The Best Dog-Friendly Bars in New York

A genuine German beer hall in the heart of Williamsburg with an outdoor garden that the management has kept consistently dog-tolerant since opening. The outdoor tables fill up from Thursday onwards, and weekend afternoons see a reliable contingent of dog owners from the surrounding neighbourhood. The beer selection runs to over a dozen draught taps with an emphasis on German and Czech lagers. Water bowls are available on request and the staff are genuinely fine with dogs of all sizes.

Order: A half-litre of the Pilsner Urquell or the Erdinger Weissbier — both correct in this context.

Named for the San Francisco neighbourhood that inspired it, Mission Dolores has become a Park Slope institution partly because of its back patio, which is one of the larger outdoor drinking spaces in Brooklyn and reliably dog-friendly. The draught beer selection runs to thirty-plus taps with an emphasis on local and national craft. Dog owners from Prospect Park make this their first stop after the weekend morning walk, and the result is a convivial outdoor scene from Saturday morning through Sunday evening.

Order: Ask what's on from local Brooklyn breweries — the tap selection rotates and the local options are generally the most interesting.

A Bushwick bar that operates in a former coffin factory and has maintained a consistently dog-friendly outdoor area since opening. The bar is fully vegan across both drinks and food — which matters for the snacks and cocktail ingredients, not for the dog — and the outdoor space has enough room for dogs to settle without crowding. The neighbourhood is changing fast but Pine Box has held its ground as a reliable, unpretentious destination with a good draft selection and zero pretension about who or what shows up.

Order: A session IPA from the local craft selection — the vegan approach extends to some surprising and well-chosen spirits too.

A bar and restaurant built on a historic lightship moored at Chelsea Piers, operating from spring through early autumn with an entirely outdoor deck format that makes it one of the few Manhattan locations where bringing a dog is genuinely practical. The views of the Hudson are excellent, the beer and cocktail selection is solid without being remarkable, and the dog-tolerant atmosphere is a function of being an outdoor space first and a bar second. Summer evenings at the Frying Pan are as good as Manhattan outdoor drinking gets.

Order: A cold beer as the sun goes down over the Hudson — the specific beer matters less than the timing.

A Williamsburg bowling alley bar that manages to be both a serious drinking venue and genuinely dog-tolerant in its outdoor area. The beer selection is better than you'd expect from a bowling alley — rotating craft taps and a straightforward cocktail menu. The outdoor smoking area adjacent to the main entrance functions as dog space, and the relaxed, slightly grungy atmosphere of the venue means nobody is going to be surprised or inconvenienced by a dog sitting next to a picnic table.

Order: Whatever New York craft they have on tap — the selection changes and is worth checking on arrival.

Open since 1910, Bohemian Hall is the oldest continuously operating beer garden in New York and one of the most reliably pleasant outdoor drinking experiences in the city. The tree-shaded lawn with picnic tables, a permanent food kitchen, and Czech lager on draught creates the kind of environment that makes a three-hour afternoon feel reasonable. Dogs are welcome on the lawn, the staff have been dealing with them for over a century, and the whole experience has a permanence and ease that newer venues can't manufacture.

Order: A Pilsner Urquell from the outdoor bar — it's what the place is built around and it's always well-kept.

A Williamsburg sports bar that has cultivated one of the more dog-friendly reputations in the area through having a large enough outdoor patio that the presence of several dogs simultaneously doesn't create any kind of tension. The beer selection is extensive, there are TVs visible from the patio for major sporting events, and the general atmosphere is relaxed enough that dogs settle easily. A reliable choice for summer afternoons that involve both watching sport and not leaving the dog at home.

Order: A pitcher of something cold — the volume pricing makes sense for a patio afternoon.

One of the most respected craft beer bars in Brooklyn, The Gate has over 23 draught taps and an outdoor space that functions as a dog-gathering point for the Park Slope neighbourhood on weekend afternoons. The selection spans local, national, and imported craft with a quality and rotation that keeps regulars returning weekly. The outdoor area is informal enough that dogs of all sizes are accommodated without fuss, and the proximity to Prospect Park makes it a natural post-walk destination.

Order: Ask what the most interesting recent arrival on tap is — the staff know their range and the answer is worth following.