I went to every coffee shop in Coventry so you don’t have to
No more Starbucks and Costa
There's always that one person in the friendship group that thinks they’re boujee af, meeting their friends for coffee or lunch instead of the basis of their hangouts being the sofa – or Kasbah. Well, that’s me. As a self proclaimed coffee shop queen, it's time I shared my Coventry coffee shop secrets for the greater good.
So, bright and early one morning, I decided to slap some makeup on, drag my friend out of bed and start my very first (and hopefully last, thinking about the amount of caffeine I am about to be consuming) Cov coffee cafe crawl. I ordered the same mocha in every shop, comparing price, quality of coffee, aesthetics of the place and food options, measuring each place out of five stars.
You can thank me later.
1. Tailor Me Atelier
Located on Gulson Road, this shop is also known as Tailor Me Coffee Shop. The biggest thing to know about this place is that it really is super duper small. There is enough room for two people at the window of the place, but it is mostly takeaway drinks. Ideal if you're late to your 9am.
The coffee was really good quality however there was unfortunately barely any chocolate flavour. It cost £2.50 which is pretty standard for a coffee- and the tiny place takes card! There was literally only cereal bars available in terms of food.
It is very charming and the lady was ultra nice to us- she also makes and tailors clothes- hence the name. I got the option of white or dark chocolate with my mocha. There are a selection of loose teas and iced coffee's available, as well as vegan milk options. There is also a record player the owner puts on, which is a sweet touch.
Coffee – 3/5
Price – 4/5
Aesthetics – 3/5
Food – 1/5
2. Dandy's Coffee Shop
This is newly taken over and is located in Fargo Village. In contrast to the previous shop, there is tons of room inside, so great if you're in a big group, and a good few plugs dotted around for laptops to catch up on uni work.
There is a load of art all around, which adds a warm touch to the industrial look. With funky jazzy music giving a nice atmosphere, this place is simple but hits the spot. There is no iced coffee available but there are vegan milk options, and a small selection of cakes (no gluten free or vegan options but looked lush). But please be prepared with some extra layers as it is very chilly inside.
The coffee had a lot less coffee and way more chocolate- but was a very decent mocha. It cost £2.80. Just like the rest of Fargo Village- the whole place is super cool.
Coffee – 2/5
Aesthetics – 4/5
Price – 3.5/5
Food – 1/5
3. The Pod Cafe
This place is completely VEGAN! It is an ultra quirky place, with so much character. There are a decent amount of seats with a consistent flow of people so there is usually a table about to become free as someone else enters. Located on Far Gosford Street it's just a short walk from Callice Court and Gosford Gate.
With a great relaxed atmosphere it is a perfect place to watch time pass whilst reading- you just have to watch out for the odd opening times. The food menu changes every week, with usually about 3 options available that you can pick (if they haven't already sold out). They are very experimental with their food and it's a great place to go if you want to try new things.
The price is just too good to be true here (except it is!) as most the drinks are all the same prices depending on whether they're out the fridge, coffee's or tea's- not to mention every meal is just £4.
Coffee – 4/5
Aesthetics – 4.5/5
Price – 5/5
Food – 4.5/5
4. Bean & Leaf Coffee House
I have been coming here since it opened- the most adorable place. A good amount of seating with loads of plugs by seats to get stuck into work without worrying about your laptop dying, and there is a whole room downstairs you can easily miss if you're just walking by.
There is a great selection of coffee but there aren't any syrups available- which would upset my normal caramel latte self. There is a whole menu of loose teas too. The people are lovely, and vegan milk is an option as well as a load of vegan/gluten free cakes, pastries and sandwiches- which can be toasted.
Slightly more expensive than the other coffee shops but it's in a prime location, Bean & Leaf is in the city centre. The mocha was £3.00 but there are lots of other options.
Coffee – 4/5
Aesthetics – 5/5
Price – 2.5/5
Food – 3/5
5. Finney's
Located on Warwick Row, just a short walk from the train station, this place is ridiculously aesthetically pleasing. There are so many textures and I love the attention to detail all around and the modern design.
There's a good amount of seating and a great sofa area for groups if you need a change up from the library on a group project. Iced coffee is available and there's tons of plugs about to sit and do work, with upbeat modern music.
The coffee was lush and you get a little Biscoff biccie by it- for £3.20. The food is all a bit more expensive compared to a similar menu in Bean & Leaf, it has bagels and soups too, all available to takeaway, but less cake options.
Coffee – 4/5
Aesthetics – 5/5
Price – 2/5
Food – 3.5/5
6. Coffee #1
This shop was so open and bright, with a lot of people inside. With it being right next to the train station there was a lot of people in and out or in meetings, which created a lovely atmosphere of chatting a faint clanking of plates and mugs.
Great amount of vegan options (food as well as drinks) along with a huge drinks menu with smoothie and juices as well as iced coffee. The largest selection of food. However- this is the first coffee chain I stumbled across, and I think it is so important to support local.
The coffee was so yummy and was £2.90 but in my opinion a lot more chocolate based than coffee- would have made a great hot chocolate. The food was priced around £4/£5 which is pretty decent. Unfortunately the aesthetics were poor- if it wasn't for the flood of light, I probably wouldn't have been so attracted to it and the lighting is bad for pics.
Coffee – 3.5/5
Aesthetics – 2.5/5
Price – 3/5
Food – 4/5
Of course, there are plenty of other coffee shops in Coventry, and sometimes you can’t beat a cheap refillable hot drink in spoons or a £1 refillable filter coffee at The Phoenix, but these are the coffee houses that interested me the most.
Was it worth it? FOR SURE. Everyone needs a great list of coffee places for a catch up or to get head down in some work, and it’s nice to be reminded there’s some really sweet pretty looking independent coffee shops in dreary ol’ Cov. After all that caffeine, I’m off for a well earned nap.