Browns Independent Bar

Fun little place to have anything from a cup of tea to a Sunday Roast. Have had many a good drink and chat in Browns…

One of the few decent bar/​restaurants in Coventry. Great place for either a coffee during the day, a sunday roast, a good dinner (with lots of vegetarian options), or drinks at the weekend. The food is well priced, the drinks are slightly over-​priced.
They’ve always had a strict door policy, to keep out some of the more chavish looking groups of which there are lots in Cov. This sometimes results in false positives, which are very annoying (most people I know have been turned away at some point) but don’t believe the internet hate machines claiming racism and lack of respect to our ‘heroes’.
They messed up with the soldier’s funeral, and need to apologise and make amends to the family but I’m sure there was nothing more sinister behind it, other than a trigger happy door policy.

I would definitely recommend browns, it is a nice chilled out trouble free bar, great for a chat with mates or quiet unwind time. Check out their live acoustic nights every other Wednesday as here I have seen some of Coventry’s finest musical talent. The food is very very good and very reasonably priced although the alcoholic drinks are not the cheapest around. The door policy is Farley strict as mentioned in other reviews but they are basically just trying to maintain the relaxed trouble free atmosphere by keeping out drunk or potentially troublesome guests which is really a protection for the rest of us, There is a reason this bar has been here for so many years. Check it out for yourself

More vegetarian and vegan choices than anywhere I have ever found. The food is excellent, one of my favourite places to eat and an excellent price.
They also have a massive selection of different drinks, and do soya milk too.
Always a good atmosphere due to it’s strict entrance policy!

Not a bad place to hang out and spend some time. The food is great

Similar to other reviewers, this place has a number of sides to it. The food is excellent, as can be the atmosphere in the evenings. However, the door policy is notorious and while it keeps out the idiots it also keeps out a number of other people who just want a quiet night out in what is, from a design point of view, one of the best looking bars in Coventry. The musical taste of the place can also be a little eclectic to say the least and as a bar for the evening it has definitely gone down hill over the past couple of years. Great day time café bar though.

This has to be one of my favourite places to eat in Coventry. It has a really nice, cosy atmosphere and in the summer opens its doors and you can sit outside. The food is gorgeous and is home made, they also have lovely cakes, drinks and hot chocolates. It’s always busy and a great place to have lunch with friends.

Since this entry for Browns is in the restaurant section and not in pub, I will review for the food rather than for going there for a drink. The food is very reasonable, surprising considering the price of the beer. There is a very large menu which constantly changes, and a vegetarians dream! You can pick your own vegetables, including garlic roast potatoes, creamy leeks and cauliflower cheese, so not the usual boiled Veg, and the portions are very generous. Top marks for the food considering the price!

Food here is fantastic. Great prices, get lots and I am yet to finish everything on my plate! Vegitarian variety is best I’ve seen.
Also great to go and sit with a drink and friends.
It has great character and for the arty types.

This one is a tricky one to rate, on the good side, the food in here is absolutely great, all mains are £5.50 or specials for £6, and you get a very large plate of food for this, with an interesting changing menu and large selection of vegetarian options. On the flip side, the drinks are very expensive and there is a VERY selective letting-​in policy, which doesn’t seem to follow any sort of pattern, it seems to be whether the bouncers like the look of you on the day.

Yeah its pretty ‘cool’ I guess but if you are short on the pennies don’t have a night out in Browns! The drinks are very expensive. Overpriced in my opinion. Have myself been refused entry as I was with some people the bouncers ‘didn’t like the look of’ even though we were all dressed quite smartly and behaving normally. The food is ok, last time I went was disappointed.
The biggest plus for me is the fantastic cakes they have. Huge slices served with cream if you like, yummy with a nice pot of tea!

Used to be a really nice bar when I lived in Coventry, but since I’ve heard people saying they’ve been refused entry just because of the way they dress — which is stupid considering it’s a student city.

I remember this place being as cool a place as there was to hang out in coventry. Nearly every student went there and always said they would go again. I had some good times there. Would definately recomend it as a place for students to go to.

one of the friendliest easy going bars in town with super management really good drinks service and food please visit a must for anyone visiting coventry

Should you be fortunate enough to find yourself in Coventry, I would suggest Browns for a meal, and a beer. Located in central Coventry, in what was once a partially finished public toilet block, it has a great menu. Granted, during the evenings, when they have live music, it has a reputation of being selective in the entry requirements (with some people suggesting it is elitist towards students and alternative types — but I’m a middle-​aged rubbish dressed meat-​eating slob, and I’ve never had any issues!). I’ve not been to Browns to see any music, so couldn’t comment on the quality or atmosphere for that. For me, it’s the food, plain and simple.
If it’s 6pm, and you’re hungry, I’d strongly suggest going there. You’ll get a meal for £5.50 — £6.50 dependant on the style, and it’ll be a huge plate full too! The vegi-​options on the menu are massive, easily one of the largest choices you’ll get anywhere (the list rivals the non-​vegi options in size). The kitchen is open until 10pm, although go later, and you’ll run the risk of problems that others seem to have in getting in — although, as I say, I’ve never had an issue myself before.
For a Sunday lunch, it’s a great idea too — cheap, and wholesome food, just like you’d cook yourself (if you’re any good at cooking and have all day to prepare etc, that is). The beer options are pretty good as well — as well as the wine options.
I especially love the lasagna with cheesy cauliflower, potato with herbs and cheese, and carrots. Cheese-​overload, a massive serving, and yummy to boot! How can you beat that, for £5.50?!
It reminds me of the student run principled café at my university in Aus, which produced the same style of healthy, cheap and plentiful food (well, healthy, should you chose the healthy options!)
I’d ignore the doubters, and give it a try — the food can’t be beat. Just writing about this is making me hungry, actually!
A note about parking — if you’re there after 6pm, or on Sunday, drive down past Browns, and down the one-​way lane behind it. Take a left, past the cathedral ruins, and you’ll find free parking there — only a 2 min walk back, and easily one of the prettiest walks in Coventry too — past the old cathedral, guild hall, and some random timber-​framed 17^th century buildings.