was there to enjoy.
Our paninis arrived shortly after and all were served with crispy French fries and a flavoursome side salad.
My chicken and barbecue sauce filling was sweet and rich, while my wife’s cheese and pickle panini was polished off swiftly.
The freshly prepared salad was full of juicy tomatoes, peppers, red onion and had a tasty dressing. Every plate was cleared and we then began sizing up the dessert offering.
The Duck and Dog has a reputation for its ice cream and waffles, so we thought it only right and proper to try out a few scoops.
There were six flavours on offer including rum and raisin and Scottish tablet, but it was chocolate all the way for me while my daughter had one scoop of chocolate and one of Kinder Bueno.
I also ordered a chocolate chip cookie for us to share from the nice selection of homebakes.
My healthy wife finished her meal off with a strawberry tea. My unhealthy daughter, meanwhile, enjoyed a massive hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows which she absolutely loved.
The verdict
Our total bill came to £46.80 and I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to the Duck and Dog. It’s a laid-back, friendly cafe where the staff love seeing and making a fuss of the dogs.
A highlight for me was when another two dogs came in. When they spied our dog, one began to bark while the other howled. This set Bonnie off with some big, excited woofs.
All tails were wagging and every head in the compact cafe turned. It was loud, comical pandemonium for a few seconds until calm was restored and everyone was left with a smile on their face.
The cafe attracts a variety of visitors, from friends in for a catch-up over lunch to people just in for a coffee and a read of their book.
The Duck and Dog caters for everyone, whether you have a four-legged friend or not.
Its breakfasts look fantastic as well, so I think the next time I visit, I’ll go for that.
And I dare say Bonnie will get a few treats too.
Information
Address: The Duck and Dog, 231 Rosemount Pl, Aberdeen AB25 2XX
T: 01224 630282
For more information, visit The Duck and Dog on Facebook.