14 of our favorite dog-friendly spots in LA
Our friends at the LA Tourism Board recently invited us to share some of our favorite dog-friendly spots in Los Angeles. We were super excited to put together this list because one of the reasons we wanted to move here was for the dog-friendly culture and activities that are sometimes hard to find elsewhere in the country. We took three days driving from west to east with the pups exploring places to eat and drink, things to do, and great hotels to stay at, starting in Malibu and ending downtown.
1. Abbot Kinney Boulevard
A mile long strip in the heart of Venice where you and your pup can find good eats, fashion, art, and more. On any given sunny afternoon, the street is filled with shoppers — both two-legged and four.
We love the aesthetic of Blue Bottle Coffee and Kit & Ace, have Burro as a go-to when hunting down the perfect birthday gift, and always give in to the drool-worthy ice cream at Salt & Straw. You can almost always find a dog bowls filled with water when you walk by the entrance to a shop on Abbot Kinney.
2. 3 Square Cafe
This cute little restaurant sits on the corner of Abbot Kinney and San Juan. There’s plenty of outdoor seating that accommodates pups with a dedicated covered patio attached to the restaurant and tables that are set up along the sidewalk. We sat at a table on the sidewalk and waiter kindly brought out fresh water for Kokoro and Chibi. Our fried avocado appetizer was amazing (even K tried to sneak a bite).
Our other two orders were delicious as well: a pear salad and bowl of fruit topped with yogurt and granola. Overall, a solid spot for brunch or lunch!
3. Leo Carrillo State Beach
We frequent Rosie’s Dog Beach in Long Beach and have been down to Huntington Dog Beach a couple times as well, but hands down Leo Carrillo is my favorite dog-friendly beach around. Kokoro immediately took off and completed her usual twenty laps of sprinting up and down the length of the beach when we arrived.
Cheebs took a more chill approach, strutting those short little legs along the coastline and digging holes wherever she pleased.
The best thing about this dog beach is that it’s so much less populated than the others near LA. Every dog had so much room to themselves and my dogs definitely appreciated this luxury. The beach itself was so clean, different from the tourist-ridden beaches more south.
We came, we played, and we conquered Leo Carrillo.
4. Malibu Country Mart
Our next stop was a shopping center in the heart of Malibu: the Malibu Country Mart. Such a dog-friendly little area fit for shopping, eating, and hanging out. Similar to Abbot Kinney, there were freshly filled bowls of water for dogs laid out everywhere.
Our friends at Max-Bone have a storefront in the shopping center that stocks chic and sophisticated doggie apparel. They also have teepees that Cheebs totally approves of:
You can also find some of the best gelato around, spot some celebrities (the area is a no paparazzi zone!) or simply do some shopping at the typical Urban Outfitters and Sephora.
5. Malibu Farm Pier Restaurant
Okay, if you are in Malibu you absolutely have to stop at the Malibu Farm Pier and check out the gorgeous view! We arrived just around sunset and 180 view of the ocean was to die for.
At the end of the pier, you can stop at the Malibu Farm Pier Cafe for brunch on the water. We arrived during dinner time and had a reservation at the Restaurant & Bar at the entrance to the pier.
Our waiter claimed that they had the best burgers in town, so of course we had to order one. The burger was indeed one of the most delicious burgers I’ve ever had. We also ordered a squash lasagna which was served in half of a carved out squash. Pretty neat!
Cheebs (along with the rest of us) was sad that we had to leave. Next time we’ll try the cafe down at the end of the pier!
6. W Hotel Los Angeles
If you’re traveling to LA from out of town or simply looking for a relaxing weekend staycation, definitely consider the W in Beverly Hills/Westwood! We valet parked right at the entrance and breezed through the easiest check in process ever only to arrive in our suite to find a nice gift from the wonderful team at W Hotel sitting in our room.
Our room was clean and SUPER spacious, with a living room, work area, bedroom, bathroom, and fully stocked mini bar. We really liked the updated and modern feel of the decor as well. We had a well-rested stay (and the pups did too).
7. The Assembly
We kicked off day two of our dog-friendly road trip by stopping at The Assembly, a cute little coffee shop that I’ve seen posted everywhere on Instagram. When we walked in, I completely understood why.
First of all, you never find places of eating and drinking as dog-friendly as this cafe is. Kokoro and Chibi were welcomed with lots of pets and were even allowed to sit inside the coffee shop. The minimal aesthetic and modern decor was the perfect backdrop for snapping some photos of the pups as we enjoyed our lattes. The baristas were super friendly and even made us TWO lattes to make sure my requested latte art was perfect.
If you step to the back of the little shop, there’s an exit to a patio with outdoor seating and a sweet assortment of succulents as decor.
I definitely think I’ve found my favorite coffee shop in all of LA!
8. Eveleigh
We visited Eveleigh in West Hollywood for brunch with the dogs. This rustic restaurant specializes in American and European farm-to-table dishes.
There’s an indoor area where you’re allowed to bring your dogs to dine with you and an expansive outdoor area in the front of the restaurant with fake grass and picnic-table style seating.
We ordered truffle fries (KILLER! SO GOOD!), romaine heart salad, and the “Bubble & Squeak,” a corned brisket with fingerling potato & greens hash, mustard seed, and sunny side up egg.
Of all of the places we visited this weekend, Eveleigh wins for me in terms of food quality and deliciousness!
9. The Original Farmer’s Market
We’re suckers for Farmer’s Markets and frequent the Playa Vista and Mar Vista ones on the weekends. It was only appropriate that we checked out the original Farmer’s Market of Los Angeles. Located in the heart of West Hollywood and adjacent to The Grove (also super dog friendly if you’re looking for a place to shop with your pup), there are over 100 grocers and places to eat and browse!
It’s also home to The Dog Bakery, a small boutique shop that sells dog food, treats, toys, and yes, baked goods. Kokoro immediately started sniffing out the items she wanted to bring home.
You can order custom birthday cakes for your dog here – how cool is that? We purchased the Animal Style (get it? like In-N-Out!) and Carrot Cake treats for the pups and they absolutely devoured them.
There are quite a few other Dog Bakery locations in LA spanning from the west side to the east, so check out their store locations if you find yourself feeling like you want to treat yo pup!
10. Lake Hollywood Park + Runyon Canyon Hike
Our dogs are always looking for a nice space to romp and run, so we visited Lake Hollywood Park for some nice views and to let the pups stretch their legs. This park has a rare sprawl of green grass that our dogs have missed dearly since we moved out of the midwest. You can also get some money shots of the Hollywood sign and spot tourists doing the same.
Tip: park on the street and then walk past the park up the hill where there is no parking allowed. There will be a dirt landing there that will get you the best vantage point of the Hollywood sign.
Lake Hollywood Park requires dogs to be leashed, but you can venture just a couple miles west and head to Runyon Canyon for off-leash play. The hiking trail itself is pretty easy and gives you gorgeous views of downtown.
11. 9021Pho
We visited a lot of cafes and brunch-style restaurants on this trip, so we thought it would be nice to check out an Asian restaurant. I could basically just live off of bowls of hot steaming pho and was delighted to find 9021Pho, a modern Vietnamese restaurant that has a dog-friendly patio.
The patio is pretty small and only seats about three parties, so keep that in mind if you’re planning on visiting during peak hours. The food was delicious and they even had traditional Vietnamese-style drip coffee. I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for light yet flavorful Vietnamese (or hangover food that will re-energize you and not make you feel even more sick)!
12. LACMA + Urban Lights
Quintessential Los Angeles sight-seeing includes a stop at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Urban Lights that stands outdoors is a favorite photography spot for weddings, fashion shoots, and now pets as well ;) The entire area that surrounds LACMA has plenty of room for dogs to walk around with their humans and enjoy the scenery. The lawn would be great for an afternoon picnic, too!
13. Loews Hollywood Hotel
For night two, we were graciously offered a gorgeous room at the Loews Hollywood Hotel. We’ve previously stayed at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort and were blown away by the service and dog-friendly accommodations, so I admit I had kind of high expectations when we showed up at this hotel.
Those expectations were quickly met and exceeded as we arrived for check-in. The staff immediately recognized Kokoro & Chibi and welcomed us by name to the front desk.
Our room at the Coronado Bay Resort had amazing 180 views of the bay, and the view from our 16th floor room in Hollywood did not disappoint either. Shortly after we checked into our room, someone stopped by with a cart full of goodies for Kokoro & Chibi, including treats, a toy, several food and water bowls, chews, and doggy beer! Lucky dogs, always being treated like royalty.
My favorite thing about Loews Hotels is that when they say they’re pet-friendly, they’re REALLY pet friendly. The in-room service menu even has an entire page dedicated to dogs and cats with special dishes created specifically with them in mind. How cool is that?!
We also stopped for a drink at the bar in the lobby that evening and the cocktails were bomb. So good.
14. Angel City Brewery
The Arts District downtown is one of our favorite places to frequent. We have some friends that live there and love how the area is coming to life. Angel City Brewery is a perfect place to grab a drink with some friends and bring your dogs with you. The covered seating that looks out to quite a few pieces of street art is super pup-friendly and there were quite a few dogs there when we arrived.
And that brings us to the end of our three-day trip around Los Angeles! Have you visited any of these spots or have any recommendation of new spots we should check out?
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