Welcome to the UK's first cat café: Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium.
«Lady Dinah's owes its genesis to a bad day at work,» founder Lauren Pears explains in the book
London Pubcats. Lauren was a senior project manager working in computer games who, after a miserable day at the office, had her mood lightened on the way home by the affections of a stray cat. «It made me realize that everything seems better when there's a cat. I wrote my business plan the next day.»
The idea was to create a place where people who didn't have a cat of their own would be able to come and enjoy some feline company.
After a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised almost £110,000, the café opened its doors in
March 2014.
Even though there are many pubs in London where you can enjoy the company of one or two cats (
The Charlotte Despard and the
Old Eagle's pub, to name a few), Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium has become the place to be for cat lovers visiting the capital.
Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium has become so popular that you usually can't get in without a reservation, not even on a weekday afternoon outside of the holiday season.
A reservation costs £10 (to be paid in advance). For that price, you get one non-alcoholic drink and 90 minutes in the company of the cats.
You can also opt for High Tea. For £25, you receive 90 minutes with the resident felines, two drinks per person, and a high tea tier to share (which will be more than you'll be able to eat).
The basement floor of the café is decorated like the magical forest of
Alice in Wonderland. This is also where the name of the café comes from since Dinah is Alice's kitten.
The top floor has a more neutral setting.
The wellbeing of the cats is of utmost importance in Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium. There are more rules to follow than in
most other cat cafés (wash your hands before entering, don't pick up the cats, don't wake them up, etc), but that is a good thing.
Guests are more than welcome to play with the cats, and there are plenty of toys to assist with that.
The café also helps spread awareness about the benefits of spaying and neutering, especially for female cats who are at reduced risk of uterine disease later in life if they are spayed.
Address: 152-154 Bethnal Green Road, London, England
