Coventry’s Canalside cafe reopens after ‘sudden closure’

An independent canalside cafe in Coventry has now reopened for business. The Playwrights Cafe in the Canal Basin closed suddenly in January and was listed as “temporarily closed” on Google.

Now diners need not fear as the cafe has announced that it is fully open as of yesterday (May 7). The restaurant was open for a few hours over the bank holiday weekend from 9am to 1pm before returning to normal hours.

Playwrights Café offers breakfast and lunch next to the tranquil canal basin. It has developed a reputation for delicious food and a variety of vegan options since opening in August 2020. Many famous people have visited from former world snooker champion Steve Davis and The Specials singer Neville Staple.

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The Playwrights Café team wrote on Facebook on April 30: “See you next week! Unless you are this weekend, as we will have a little warm-up for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday between 9am and 1pm. The agenda is now open for bookings and we can’t wait to see you all.”

Many locals were delighted that the cafe was open again. Gill Roberts said: “Best news today. Welcome back playwrights, you’ve been missed”. Jemma Proctor added: Well, so excited to be back, I wish you the best of luck in your first few days of opening.”

The cafe has a 5-star rating on Tripadvisor. Of the 30 reviews, 29 were rated as “excellent” and one as “very good”. The restaurant also has a 4.8 star rating on Google reviews out of 237 reviews.

Sheridan Parsons said: “The Playwrights is a lovely cafe with brilliant views and lots of outdoor seating overlooking the Coventry Canal Basin. It has great coffee, well-cooked food and excellent service from experienced wait staff who seem to really care.

“We were particularly impressed with the vegan selection on the menu and some of the little touches like the homemade coleslaw and a choice of tomatoes (steak or plum).”

Clare, who visited in October, added: “Perfect from start to finish! The setting is gorgeous at the end of the canal with canoes going past. Super friendly and attentive staff. All food is cooked fresh , so hot when they arrive Everything was high quality on my plate (I had the jumbo breakfast) and I felt guilty for not eating it all.

Playwrights Café Location: Unit 12 Coventry Canal Basin, St Nicholas St, Coventry CV1 4LY. Opening time: 8:30-15:00 Tuesday to Friday, 8:30-16:00 Saturday and 9:00-15:00 Sunday.

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