The Bear's Paw

The Bear's Paw is a smart country pub with rooms in the quiet Cheshire village of Warmingham, and it has built a loyal following among people who travel with dogs. It earns a 4.7/5 paw rating, and many guests come back again and again, often as a break in a long drive up or down the M6.

Dogs are welcome in the rooms, where a dog bed, food and water bowls and a small welcome bag with a treat and a ball are often waiting. In the pub and restaurant, staff tend to bring a water bowl over without being asked, and there is a dedicated dog menu, with the dog sausages a particular favourite. A dog supplement of £25 per dog applies, which some guests find on the steep side.

What comes through most strongly is the staff. Dog owners describe being made genuinely welcome, with dogs fussed over from check-in onwards, and breakfast staff take care to seat dogs a sensible distance apart. Rooms are spacious enough to set up a crate, and they are generally described as clean, comfortable and well furnished.

The setting is rural and peaceful, with countryside walks nearby, log fires in the bar in winter and picnic benches outside in summer.

There are a few things to know. Because so many guests bring dogs, guests without them have occasionally been bothered by a dog at a neighbouring breakfast table or by barking at night, so a dog that is calm around others will fit in best. The church bells next door chime every quarter of an hour through the night, rooms can get very warm in hot weather, and a few rooms are a little dated.

For anyone after a comfortable inn with good food where the dog is treated as a guest rather than a nuisance, The Bear's Paw is a very easy recommendation.