Not your typical kind of restaurant! -Coleen Wiratma
Makes you wonder why there were dogs in the pictures when in fact we wanna talk about restos here, aye? Introducing the not-your-typical-kind of resto, the Wagging Tails Cafe!
It was so cool to dine in a place which offers more than food served on the premises but also play time with dogs. What? DOGS?! You've read it right. This place has been made perfect for us, dog lovers. :)
It was one fine day in the last week of March when I saw a post on Facebook about this cafe. I told my husband immediately about it and we planned to visit the place since we both love dogs. We never find it weird, instead we find it very exciting!
The place is located at 120 Maginhawa Street, Teachers Village, Quezon City, Philippines and it's quite far from our place since we live here in Pasay City. From here we took the train and stopped at Quezon City Station. From QC station we took a bus and stopped at PhilCOA. From there, we took a tricycle to bring us to the Wagging Tails Cafe (take note: it's only P9/pax if you will ride a tricycle).
I got so excited upon arriving at the place because of the shih tzu standing on a high bench waiting for us to get in. He was kind of an usher to send immediate good vibes to the customers. We've learned that his name was Dan and he was so cute, fluffy and friendly. Since I got too distracted of his cuteness and how awesome the place was, I began taking pictures while my husband was placing our orders.
The cafe was divided into two zones. First was the DINING ZONE which the customers munch on their food and the other was the DOG ZONE. My husband called me for a quick sign in and reading of the basic guidelines in the dog zone (meaning the do's and don't's when started to play with the dogs) such as do not interrupt the dogs when they are sleeping, do not bring food inside the dog zone/play area, turn off the flash of the cameras, etc. We paid P500 for both of us (P250/pax) and it includes UNLIMITED drinks of your choice (coffee, milk tea and juice) and 2-hour play time with the dogs.
We ordered strawberry juices (includes in P500) and caramel cake (P120/slice) since we only got limited options to choose from. We didn't order much food because we weren't there for it, just for the dogs basically. Haha. Here's the food thing: I was never a fan of caramel so I was hesitant to try it but I did and it turned out for me to like it. No, actually I love the taste of the cake which I never thought I would! The bread of the cake was also soft and the icing melts into the mouth. The sticky caramel feeling was present but it's not too sticky which I appreciate. The bread of the cake will mix directly to the caramel once it reach your teeth is my most favorite part. Too good for P75! A sip of strawberry juice was so refreshing right after swallowing the cake. It wasn't that sweet as what I thought. It's just right. Even the strawberry juice tastes just right. The food that we've got just paired perfectly balance for me. You wouldn't believe it if you come to think of it. But to be honest, it was just so perfect! They refill my glass with strawberry juice again after I finished my first. For the refilling thing, they will stick to what you have ordered. So now I'm also considering that I went there also for the food and not just for dogs only. Haha. We enjoyed eating our food on the elevated part of the cafe since it's not allowed to bring it inside the dog zone.
According to them there were lots of people visiting the place during weekdays but since it's weekend when we get there, there's no long line to avoid. They handed us the tickets right after we eat. One of the staffs asked if we're wearing socks because it's a must before entering into the the dog zone to avoid scratches (maybe) or to avoid getting wet from the dogs' licking. They will provide socks for you if you don't have it but you need to pay additional P50 for it. Good thing we're wearing our socks!
As we enter into the dog zone, the staffs assist us to remove our shoes and wear the rubber slippers they have provided. It was comfortable for me and it feels like home. They also get our bags and placed them inside the big, transparent aquarium along with other customers' stuff so we can still keep track of it. Only the assigned staff will be the one to get your things there so I think it's safe. We brought our phones and camera with us and began to interact with the dogs.
You will see a lot of wagging tails, wet noses, and floppy tongues at the dog zone. There are more than twenty resident dogs, many of which are very cute and playful puppies. All of the dogs are well-taken care of and completely vaccinated. The staffs are so nice and friendly. They will assist you if you want to take picture with any of the dogs, get the dog's attention, and even hand you the dog so you can carry and pet them. I commend the staffs for being so attentive, well-trained and knowledgeable in managing them. They know each dog's personality and address their issues properly. They even know them by name! There were instances when the dogs would seemingly fight but they were able to stop the commotion quickly. There's also one piglet but I never approach it because I'm scared (though it's friendly). According to the staffs they have their own photographer before but I didn't ask about what happened anymore since they don't have it now.
Also, if you want a more intimate solo time with the dogs, they allow reservations of the dog zone for families and couples. If you are also looking to get your first dog, this cafe is also a great place for you to be acquainted with dogs and decide on what kind of dog would best suit you. For queries, you can reach them through this mobile number 0995-206-6511.
The cafe's operating hours:
11AM - 9PM on Tuesdays to Thursdays
10AM - 10PM on Fridays to Saturdays
11AM - 9PM on Sundays
They're not operating on Mondays because it's the dogs' rest day!
Part of their service are:
Parking lot
Comfort Room
Free WiFi (it's fast, in fairness!)
In totality, I and my husband were very happy that day. We just got our newest favorite place and we love it! It's just so perfect for family bonding and even jamming with friends. It's NOT STINKY just like what you might think because they observe cleanliness and orderliness. Their good choice of music adds to the coziness of the place. We get to unload all the stress that we've garnered from the whole week. We've spent a total of P620 only (excluding fare) and we don't think it's pricey for "a bit of heaven on earth" experience! If only we could live like this fur-ever.