Lakbayin #6: Barkin' Blends Dog Cafe

Canines. You just gotta love 'em. Domesticated or wild, they're one of the most lovable things on earth, especially dogs. They're not nicknamed "man's best friend" for nothing. It was this fondness for these friends that I acted on a simple bit of info from my Facebook newsfeed.

Woof goes the dog, and I rushed to inviting my girlfriend Robie to the place for our anniversary date. Being the pooch lover that I am I really miss having a dog companion around, and it's even better that le girl is a dog lover too! So off we went, knowing what we're looking for, but definitely got a surprise beyond what we were prepared for.

Read on for more!

Woof.

Barkin Blends Dog Cafe is one of those niche kind of cafe's - definitely one for dog lovers. As niche as it can be, the cafe is also located in a niche kind of place - second floor of a business place in not-so-famous R. Alvaro Street, near main road C5 (C.P. Garcia) and prestigious schools Ateneo De Manila University / Miriam College.

Getting there without a taxi would prove an adventure, but since me and Robie were trying to save time we bit the bullet and took a taxi. From Megamall in Ortigas to Barkin Blends it cost us around 165 pesos; would've been lower if we knew a shorter route.

The cast of characters

Seeing the place would light up any canine friend's face: you can hear the dogs from the ground floor. Like giddy kids we went up the stairs to find the cafe is actually split in two: To the left is the Dog Zone, and to the right is the cafe itself. It's very different from cat cafe's in the Metro, as there are lots of rules to keep the mutts healthy. Fine by us, and that's good practice!

Even better (or could it have been better...better?) was we arrived on BB's first year anniversary; it's a double celebration for us. The place was packed when we arrived. 

Gotta try those rice meals in the near future!

Taking a look around you'll see the cafe is laid out well, true to its theme and headlining their host of canine buddies. Due to the long queue of people our entry to the Dog Zone is delayed, so we ordered a couple of pasta dishes. 

Green is good.

We had a Ella Pesto (penne in pesto sauce) and Marley 'n' Cheese (good ol' mac'n'cheese). Both cost 120 each. Service was awesome. The cashier and staff were really friendly and we didn't really notice if it took long for the food to arrive. Probably 10 minutes. I took pics around before eating. 

Yellow makes for happy tummies, too.

 When the dishes came I was relieved to see it came in adequate servings. The tuna pesto (mine) was flavored just right: not too pesto-ey, not too oily, and not too-tuna-ey too (uh, tongue twister lol forgive me for not being able to describe things better!). It wasn't hotel-level stellar, but it hit the taste meter in the right places. On the other hand, the mac (hers) was a bit salty for my tastes. Good thing it wasn't overcooked. Both dishes came with garlic bread that could use a bit more toasting... and butter maybe :)

There are other items in the menu that I'd probably try another day. Like the interesting-looking Vader burger.

Heaven yesssss!

Soon enough we finally got the chance to move to the Dog Zone. Entry costs P190, and comes with a free basic drink. Playtime duration is 2 hours. You can upgrade the drink and put add-ons too. I got gf a frappe, and I had a rock-salt-and-cheese Hazelnut drink (for P55 and P10, respectively). The serving, again, wins the day. It's as big as a large-size Zagu cup! Both also did really well in the taste department. Having not a lot of ice is a big plus too!

Martha the Irish Setter, and the overly-in-heat Clyde the Poodle.

And the main event: the dogs! It was overwhelming. Barkin Blends has a total of around 23 dogs of different breeds. All of them were very friendly towards us human strangers. Some are even trained (the golden retrievers). I think Robie and I lost our minds that time playing with them.

Lockers! And the attendants will assist you even here too.

Foreground is Small Pen; in the back is Big Pen. The booth to the side is a special one for the anniversary.

The facilities are nice: they definitely don't "smell like dog" and are like WAY cleaner than my room (makes me feel disgusted of myself as a human lol). The Dog Zone also has lockers where you can put your bags. They lend you slippers so you can comfortably play with the barkin' buddies.

Fiona the Chinese Shar-pei, snooping around for someone to snuggle up with.

Bear in mind that the dogs here are treated in probably one of the best ways I've ever seen. They're not considered "playthings" here but yes, buddies! The attendants are doing a very good (and kudos for it being difficult) job serving drinks, keeping the place clean of pee and poo, as well as entertaining both dog and man. They got dedication and it's worth a big salute! In addition, guests are to follow a strict set of rules to ensure the dogs' safety, as well as the animals being in rotating schedules and given lots of breaks.

Robie with Robin. Soulmates!

Another shot of the lovable Robin.

Crowd favorites were the retrievers: Finn, Marley and Robin, as well as Martha (Irish Setter), Julia (Jack Russell Terrier), Biwwy (Basset Hound), and Skye (Siberian Husky). BB also has a collection of Shih Tzu's and other lovable mutts. There's sort of a clue out somewhere that gives me an impression that the owners of the dogs are somewhat Star Wars fans... with names like Ewok, Yoda, Vader, etc. Haha!

Milo the Yorkshire Terrier. He's a little suplado. :) 

Yuki the Maltese is on probation. That's why he's in the corner, sulking. Poor pooch.

Particularly playful were the small ones, with one in "probation" because she tends to pee on people, Yuki the Maltese. The Dog Zone, by the way is split also in two areas: some dogs aren't allowed to play with each other (the big ones). 

The Tummy Rub. Every dog's weakness!

Clyde. Is a persistent one. He can't get it on with Martha tho. LOL

I think this one is Charlie. Not sure. But he sure looks cute sleeping!

We went to the big pen first and had a great time with the retrievers and poodles, then moved to the smaller pen where two of our exhausted buddies, Biwwy and Kaoru, just snugged up to us and took a nap. I think our souls dissolved in their cuteness.

Barkin' Blends giveaways during their 1st anniversary celebration.

The two hours flew by so fast our hearts melted hearing our name being called for time out. But a surprise was waiting for us: FREEBIES! As part of their anniversary special the staff arranged for a lottery of prizes, and we took our picks. Robie got a nice, medium-sized pouch and I got a Pug Mug! We bid our animal friends goodbye as well as the cool staff after that. 

By the way, I counted this visit as a Lakbayin and not a Kain because we came here primarily for le dawgs. :)

This place is recommended to all dog and animal lovers! Barkin Blends is located at 91 Rosa Alvaro St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Special thanks to my friend Maddie, from whom I got wind of this awesome place. You can check them out on the web too at Barkin' Blends Dog Cafe.