Dog-Friendly San Francisco
San Francisco is a dog town: mild weather all year, patios in every neighborhood and beaches where dogs can run off leash. We list 78 dog-friendly restaurants and bars, 53 dog-friendly cafés and coffee shops and 52 dog parks and off-leash beaches in and around San Francisco, from the Mission and the Marina to Ocean Beach, Fort Funston and Crissy Field.
Categories in SF
Eating out with a dog in San Francisco
California law has let restaurants welcome dogs in their outdoor dining areas since 2015, if the owner chooses to. Your dog has to be on a leash or in a carrier, stay off the chairs and benches, and reach the patio without walking through the restaurant (AB 1965). That is why most dog-friendly restaurants in San Francisco are about the sidewalk tables, parklets and back patios.
Bars can be different. At some San Francisco bars and breweries a source says well-behaved dogs can come inside, like Bender's Bar & Grill, Barebottle Brewing Company, Churchill, Elixir and more. See the full list of dog-friendly restaurants and bars in San Francisco and use the filters to find patios and dogs-inside spots near you.
Coffee with your dog
Our list of dog-friendly cafés in San Francisco has 53 cafés, coffee shops and bakery cafés, from Duboce Park Cafe across from the Duboce Park dog play area to Flywheel Coffee Roasters at the edge of Golden Gate Park. The dog has to stay outside at almost all of them, so pick a café with outdoor tables.
Dog parks and off-leash beaches
Our list of dog parks in San Francisco has 52 places where dogs can be off leash. San Francisco Recreation and Parks runs the city's dog play areas, such as SOMA West Dog Play Area, Golden Gate Park Dog Training Area, McLaren Park Geneva Dog Play Area, Alamo Square Dog Play Area and more. The National Park Service runs the big ones on the coast: Fort Funston, the north end of Ocean Beach and Crissy Field, where dogs under voice control can run on the sand (National Park Service). The list also covers a few favorites around the Bay, like Point Isabel in Richmond and the Sausalito Dog Park.
Dog menus
2 places on our list have a menu just for dogs: Blue Mermaid Chowder House & Bar and Mersea. The note on each place says what is on offer.
San Francisco by area
We sort the list by neighborhood and group the neighborhoods into areas: Downtown (the Financial District, the Embarcadero, SoMa and Mission Bay), the North Side (North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf, the Marina, Pacific Heights and the Presidio), Central San Francisco (Hayes Valley, the Haight, the Castro and Noe Valley), the Southern Neighborhoods (the Mission, Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch and the Excelsior) and the West Side (the Richmond and the Sunset). Dog parks outside the city are grouped as the Peninsula, Marin and the East Bay.
Frequently asked questions
Are dogs allowed in restaurants in San Francisco?
On the patio, often yes. California law lets restaurants allow dogs in outdoor dining areas, but each restaurant decides for itself. Inside, places that serve food generally do not allow dogs, except service animals. This list has 78 restaurants and bars in San Francisco where a source says dogs are welcome.
Can dogs go inside bars in San Francisco?
At some of them. On our list a source says dogs can come inside at Bender's Bar & Grill, Barebottle Brewing Company, Churchill, Elixir, Fireside Bar, Holy Water, and Toronado. Ask the bartender if you are not sure.
Which San Francisco restaurants have a dog menu?
Where can my dog run off leash in San Francisco?
In the city's dog play areas and in the national park's voice-control areas, such as Fort Funston, Ocean Beach north of Stairwell 21 and Crissy Field. Our list of dog parks in San Francisco has 52 of them. Everywhere else in the city's parks, dogs must be on a leash.
Which parts of the Bay Area does Woofstops cover?
Restaurants and cafés in the city of San Francisco, and dog parks in the city plus a few nearby, in Sausalito and the Marin Headlands, on the Peninsula from South San Francisco to Palo Alto, and in Berkeley and Richmond in the East Bay.