A pub with no real heart.... (The Devonshire Arms (Coventry))

Member Name: xxfoxyredxx

Product:	The Devonshire Arms (Coventry)
Date:	26/08/08 (254 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice enough, clean enough and a good mix of age groups

Disadvantages: Place is a little tired, no real atmoshphere

I do like a night out in the pub. I've written a few reviews on here of late on pubs but believe me I'm not a huge drinker... honest I'm not! In fact the last time I visited this pub I had a glass of coke! I'm not always so innocent but it does depend who I go out with but quite often I go out with good friends of mine and we just natter the night away and we don't need booze to have a laugh. So I do like pubs that have a nice female friendly environment, a nice selection of drinks including wine and decent food on offer and the Devon actually ticks all the right boxes in that respect.

The Devonshire Arms....
Sewall Highway,
Wyken,
Coventry
Cv2 3nx
Telephone (024)76233914

It's about 2 and half miles away from Coventry City Centre, a bus route is situated outside pub and will take you to the main bus station in Coventry which is central alternatively a cab will cos you around £8.00.

The Look Of The Pub...

Well its situated on a main road. It's a large detached brick built pub. Lots of small windows that keep the pub light and double doors to enter. Please note that although the pub looks the same outside the benches have now gone from out the front. Parking is to the side and the back of the pub and there's plenty of it. The area is immaculate and not covered in litter and fag ends and gives a nice first impression though it does look a little tired but hey this can be a busy pub, particulary at the weekends.

2 minutes away (if that, it's just across the road) there is a really great Chinese take away, Indian, chip shop, garage, and off license so you wont starve on the way home and all of these amenities are recommended from me. As a family we always use this Chinese (we order takeaways from here) and I had some chips from the chippy the other night and they were amazing lol

So as you walk into the pub the bar area is to the side. This tends to be the locals room in the main and is very basic with a bar and a tv in there. Walk straight through the double doors and your in the lounge. Nicely carpeted with lot of dark tables, chairs, pictures on the walls and the area is light and open. It's modern but isn't trendy or pretentious in any way shape or form.

The bar is well stocked though I've never seen any offers on any drinks, personally. The bar is clean, the staff are smart and always really friendly. This isn't a cocktail bar, it's an ordinary pub so they have plenty of ales, beers and a couple of featured ales etc and they do stock a decent variety of alcopops.

I've personally never heard any music played in the pub but I'm sure there is a jukebox and there is a cigarette machine though there isn't a pool table and tv it really is a place to relax. There is a fruit machine and you can get wireless Internet access here if you need it.

The clientele are a mix of all ages. Weekends tends to be quite young in the lounge and then in the bar it's full of older regulars. In the week it tends to be alot of families in the main eating etc. The odd older couples and small groups of youngsters all mix together well. Never ever have I seen any trouble over the years here though they do have bouncers on the doors at weekends.

This place does serve food and it's pub grub. I used to eat here alot with my family but and up until a year ago it was excellent and then we totally went off it. Prices went up, portions got smaller and the service was awful. Food would not turn up, food was cold and orders just got mixed up all the time. However the food does look nice again now so maybe they've sorted the problems out. They were very understaffed when we ate there the last time to the point the chef had got her mum to come in and help!

Lots of meal deals as well such as steak and trimmings followed by strawberries and ice cream for £5.99 and these offers are always on boards outside the pub and of course on the menu (subject to change). It's simple to order food. You order and pay for it at the bar and of course over £5.00 the bar excepts all major credit cards as well.

There isn't a lot on the menu but a few main dishes, steak sizzler, scampi and stuff like that. Small amount of starters and desserts. Your looking at bout a fiver a main meal and £3.00 for kids meals of which again there is a small selection of. Teas and coffees are also available.

Of course the most important thing for us smokers is, is there a garden and yes there is one. Out the back there are a few rickerty tables and in the centre of that there is some heaters under a brolly where everyone congregates. Now when they work amazing really nice and warm and pleasure to sit outside. The area is kept clean (apart from anyone bothering to collect the glasses) but there is one major drawback. When there's loads of people sat outside yes they let you push the button for instant heat but then I've noticed when there isn't many people out there they switch them off, obviously to save money! Means me and my friend leave instantly! This is a huge drawback for me that they're more interested in saving money by tuning heaters off than making sure we stay.

Toilets are plain white and clean. Men's and women's of course and that's about it. This pub won't rock your world but if you want a quiet midweek drink and a cheap bite to eat with plenty of safe parking then this place is ok. Weekends from what I've heard has music on in the form a of a dj etc and is meant to be ok. Recommended? Well yes and no. It certainly isn't a place to avoid lets put it that way though do watch the drink prices. They are not that cheap, two glasses of diet coke (halves) are now over £3.00!

Summary: It's ok for a drink, just not an entire evening in!