London Dungeon’s Rat Café Lets You Drink With Rodents

Visitors to one of London’s most notorious tourist attractions can now sip coffee while rats roam freely—sometimes even climbing onto their shoulders. The London Dungeon, famed for its grim historical exhibits, has launched an unconventional new experience where guests share space with live rodents. Forget sterile cafes: this is a place where the usual boundaries between pests and patrons blur.

Yes, you can drink coffee in a room full of rats. The new rat café inside the London Dungeon currently hosts 18 rats that move freely around the space, climb on visitors, and interact with guests—all part of an effort to rehabilitate the much-maligned rodent’s reputation.

What Is the Rat Café at the London Dungeon?

The rat café is a newly opened area within the London Dungeon, a long-running tourist attraction known for its macabre, historically themed exhibits. Unlike a conventional coffee shop, this space lets visitors enjoy drinks and snacks while surrounded by 18 resident rats. These rats are not caged—they walk around, explore, and sometimes climb onto customers. The food and drinks served are entirely rodent-free, despite the furry company.

Why Create a Café Around Rats?

The concept was inspired by Japan’s popular cat cafés, where visitors unwind with feline companions. The London Dungeon team took that model and swapped in rats. According to Heinrich Matthias, a manager at the London Dungeon, “Throughout history, rats have been given an unfair reputation—from the Black Death to Victorian-era squalor. We want to challenge those ideas.” The café aims to show a different, more playful and positive side of these often-reviled animals.

How Many Rats Are Involved and What Do They Do?

Currently, the café is home to 18 rats, all of whom are trained to interact with humans. Their main “job” is socializing with guests. These rats are described as highly engaging, drawing attention and affection from visitors. Far from being background props, the rodents are central to the experience—roaming, climbing, and creating spontaneous moments of interaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the coffee or food at the rat café made with rat ingredients?

No, the London Dungeon’s rat café serves standard food and beverages that contain no rat-derived products. The presence of rats is purely for interaction, and hygiene standards ensure no contamination.

Can the rats at the café harm visitors?

The rats are domesticated and accustomed to human interaction. There are no reports of aggression, and the café is designed to be safe for both rats and guests. Staff oversee the environment to maintain comfort and safety.

How many rats are in the café, and are they all friendly?

The café houses 18 rats. According to management, all are sociable and interact positively with visitors, becoming a highlight for many guests.

What inspired the creation of a rat café?

The idea came from Japan’s cat cafés, where visitors relax with cats. The London Dungeon adapted the concept using rats to confront and reshape the animal’s negative historical reputation.

Is this just a publicity stunt, or does it have a deeper purpose?

While certainly attention-grabbing, the café also aims to challenge long-standing prejudices against rats, presenting them as capable of friendliness and joy rather than just disease and dirt.