Gourmet dining for dogs in Italy

Have you ever been to a dog restaurant? The first one in Italy has just opened. Fiuto's a place where dogs have their own human-style menu.

Luca Grammatico, the chef, makes meals suitable for dogs.

Luca Grammatico: "The menu's been created in a very similar way to the human menu. It's made up of things that we can normally eat. Of course, we've tried to flavour it without using any spices, salts or oils, trying to make it look like a cooked meal by presenting it in a slightly gourmet form."

Fiuto isn't like most restaurants, because dogs are allowed inside. But there's not much noise. The dogs are only interested in their food. They seem to really love the taste.

Maria Gliottone's delighted. Her dog, Nala, always wants to eat Maria's food in restaurants. So it's less stressful for them here. And Nala's brought her friend, Douglas.

Maria Gliottone: "This is a very good thing. Because when we go to restaurants with her, she always wants to eat from our plates. So here, everything's more comfortable."

Dog owners pay between 8 and 20 euros for each dish. This is because bigger dogs eat more than smaller dogs. And most dogs prefer not to share food so they each have a separate area in the restaurant. These areas have comfortable blankets which the dogs can relax on.

Some people don't think dogs need their own restaurants. Romina Lanza thinks it's about personal choice.

Romina Lanza: "It's a personal choice to come. It's an option that's available. People can easily come or not come. But it's definitely an opportunity for those who want to do so. No, I don't see anything wrong with it, honestly."

Fiuto often welcomes dogs on their birthdays. On these special occasions, the restaurant arranges a surprise present! These customers are VIPs – very important pets. Weniger anzeigen