Restaurant advice - Cov/Warks/surrounding area
Discussion
Right, having a bit of a nightmare sorting out Mrs Havoc's 30th birthday celebrations (she'll kill me for giving that one away!).
Plan C has just gone up in smoke as the restaurant is closed the day we want.
So...any suggestions? Good food without spending a fortune, and more of a restaurant than a pub if possible please.
Locations that are do-able:-
- Anywhere within about 5 miles or so of M6 J2
- Coventry
- Kenilworth
- Leamington Spa / Warwick at a push...taxi's are bleedin' expensive though.
- Birmingham centre as an outside option as can train there/back.
Thanks all,
Martin.
Just to start off, we've eliminated:-
- Old Mill (too pubby and not consistent enough food-wise. Similarly Shilton Arms / Rose & Castle / Pheasant at Withybrook);
- Habibi's (waited 30mins without getting order taken the other week);
- The Gallery (bit too pricey for some of our friends, sadly);
- most Chinese's in Cov...none are quite up to the standards of say Henry's in St Paul's Square, B'ham;
- ALL Indians...not for a 30th;
- Blue Orchid...looks like it's changed hands, plus car-park and rest't half-empty on a Sat night isn't a good sign;
- Cross, Kenilworth (bit pricey, bit pubby);
- Zorba's, Radford Rd (closed);
Still under contention are:-
- Da Vinci's, Earlsdon (except the last 30th we went to was at a nice Italian);
- Saxon Mill (but a little bit of a trek (£££ taxi)...plus haven't eaten there yet)
- erm...
Plan C has just gone up in smoke as the restaurant is closed the day we want.
So...any suggestions? Good food without spending a fortune, and more of a restaurant than a pub if possible please.
Locations that are do-able:-
- Anywhere within about 5 miles or so of M6 J2
- Coventry
- Kenilworth
- Leamington Spa / Warwick at a push...taxi's are bleedin' expensive though.
- Birmingham centre as an outside option as can train there/back.
Thanks all,
Martin.
Just to start off, we've eliminated:-
- Old Mill (too pubby and not consistent enough food-wise. Similarly Shilton Arms / Rose & Castle / Pheasant at Withybrook);
- Habibi's (waited 30mins without getting order taken the other week);
- The Gallery (bit too pricey for some of our friends, sadly);
- most Chinese's in Cov...none are quite up to the standards of say Henry's in St Paul's Square, B'ham;
- ALL Indians...not for a 30th;
- Blue Orchid...looks like it's changed hands, plus car-park and rest't half-empty on a Sat night isn't a good sign;
- Cross, Kenilworth (bit pricey, bit pubby);
- Zorba's, Radford Rd (closed);
Still under contention are:-
- Da Vinci's, Earlsdon (except the last 30th we went to was at a nice Italian);
- Saxon Mill (but a little bit of a trek (£££ taxi)...plus haven't eaten there yet)
- erm...
saxon mill is nice, been there a few times, they also own another place over the way in a little village which is ok too (only been the other place once, call saxon mill and ask the name of the other place they own)
the other place is much smaller, quieter, if youve not been saxon mill id go there.
ohh and there is a new place, i went there for my birthday this year, cant remember the name though . . . . . ill find out tomorrow and post back.
the other place is much smaller, quieter, if youve not been saxon mill id go there.
ohh and there is a new place, i went there for my birthday this year, cant remember the name though . . . . . ill find out tomorrow and post back.
Someone at work went to the Thai Twig in Leamington last week and she said it was amazing.
http://www.thethaitwig.co.uk/
http://www.thethaitwig.co.uk/
the revolver
thats the one i went to on my birthday back in april, if there is a few of you going try and hire the private room, and take your ipod as they have a neat idea where you chuck your ipod into the holder and listen to your own tracks whilst eating (thats why we went there for my bday!
)
foods good too.
thats the one i went to on my birthday back in april, if there is a few of you going try and hire the private room, and take your ipod as they have a neat idea where you chuck your ipod into the holder and listen to your own tracks whilst eating (thats why we went there for my bday!
)foods good too.
Saxon Mill is a lovely location, but not sure the food is that great. I'd recommend Wildes in Leamington (http://www.wildes.uk.com/), which is an intimate basement type restaurant/wine bar with great wines, music and clientele. Lovely! If not, then Rhubarb is similar in Leamington though more expensive (it's just along from the Slug and Lettuce - http://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/CustomPages/Cus...
In Coventry I had quite a nice meal in Prague downstairs once, but nowhere near as nice as the two above....
Loads of good country pubs, but I'm guessing they'll be too far away.
Edited to add, Leamington is by far the best night out in this part of the Midlands. If you do eat at Wildes, be sure to have a drink in the White Horse afterwards (opposite the Shell garage at the top of the parade). It's been done up recently and it's fab! Great selection of beers!
ps also thought of The Rose and Crown in Warwick - voted the best pub food in the uk I think. Great!
In Coventry I had quite a nice meal in Prague downstairs once, but nowhere near as nice as the two above....
Loads of good country pubs, but I'm guessing they'll be too far away.
Edited to add, Leamington is by far the best night out in this part of the Midlands. If you do eat at Wildes, be sure to have a drink in the White Horse afterwards (opposite the Shell garage at the top of the parade). It's been done up recently and it's fab! Great selection of beers!
ps also thought of The Rose and Crown in Warwick - voted the best pub food in the uk I think. Great!
Edited by AllTorque on Thursday 12th July 13:34
Can I suggest my brothers place in Leamington - Restaurant 23? Even if he wasn't my brother I'd say it was good! You do need to book a week or two in advance for Saturday night though.
The missus went to the Saxon Mill last night and really wasn't impressed, service was slow, it was overpriced and the food wasn't even very good!
The Art Kitchen in Warwick is very good for Thai Food
You do need to book a week or two in advance for Saturday night though.The missus went to the Saxon Mill last night and really wasn't impressed, service was slow, it was overpriced and the food wasn't even very good!
The Art Kitchen in Warwick is very good for Thai Food
silent k said:
Can I suggest my brothers place in Leamington - Restaurant 23? Even if he wasn't my brother I'd say it was good! You do need to book a week or two in advance for Saturday night though.
The missus went to the Saxon Mill last night and really wasn't impressed, service was slow, it was overpriced and the food wasn't even very good!
The Art Kitchen in Warwick is very good for Thai Food
Is that the place that used to be Solo? You do need to book a week or two in advance for Saturday night though.The missus went to the Saxon Mill last night and really wasn't impressed, service was slow, it was overpriced and the food wasn't even very good!
The Art Kitchen in Warwick is very good for Thai Food
AllTorque said:
silent k said:
Can I suggest my brothers place in Leamington - Restaurant 23? Even if he wasn't my brother I'd say it was good! You do need to book a week or two in advance for Saturday night though.
The missus went to the Saxon Mill last night and really wasn't impressed, service was slow, it was overpriced and the food wasn't even very good!
The Art Kitchen in Warwick is very good for Thai Food
Is that the place that used to be Solo? You do need to book a week or two in advance for Saturday night though.The missus went to the Saxon Mill last night and really wasn't impressed, service was slow, it was overpriced and the food wasn't even very good!
The Art Kitchen in Warwick is very good for Thai Food
Wow, loads of suggestions! Thanks all very much. Looks like Saxon Mill might be off the list then.
Done Pasta di Piazza a few times...I'm trying to talk Becs into B'ham as there's that and Henry's on St. Paul's Square, then Jam House or one of the other bars afterwards.
Leam appeals...mainly because of the choice of (good) rest'ts and bars (Cov is crap, it really is...). But £30+ each way in a taxi is a bit of a downer...
Anyone been to the Malay place (Raffles?) in Kenilworth?
Done Pasta di Piazza a few times...I'm trying to talk Becs into B'ham as there's that and Henry's on St. Paul's Square, then Jam House or one of the other bars afterwards.
Leam appeals...mainly because of the choice of (good) rest'ts and bars (Cov is crap, it really is...). But £30+ each way in a taxi is a bit of a downer...
Anyone been to the Malay place (Raffles?) in Kenilworth?
Well, we went to Da Vinci's yesterday evening to try it out...and were rather underwhelmed.
Place looked nice, staff were attentive, although the wine waiter was a little too pushy.
Starters came out very quickly and were very good - pigeon breast with walnuts and pear in a red-wine jus and fresh scallops.
Then the main course followed about 5mins after we'd done the starters...and the sea bass was overcooked and was presented in exactly the same lemon and butter sauce as the scallops. Oh, and we weren't told how much the fresh fish would cost.
In all, we'd finished two courses no more than half hour after ordering the food! And they were then very quick with the dessert menu!!!
So, rather unimpressed, we got the bill...£17.95 for Sea Bass! (NO veg...that was another £3.95!
) And £8.95 for the scallops.
Now the price for the scallops I can almost forgive...they were fresh, well cooked, and quite large. But the fish was poor...I could have done that at least as well! And the fact that we were in and out of there within an hour (we weren't alone there...everyone was getting served that quickly) doesn't bode well for a nice relaxed evening out.
So we are looking at the Leamington places...Thai Twig appeals as it's Thai...anyone else second the recommendation above? And Wildes would be a safe bet from the sounds of things...
Place looked nice, staff were attentive, although the wine waiter was a little too pushy.
Starters came out very quickly and were very good - pigeon breast with walnuts and pear in a red-wine jus and fresh scallops.
Then the main course followed about 5mins after we'd done the starters...and the sea bass was overcooked and was presented in exactly the same lemon and butter sauce as the scallops. Oh, and we weren't told how much the fresh fish would cost.
In all, we'd finished two courses no more than half hour after ordering the food! And they were then very quick with the dessert menu!!!
So, rather unimpressed, we got the bill...£17.95 for Sea Bass! (NO veg...that was another £3.95!
) And £8.95 for the scallops.Now the price for the scallops I can almost forgive...they were fresh, well cooked, and quite large. But the fish was poor...I could have done that at least as well! And the fact that we were in and out of there within an hour (we weren't alone there...everyone was getting served that quickly) doesn't bode well for a nice relaxed evening out.
So we are looking at the Leamington places...Thai Twig appeals as it's Thai...anyone else second the recommendation above? And Wildes would be a safe bet from the sounds of things...
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