Eateries, in and around Coventry (August 2020)
I started my ‘places to eat’ blog in January with the intention that I would write a monthly blog about some of the eateries that I have visited, in and around Coventry, to give you some ideas of where to go and what is on offer. However, with the unexpected pandemic and lockdown of the country, this blog never exactly took off! So, I thought that now we’re out of lockdown and trying to resume as normal a life as possible (or, the ‘new normal’!), I would continue with my ‘places to eat’ blog. So, here’s my pick of eateries for this month….
Turtle Bay, Leamington – Turtle Bay is a fab Caribbean restaurant, which I really enjoy. There are a few Turtle Bay restaurants near Coventry – in Birmingham, Solihull and Leamington Spa. The Turtle Bay that I visit is in Leamington Spa, in Regents Court. Personally, I love Turtle Bay – the food is great, the staff are friendly, and the cocktails are delicious (I particularly like the frozen strawberry daiquiris and the 2-4-1 happy hour!!). On my visit to Turtle Bay, last week, I went for the ‘Beach sharing platter’ starter (which I did share, honestly!!) and the Mo’Bay Chicken for main, and both were delicious.
To view the restaurant locations and menu, or to book a table, visit https://www.turtlebay.co.uk/.
Dobbies Garden Centre, Atherstone – I’ve visited Dobbies Garden Centre a couple of times before, for afternoon tea, and it does not disappoint. The traditional afternoon tea consists of finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, a selection of mini cakes and refillable tea or coffee. The children’s afternoon tea consists of sandwiches, grapes, cakes and a Carpi Sun. Plus, the restaurant serves breakfast, hot meals, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, cakes, drinks, etc. Also, Dobbies hosts a number of events throughout the year. Last Christmas I took my daughter to ‘Breakfast with Santa’, which was fab! This year we had booked up for ‘Breakfast with the Easter Bunny’ but we went into lockdown so that didn’t happen. However, I’m hoping we will be able to have breakfast with Santa, again this year, and maybe get to see the Easter bunny next year! 🙂
To view the seasonal events, special offers, or to book in for afternoon tea at Dobbies, visit: https://www.dobbies.com/content/restaurant.html and select the restaurant that you want to visit, near where you live (there are a number of Dobbies Garden Centres in the UK).
M&S Café – now, this is a café that I might not have included in my ‘places to eat’ blog, before the lockdown. Not because it’s not a nice place to eat but because there are so many other places to mention, and a toastie is just a toastie! However, I feel that the M&S café at the Ricoh deserves a mention, as this is the first place that I felt comfortable enough to go out to for lunch, after lockdown. And it is the first place that I felt comfortable enough to take my daughter to, after lockdown. The tables are well spaced out, the tables and chairs are cleaned after each customer, there is a hand sanitizing station just outside the café and you must be allocated a table before you are served. To be honest, I don’t think the M&S café, at the Ricoh, could do more; the staff are doing a stellar job, to help keep their customers safe. Plus, the staff there are all really friendly and, as an added bonus, M&S are passing on the VAT discount to their customers. So, although the menu is slightly limited at the moment, there is still a nice selection of sandwiches, toasties, cakes, scones and drinks on offer, and the food is nice. My lunchtime fave is the emmental and mushroom toastie and a cappuccino – yum!!
So, that is my pick of eateries for this month. It is also worth noting that, with the Government’s ‘eat out to help out’ scheme, you will be able to get 50% off at these eateries (up to a maximum of £10 per person) on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, during August 2020. I know we are now nearing the end of the month, but you may still have chance to sample a couple of my recommended eateries before the scheme ends…so, enjoy!! 🙂
