Restaurants, Cafes, Coffee Bars

Does anyone remember the coffee bar in Broadgate House in the late 50s. Used to serve what they called 'Russian Tea' - basically normal tea with lemon. On a dry day you could carry your refreshment out onto the terrace overlooking Broadgate. At 14 or 15 my friend John Irons used to feel quite 'sophisticated doing that. Eeeee! The small pleasures of the working classes.

Just an artists impression of how it should look from the "Coventry development plan 1951" book, but I am sure you looked as sophisticated as this

Does anyone recall a Lyons tea-room in Corporation Street around 1953 era? There was a temporary one in Broadgate 1940s era. We moved to Coventry in 1951. I recall going to a tearoom in Corporation Street and think it was a Lyons, they had piles of buttered bread on a greaseproof bread wrapper! Thanks. Beetle.

Do you mean this one. I am sure Dreamtime will reply on this one and licking her lips LINK

A bit before my time Morgana. When I was a toddler we could be found in the tea room in the Gas Showrooms. That was a frequent haunt of my mother's.

Hi liverpoolkid, welcome to our forum There are lots of mentions of the Lyons tearooms/cafe on our forum, you can find it mentioned in these links here, here, here, and here! I hope you find answers your question.

The Rex Restaurant was directly opposite but I don't know if it was still in use as that in the 1950s?

Actually the superstructure for C&A was built with Mercia House - the 'shell' was leased to them for fitting out. In addition the servicing for Barnwells and the Pagoda all came through lifts and corridors in the upper part of the C&A building. Post copied from topic Post-war redevelopment on 9th Dec 2016 6:27 pm

When I was a student my parents used to come down to visit, and they found the Pagoda amusing for its location at the base of the tower block (and they liked the food!). It was an interesting place for a restaurant! They were quite disappointed when they came down to visit when I started working here and found it had closed down. Quite a few people I've met who've lived in Coventry mention the 'Chinese restaurant in the tower block'.

Only two tower blocks would be the end of Smithford Way and bottom of Lower Precinct. I can remember it, can't remember which block it was

It was in the Lower Precinct (Mercia House?).

Was it on the floor above C&A in Mercia House

Yes, that looks like it. I believe it's now the control room for the Lower Precinct.

That wasn't there when I came to Cov. The Pagoda was the only Chinese restaurant in the city centre. Not much choice back then.