Playwrights, situated in the cobbled streets of the picturesque Coventry Cathedral Quarter, is an independently owned bistro. My boyfriend and I went for a romantic dinner on Friday night, but they also do breakfast, lunch, and catering for special occasions.

Braised lamb shank

As a starter, we shared the duck liver, pork & cognac pate, red onion jam on toast. For mains, we both chose the braised lamb shank with roasted garlic & rosemary potatoes, sautéed beans & pan gravy. It didn’t disappoint … at all! The lamb was incredibly soft and perfectly accompanied by the gravy. My boyfriend, who usually isn’t the biggest sauce lover, kept pouring gravy on his veggies and asked for a second portion. Tells you enough!

Pork belly

Note: this isn’t the braised lamb shank, but the slow-cooked belly of pork with truffle mash, braised red cabbage & red wine gravy. I forgot to take a picture of our food, whoops!

Excellent service

Although it was a busy night due to some big birthday groups, the staff was highly attentive, and both our courses arrived very quickly. A bit too fast for us but that’s a luxury you can’t complain about, right?

I would advise booking a table in advance because Playwrights is a popular restaurant in Coventry, especially when you’re eating with more than two. We were very lucky to get a table without a reservation!

I couldn’t imagine a more ideal place than Playwrights for our first date night since studying abroad – hooray for long-distance relationships! If my student budget allowed it, I would certainly visit Playwrights more often. For now, I’ll have to wait until another special occasion arises. Mom and dad, when are you visiting?

Picture header © Elliot Brown