Last April The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry unveiled its new-look café bar.
Certainly where I’m concerned, this has been one of the city’s best kept secrets – and I do wonder how many others have also missed out. . .
Belgrade Café and the upstairs Nineteen58 bar is now the perfect complement to the city’s popular live arts venue and fast becoming a destination in its own right.
Previously occupied shops on Corporation Street have been taken over as part of this £5.5m redevelopment project which now offers both quality and quantity in hospitality terms.
Designed by Lazzeri Creative Interiors and inspired by the Theatre’s origins, the décor, by Corstorphine + Wright Architects, is decorated with vintage show posters and artwork from across the decades – a stylish and comfortable space from which to watch the world go by.
A shout out too to the friendly café team which plays a big part in creating such a convivial experience here.
The Menu, which is available from 11.30am-5pm every day, offers a good range of hot and cold dishes, from a selection of sandwiches, toasties, wraps and paninis through to jacket potatoes, soup and, for the more health conscious, Salad Bowls.
But be sure to also keep an eye on their Specials Board. The Hot Dishes of the Day – Cottage Pie and Vegetable Casserole went day a treat on a chilly February day for my friend and I.
If you missed breakfast, there’s also the option to grab some brunch. Choose from bacon or sausage sandwiches, smashed avocado on toast, filled croissants, teacake or granola.
Light bites can be purchased in the form of hot and cold snacks – including an irresistible range of sweet treats- and everything fairly competitively priced for the area.
I also noted what seemed to me like a wider than average range of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu – unlike, it has to be said, many other establishments I have frequented with veggie companions.
Whiling away, as we did, three hours on the upper floor of this charming, but sophisticated, café bar is easily done. And I’ll definitely be back soon to while away a few more.
If they had a suggestion box I would be dropping in a polite note about extending opening hours to encourage the pre-theatre crowd. But, in the meantime, I’d say it was definitely worth a trip at any time of day. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, do try and check it out. You’ll soon be shouting encore.
You can check out all the shows coming up at The Belgrade Theatre here
