It was only a matter of time. New York City now has a Dog Restaurant Week. Organized by Petminded, a travel planning company for pet owners, the first-ever Dog Restaurant Week has sixteen participating restaurants, of which five have dog menus! At all of the restaurants and venues, you are welcome to dine with your dog on the patio of the restaurant. Some are just walk-in but others you can reserve, and the restaurants say you should make a note in the OpenTable or similar-type of online reservation that you will be bringing your dog.

The restaurants with dog menus are Boulton & WattBar Bruno, The Wilson, and La Contente Oeste (the West Village location) and Grey Lady,  which is partnering with The Farmer’s Dog, the homemade dog food delivery company, for its dog menu. Boulton & Watt’s dog menu features Steak Tartare, Sweet Potato Jerky, and a Peanut Butter Bone, while The Wilson is preparing Ribeye Steak, Pan Roasted Salmon, and Grilled Chicken Breast especially for your pup. Other participating restaurants, like the Andaz Beer Garden, Dog & Bone, Wafels & Dinges in Hudson River Park, are offering discounts or free gifts for your pets.

Photo courtesy Boulton & Watt

In addition to an adventure out with your dog, donations are being accepted for two local rescue organizations, Foster Dogs Inc and Muddy Paws Rescue. Bar Primi is going the extra mile, donating $5 to Bideawee for every dog that dines at the restaurant.

Photo courtesy Boulton & Watt

Petminded founders Sonali Nigam and Leah Wang say that the motivation behind Dog Restaurant Week is to make dining out with pets easier to do. It’s more convenient in other cities, like Los Angeles, Nigam says. The founders tell us, “We launched NYC Dog Restaurant Week to highlight dog welcoming businesses to dog owners traveling to New York City, as well to our local dog-loving community. We hope that pet owners will continue to frequent these eateries even after the event is over.” Dog Restaurant Week will be happening until August 25th. Check out the full list of participating restaurants here.

Next, check out 5 Pet Cafes in NYC (not just for dogs!)