London's First Cat Café Is Finally Open!

The wait is over: London’s first kitty café, Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, is open for business! It’s been a long time coming since the news first broke last year about feline-lover Lauren Pears’ quest to open a restaurant in London inspired by the Taiwanese trend.

Pears appealed for funding through IndiGoGo, and swiftly raised more than £200,000 to get the business up and running. The Bethnal Green-based, Victorian-inspired parlor is home to a dozen kitties, who you can play with while you dine on tea and scones.

“We thought long and hard about who would really benefit from having a cat café in London,” Pears explained in an interview with The Daily Mail. “I see commuters walking on their way to and from the station stopping to pet the neighbourhood cats, and since I am unable to own a cat myself due to my current flat and long hours I understand the desire to have a cat around.”

If you fancy making friends with the resident cats, Wookie, Loki, Petra, or Romeo, you will need to make a booking. Keep an eye out for available slots on the Twitter feed, and if you want to lose an afternoon see the café’s furry chums at play, check out its Instagram feed. We think we’re a little bit in love.

Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, 152-154 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6DG; +44 (0) 207 729 0953.