City Gate Exeter

City Gate is a stylish pub with rooms by the Iron Bridge on North Street, right in the centre of Exeter, and one of the easiest city-centre stays in Devon to make with a dog. The ground floor is a busy gastropub with a large garden terrace, the bedrooms sit above, and dogs are welcome in both.

Up to two dogs can stay in one of the dog-friendly bedrooms for £25 per night, whether you bring one dog or two. Each room comes with a hamper of treats, a dog bed or blanket and a bowl. Dogs can join you in the pub garden for food and drinks, should be on a lead in shared areas, and can't be left alone in the room. They aren't allowed on the beds or soft furnishings, so packing a spare blanket for muddy paws is a good idea.

Guests travelling with dogs pick out the stylish rooms, friendly staff, the pleasant bar and the garden, and breakfast is well liked. The location does a lot of the work: the cathedral, the shops of Princesshay, the quayside and the riverside paths along the Exe are all within walking distance.

The caveats come from the building and the trade below. Some guests have found the corridors less clean than the rooms, and have noticed a musty smell, a touch of mould in a bathroom and fittings that are starting to look worn. The pub also hosts weddings, so late arrivals in the corridors are possible, though guests staying directly above the pub have reported hearing little of it.

City Gate earns a 4.5/5 paw rating. It suits couples and solo travellers on a city break with one or two well-behaved dogs who want food, drink and riverside walks on the doorstep.