Restaurants, Cafes, Coffee Bars

The Geisha was roughly next plot up from where The Dome was. Demolished a couple of years before The Dome was built, I think. Don't know if their locations overlapped?

Osmiroid, The Geisha in the fifties was well known to be a little upper-class, you didn't get lorry drivers or brickies in there, some people knew it as 'the little finger cafe'. For some reason during the war a lot of ministries, council, used the lower half of Hertford Street, I think you went to a shop there if you lost your ration book, think there was a register there for blood donations or injury questions, ARP questions and information, that sort of thing.

Thanks Kaga, Fantasy picture time:

Does anyone know of 'The Viking Cafe?' Someones just posted an image on one of the Old Cov Facebook pages but I cannot find any reference to it in Coventry?

Hi, here is a possible result from the 1955 directory. It wasn't there in 1940 or 1960 but it was listed in 1953.

There were a number of coffee bars or teashops sprang up just for a few years around the fifties period. Continental - Hales Street Casino - bottom of Precinct one 2nd floor Broadgate House - Domino? one old Owen Owen shop entrance

Look familiar to anyone?

No, tell us Neil before I kick myself

I remember going to a cafe, with Mayjan, in King William Street, circa 1952. The photo of the cafe looks familiar, although I can't remember what it was called.

btw Heathite is there an easily accessible online 'portal' for those Directories?

Hi Neil, as far as I know the directories are not available on-line. At this address, they used to be available for download. I know it's a Leicester Uni site but they did have a few that covered Coventry. If you read the info you will see that the download option is no longer available. Btw, if you go here, you can download the Kelly's 1912 of Warwickshire. Go to top right where the download and print icon is situated, select the 'all' option from the download icon, and bingo. I'd not seen the Kelly's before, I got the Spennell's, now I have both.

Dutchman mentioned the Alex Cafe at the start of this thread. Before my time but apparently his photo here was from Far Gosford St - The Alex was in Hilllfields at some point - later presumably as there are photos of The Specials standing outside it. Does anyone know whereabouts it was? This was it thanks to Cliff Berwick who is in the photo before a mate's wedding!

37 Hood Street

But the coffee shop of Coventry had to be the one in Broadgate House on the corner to the Precinct - this was a most unusual coffee shop for Coventry, full of bright decor, couple of settees and several armchairs, sold unheard of coffee, lemon tea, and quaint drinks, but Coventry wasn't ready for that kind of shop. I don't think it lasted long, but about fifty years on and there's the identical Coventry coffee shop on a programme called 'Friends'. Not only that, but just off Ball Hill was a large house, split into separate apartments, there lived five school teachers, two of them married, all shared the same sitting/reading room, bathroom and kitchen, and they squabbled and fought just like 'Friends' but they had kinky parties you wouldn't believe of Coventry teachers.

Very sorry to hear that Pizza Express have closed their lovely spot in Hay Lane recently. Apparently the lease was up on the building but they were also concerned about being blamed for the large crack that has opened up within the building?! Does anyone remember what that same place was called in the 80's when it was a French-style eaterie?