Restaurants, Cafes, Coffee Bars

Well now you have sorted the British Cafe out for me there's another one that I wonder if anyone else remembers, The Good Companions, I think it was called, a lovely little Irish lady called Bernie ran it, it was next door to Pargetters in Bishop Street.

MaggieD, would that be the one just over halfway up on the left hand side just before the policeman on his board, if so yes frequently as I worked for a small time at Cartwrights the woodyard in the canal basin, early fifties at a guess.

Part 1: These are the Cafes & Restaurants I can recall visiting in Coventry, between the mid-60s when I have my earliest memories, and late 2015, when I was no longer living in the city (moved away to nearby Northamptonshire in 2001), but, I was working in Coventry. I've tried to make it chronological as far as I can remember, and have put a bit of context in there for ease of digestion In the beginning then, we're in the mid-1960s - and I can remember being taken to the café in the War Memorial Park, and also Canley Milk Bar, as a small child. These were relatively close to where I lived at the time, Green Lane. Ice cream was a great treat, and I recall cups of tea and milk shakes at the Milk Bar Slightly older now, but still a child. I can recall the cafes upstairs at both Woolworths & British Home Stores. Both of these were in the City Centre, as was Fishy Moore's (Fairfax Street). I can remember accompanying my Mum at all three of these establishments, but, can only recall actually eating a meal at Fishy Moore's (yes, fish & chips, plus white buttered bread), I think it must have been tea, and possibly cake or biscuits at Woollies & BHS. Mum had shopping bags. Isn't it interesting that the era of carrier bags only lasted about 30-40 years? It's fashionable to have reusable bags again! As a young teenager, I remember going to several different Wimpy Bars - the two that stick out in my mind are the one in Broadgate, now the site of a Wetherspoon's pub (the Flying Standard, I can also remember a jewellers being on the site (Walkers or Samuels?), and Timothy White's the chemist); and, the circular Wimpy in the Lower Precinct. I know there were others, but those two stand out for me. Moving on a bit now (mid 1970s), a night out in Coventry on a Friday or Saturday always ended up with a visit to the Parson's Nose or the Kwik Chick in the Burges for a take-away (I remember the pre-formed fish). Round about this time I can also remember first visiting Chinese restaurants the Pagoda (top of a tower block of apartments next to Allied Carpets), and the Great Wall (City Arcade - the restaurant was up a flight of steep steps), plus, eating my very first curry at the Indian restaurant the Rajah in the Burges (this would have been about 1976). My OH can also remember a Chinese from this era near where the motor museum is now - I can't recall it myself. We got married in 1977 (at Woodside Methodist Church, Green Lane), and our reception was at the Royal Court Hotel in Keresley. We had vegetable soup, roast beef and sherry trifle, accompanied by a glass of sherry to start things off, and sparkling wine for the toast. I remember the soup virtually boiling in the bowls, and there was wood panelling on the walls of the private room. My dress and head-dress came from Sellrights in Hertford Street, and cost £57 - I've still got the receipt. Just after getting married, we started going into town on the bus on a Friday night (we lived in Alderman's Green, so caught the number 20 bus, which rumbled along the Foleshill and Longford Roads). After drinks at various city centre pubs, including cocktails at Ray's Bar, we always used to enjoy a meal at the Stage Bite - the restaurant at the Belgrade Theatre. I remember gorgeous burgers and a huge selection of relishes/condiments. I was doing Biology 'A' level at Coventry Tech at that time, (after work - it was an evening course), and frequently used to have a meal at one of the two Swiss Alps restaurants I can recall - Hales Street and Queen Victoria Road. Didn't know anything about the history/ownership of this chain until reading this forum though - very interesting! I started work in Queen's Road in 1977 also (it was a busy time of change for me!), at a satellite office of the main Massey-Ferguson plant in Banner Lane, and, as we couldn't take advantage of the subsidised canteen, we received luncheon vouchers (I think it was 25p per day to start with, rising over the next few years - 33p a day rings a bell). And so, I used to save the vouchers up to treat my husband and Mum to meals at various steak bars in Coventry - I know we definitely visited the City Arms in Earlsdon (through its incarnations as a Schooner Tavern, a Berni Inn and a Beefeater Restaurant - I know it's now a Wetherspoon's, were there other chains also?); the Shepherd & Shepherdess in Keresley, and the Old Hall in the Tamworth Road, and also the Styvechale Arms (this could have been a bit later than the mid-1970s though - can't recall). A bit off topic here - but, I remember the discovery and revealing of an old barrel ceiling in one of the upstairs rooms at the City Arms (would have been in the early 1990s), it was huge and very impressive. A couple of years later, I can remember Saturday morning coffee and cakes at the de Vere Hotel restaurant, and also the Leofric restaurant - both 'quality' hotels at that time, located in the city centre.

Part 2: Work 'leaving do's' usually ended with a curry a few years further on - the Bombay Palace in Earlsdon was a favourite, and we also frequented a Turkish restaurant at the end of Queen's Road (I think) a few times. Still going to the Pagoda and various steak bars too. Round about this time we were also going to an Indian restaurant near Claret's Wine Bar in Warwick Row - the Boujiba? I can't remember the name! Can anybody help? But, the food was delicious. By now we're in the mid-1980s - I can remember TGI Friday's in Binley Woods - the cocktails and pink champagne flowed, and the food wasn't bad either. I also remember coffee and patisserie at Drucker's in Hertford Street - delicious! We also had the occasional meal at Etna's Restaurant - same location. It's still there - we had volcano steak from memory - very hot! Also, delicious sandwiches and speciality tea at a cafe in Cathedral Lanes (upstairs), it could have been called Chaplins, pretty sure it was next to or near to an art gallery. Moving forward a few years now, and we used to walk from our house in Canley Road to Di Vinci's in Earlsdon's High Street, the City Arms, and, also sometimes to the Rupali (Indian) in Tile Hill Lane. Can anybody remember the short-lived pub called 'The Lighthouse' on the 'cock up corner development' (A45/Tile Hill Lane junction) - it's now a fast food outlet? This would be in the 1990s I think. I can remember going to the Gallery & Millsy's in Earlsdon in about 2001, and then returning to Di Vinci's in 2008 when I reconnected with an ex-colleague and friend after 20 years of not being in touch. Round about this time I can remember having coffee in a café near Shelton Square called Flames? Last memories for now - lunch at the Open Arms in Cheylesmore - very tasty! And an interesting Chinese meal at the Noodle Bar, very near to what I remember as the Three Tuns pub - both in 2015! That's my gastronomic time-travel though Coventry in a nutshell! PS - In addition to the above, we've also had take-aways from the following Coventry outlets over the years: Bekash - Backstreets of Earlsdon/Chapelfields - delicious Indian food, this would be the 1990s. Sandpits Lane Fish & Chips - 1960s - I can remember delicious food from here as a small child! Asia House - Tile Hill Lane - Good Chinese Take-away - 1980 onwards. Torrington Avenue Fish & Chips - 1990 onwards. An Indian take-away in Earlsdon High Street - can't remember the name - but the food was good - same guy was always taking the orders, he aged as the years went by! 1980 onwards.

I do remember now that the Indian Restaurant in the Burges was called the Rajah, maybe we shortened its name to the 'the Raj'? I do recall the Chinese restaurant by the station too.

Hi Sue the Chinese restaurant near the motor museum was the New Orient we rarely missed a Friday night in there after playing snooker at the Victoria billiards club.

I sort of remember it Mick - never went there myself but the husband obviously did as he can remember it clearly! Happy Days!

Hi all A change of circumstances this morning meant that I had breakfast at Flames in Bull Yard, Coventry for the first time. The small breakfast that I enjoyed along with the excellent latte was just that. Excellent. I have left them a Google review as it was a delight. PS. The ceiling is of note too

Not been there for a while Philip, but I've never been disappointed with their fayre.

Hi Mayjan, His all Along with a friend, I have just demolished the "next size up" breakfast this morning at Flames, £4.49, which included black pudding. I have to tell you it was very good. On balance I do consider the Sizzler pub breakfast to be better value, like for like, but Flames' latte coffee is definitely superior. Folk just don't understand the stresses & strains of retirement, hey! All of these try-out breakfasts & so on, leave alone the fish & chip lunches at Wale's in Nuneaton. I just don't know how we cope.

Hi Philip, I don't believe it, nearly went in Flames this morning, but decided I wasn't hungry enough so passed it by. I did stop and look at the menu and the prices are quite reasonable. Glad you enjoyed your brekkie.

Mrs Southgate was my Aunt (Auntie Beattie). She died in April 2015 aged 95. She and her husband George (he worked at the Humber works) used to live in Stephen Street but moved to Fenside when the street was demolished to build the fire station. I have very early memories of being taken to the Woolies Cafe

Hello, Malvern and welcome to the forum. Look forward to reading some more of your memories of the city.

I remember the smell in Woolies on a Friday when everyone was eating fish and chips and also the rattling of knives and forks on plates!