Coventry:
Generic town-centre pub: a standard Marston’s offering, standard menu, standard beer- some cask on offer. Friendly staff, but otherwise totally unexceptional.
Tag Archives: coventry
The Earl of Mercia
Coventry:
It’s a ‘spoons. It’s an old bank. Nothing to see here, but it was very nice sat outside drinking cheap booze in the sunshine. We didn’t even go inside…
The Golden Cross
Coventry:
Should have loved this- it’s a very old building, a miraculous survivor given it’s right next to the cathedral- it has real ale, it has nooks and corners, and the staff were nice.
It didn’t quite get it though. The inside doesn’t match the lovely outside; you’ll note no pub heritage link here- because the inside is a bit generic and bland, despite the structural timbers.
The food should have been great too, but the bread is all gluten-free, and to quote a friend
“I don’t know what gluten gives to bread, but it’s delicious”
and the rest of it was a bit fussy. Not bad enough to complain, but a bit disappointing and not cheap: our lunch here cost about the same as our two evening meals elsewhere. If you are gluten-intolerant, or a veggie/vegan, you’ll get on well here though, the menu is all GF and is fully marked up for the others.
The beer was great, though- in top condition.
The Town Wall Tavern
Coventry:
Whatpub Link
Pub Heritage Link
Lovely, multi-room pub tucked away in a backstreet: we overshot it’s location, ending up at The Old Windmill, and between them these were the best pubs of our Coventry visit: great beer, multi-roomed, no loud music. Friendly staff.
The Old Windmill
Coventry:
Whatpub Link
Pub Heritage Link
A wonderful old pub. Multi-roomed, choice of real ale, a historic interior, and nice staff. In Spon St, along with other survivors of both the Luftwaffe and mid-twentieth century development, this is Coventry’s oldest pub.
The Old Ball Hotel
Coventry:
This could be a lovely pub; and it’s the first time I’ve found a promotional video:
The video is from 2014, and recent years don’t seem to have been kind. It seems to have been an actual hotel, but now it just feels like a slightly tired city pub. We’d been to the nearby Coventry Music Museum, and dropped in; I was stood at the bar for a good few minutes until the woman I’d assumed was a customer served me only when a couple of regulars approached the bar.
No ale, and no Stella either, so fuck me, Coors was the best choice.
Plus points: could be stunning, and clearly a community pub. Near to the museum.
The Bulls Head
Coventry:
A pretty ordinary suburban pub- a Sizzling family feedbag, but pleasant enough when you need to stop for a drink and a sit down. The only cask was Doom Bore, so Stella it was.
Biggin Hall
Coventry:
Whatpub Link
Website
Pub Heritage Link
We needed lunch, we wanted to see this pub as it was in the heritage guide, so from Coventry station, it was a taxi to here.
From the outside, it’s Brewer’s Tudor, built about 1923. Inside, it’s been altered, so the front bar looks pretty much normal pubco (Marstons), but there’s more history in other rooms.
Back to the matter in hand: Pedigree, 61 Deep and Doom Bore for real ale, all the other usual suspects. A predictable but not bad pubco menu, and a pleasant suburban local’s pub.