Lire cet article en français : Bordeaux avec son chien (et son chat).
We all have that friend who refuses a Bordeaux weekend because she does not want to leave her dog in a boarding kennel. And that neighbour who moved to Gironde to give his cat more green space. Bordeaux is better prepared than you would think for living with an animal. Five municipal parks with secure dog runs, dozens of terraces where owners let bowls in, a cat café in the city centre, France's first rabbit café in Bacalan, a concept store dedicated to animals with grooming and dogwash. We walked the city and its metro area with the eye of an attentive owner. Here is our pet friendly guide, no fluff, no fake Google Maps copy-paste, testable this weekend.
Bordeaux, a city that has made peace with animals
Contrary to its slightly bourgeois reputation, Bordeaux is a surprisingly open city for pets. The city hall has installed dozens of poop bag dispensers in streets and parks, five public spaces now have fenced runs where dogs can be off-leash (Parc Bordelais, Jardin Public, Berges du Lac, Parc Rivière, Jardin de la Visitation), and a sixth garden with a dog run opens in 2026 between sente des Mousses and rue Bourbon. Taxis often accept dogs without extra fee (check with the driver), the TBM tram and bus network takes them with a full-price ticket, and a large share of cafés now proudly display a « dog friendly » sticker on their windows. The city understood that a dog is also a resident. What changed the game was the post-Covid wave: pet adoptions exploded, businesses followed, and Bordeaux quietly turned into one of France's most welcoming big cities for pets.
Walking your dog: from the mirror of water to the Landes forests
In the city centre, five spots stand out. Parc Bordelais in Caudéran is the classic: 28 hectares, a fenced dog run in free access, mini-farm, terraces to sit at. Jardin Public in the very centre also offers a dedicated dog run, a family atmosphere, a beautiful walk under the plane trees. Parc Rivière, more confidential, is a real slice of countryside inside the city (English-style garden, waterfall, dog run). The Lake Bordeaux banks to the north offer a huge space for long walkers. And the small Jardin de la Visitation, more intimate, closes the loop. Right-bank bonus: Parc aux Angéliques and Parc de l'Ermitage in Lormont unfold breathtaking views of the UNESCO facade, with dogs on lead. On the docks, the Chantiers de la Garonne and Darwin Ecosystem are also very chill with dogs.
When the city is not enough, the metro area rolls out its green cover. 15 minutes by car, the Bourgail forest in Pessac is perfect to unplug (shaded trails, roe deer, off-leash tolerated). The Burthe forest in Floirac, the Burck in Mérignac and the Canéjan forest complete the picture. At 30 minutes, you level up: the Barail Ecological Reserve north of Bordeaux, the Migelane forest in Martillac, Lake Bleu in Léognan and Lake Vert in Canéjan are all spots where you can let your dog run on managed trails. Monsalut Park in Cestas is a must for long weekends. You will not find these addresses in classic tourist guides. Yet this is where Bordeaux dog owners spend their best Sundays.
Grabbing a drink or a bite: the addresses that say yes
The pleasant surprise is the number of bars and restaurants in Bordeaux that welcome dogs and cats as if they were family. The cold-call rule almost always works: phone ahead, say you'll come with your animal, and they'll tell you if you're welcome. In practice, a few sure bets keep coming back. Le Magasin Général at Darwin, with its XXL terrace by the Garonne, loves dogs (water bowl provided). The Chantiers de la Garonne guinguettes on the right bank, between the pont de pierre and the pont Chaban, tick the same box in summer. Les Halles de Bacalan and Les Halles des Chartrons welcome calm dogs easily. In La Bastide, several neighbourhood cafés have adopted stray cats as official mascots.
For restaurants, the rule is simple: traditional bistros and neighbourhood brasseries almost always welcome dogs in the dining room, especially outside lunch service. Gastronomic tables are less flexible, but bib gourmand addresses usually play along. On the docks, summer terraces are your best friend. For a quick stop, check out the cafés at place Camille-Jullian and in the Saint-Pierre quarter: half accept dogs on the terrace, the other half in the room. A good reflex: shops affiliated with the « Bordeaux Dog Friendly » community (identifiable by a small sticker on the window) guarantee a warm welcome. The Bordeaux Tourism Office publishes an up-to-date list of validated addresses.
Three 100 % animal addresses you won't find twice
Bordeaux has three unique addresses where animals are not just tolerated, they are the reason the place exists. The first: Le Comptoir des Chats, 8 rue Pierre de Coubertin. Opened in 2016, it is the city's historic cat café, with 8 resident cats roaming freely between the sofas. Cosy tea room, homemade pastries, reasonable prices. Zen atmosphere, very much loved by students, remote workers and cat lovers. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 12 pm to 6:30 pm. Booking advised on weekends.
The second one is more recent and unique in France: Usagi Coffee, 6 rue Achard in Bacalan. Opened on February 11, 2025, it is France's very first rabbit café. The concept mirrors Japanese cat cafés: you order your drink and pastries, and share your moment with a small colony of rabbits roaming freely. The venue partners with La Maison de Locky association, which rescues and cares for abandoned or mistreated rabbits. Soft, intimate vibe, booking required. Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 2 pm to 7 pm, and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 7 pm.
And the third one, in the heart of Saint-Pierre: Nugget, 43 rue des Bahutiers. A concept store for dogs and cats that gathers everything under one roof: design accessories shop, coffee shop where you can come with your dog and sip a chai latte while he settles at your feet, custom grooming service, self-service dogwash (self car-wash style, but for dogs), pawdicure. A true crossroads of Bordeaux's pet-friendly community. Owners often come and spend an hour with their pet, even without ordering, to socialise their puppy or take a pit-stop between errands.
Sleeping and getting around with your pet
On the accommodation side, the door is open. More than a hundred Bordeaux venues accept dogs and cats, sometimes with a small surcharge (10 to 20 € per night depending on the brand). Big budget hotel chains (B&B, Campanile, All Suites, Ibis Budget) are almost all pet friendly. On the high end, several boutique hotels in the historic centre also play along, and Airbnb is full of listings tagged « pets allowed » in old Bordeaux. Useful reflex: mention your pet at booking to avoid bad surprises, some hotels limit weight or number of animals.
To get around, TBM (the bus-tram-BatCub network) accepts dogs on lead or in a carrier with a full-price ticket (1.80 € per ride, 5.20 € for a 24-hour pass in 2026). Category 1 and 2 dogs (classified as « dangerous ») are banned from the network. Assistance dogs travel free with their harness. The BatCub river shuttle is one of dogs' favourite trips, calm and scenic. Taxis and rideshare almost always take dogs, with a quick heads-up call. If you arrive by train, SNCF accepts dogs on TER and TGV with a child ticket (7 €) for small breeds, or a reduced adult fare for the bigger ones.
Rules, common sense and emergency addresses
A few reflexes that save the day. Leash is mandatory in all city green spaces except in the five fenced dog runs (see above). Poop scooping is fine-worthy (68 €), free bags are available everywhere. Cats on balconies exist but Bordeaux being urban and dense, owners tend to keep them indoors. For category 1 and 2 dogs, muzzle mandatory on public roads, adult holder required, ownership permit required. In case of emergency, the Bordeaux veterinary clinic (place Gambetta) is open 24/7, and the Talence veterinary school takes over at night. For a quick pet-sit, several independent sitters (Rover, Gudog, Emprunte mon toutou) cover the whole metro area on demand.
Bordeaux understood that pets are not a problem but a real social marker. What's still to do (more real off-leash spaces, more late-night vets, sterilisation subsidies), the city is thinking it through. In the meantime, you can already enjoy one of the densest pet friendly networks in France. To go further: our guide 10 picnic ideas around Bordeaux lists several spots perfect with a dog, our article on Bordeaux with kids will help you if you mix babies and puppies, and our pillar Discovering Bordeaux is the starting point of any first trip.
Bordeaux pet friendly cheat sheet
Le Comptoir des Chats: 8 rue Pierre de Coubertin, 33000 Bordeaux (Tue-Sat 12pm-6:30pm)
Usagi Coffee: 6 rue Achard, 33300 Bordeaux (Tue/Thu/Fri 2pm-7pm + Wed/Sat/Sun 10am-7pm, booking mandatory)
Nugget Concept Store: 43 rue des Bahutiers, 33000 Bordeaux (shop, coffee, grooming, dogwash)
Off-leash fenced dog runs: Parc Bordelais, Jardin Public, Parc Rivière, Berges du Lac, Jardin de la Visitation
Forests within 30 minutes: Barail Reserve, Bourgail (Pessac), Migelane (Martillac), Lake Bleu (Léognan)
TBM (bus/tram/BatCub): dog on lead or in a carrier, 1.80 € per ride (2026). Categories 1 and 2 banned
Poop scooping: mandatory, free dispensers city-wide, fine 68 €
Emergency vets: Bordeaux clinic at place Gambetta (24/7) and Talence veterinary school
Read this article in French: Bordeaux avec son chien (et son chat).
