The Open Arms — Restaurant in Coventry

The staff couldn't be more friendly and helpful. We were accommodated at short notice having been let down by another venue. Having ordered in advance the meal appeared when we had all arrived without any fuss or bother. I couldn't fault my lamb shank : I would certainly have struggled to cook it as well as this. The rest of us seemed to enjoy what was delivered so no concerns here. The cost of drinks at the bar surprised me as I paid far less than I have recently in similar venues. Service at the bar and of the meals was very efficient. Although making little difference to the flavour, the presentation of the puddings let them down. My profiteroles were pleasant to eat but were poorly presented as were some of the other puddings. A little attention to presentation and the use of suitable dishes in which to serve the puddings would go a long way. Similarly, there is no shame in serving frozen vegetables but care should be taken to ensure they are properly cooked otherwise the game is up. Green beans for one do not freeze well and need a good deal of cooking out of the freezer to taste good. Mine were hot enough but weren't convincing. You would be hard pressed to come away dissatisfied if what we were served is typical of the Open Arms but a attention to a few details could elevate the...

We went here for my daughter's birthday as it's known for their good food. We were a bit disappointed to be honest. One of the meals was supposed to arrive as bacon and mushroom carbonara. When it arrived there was no bacon or mushroom. I queried it and they thought we wanted the plain carbonara, only to be told there was no mushroom and they would put some bacon on. By the time it arrived some of the pasta had got cold. No one asked if we were ok with it.

My daughter enjoyed the bacon and said it made up for it. However, we had rang ahead to enquire if they were serving food and they told us the only thing they didn't have was the roast chicken dinner.

It's a relaxed atmosphere. They want to be helpful. If I had asked them to replace the meal with a fresh one I'm sure they would have done. Probably my own fault for not requesting this. I really don't want to rate them any less than 5 stars because I feel they would have corrected things had I have asked.

I would visit here again. I think they should think of offering the option of a fresh meal under these circumstances and not add it to the pasta 15 minutes after it was...

We have been visiting The Open Arms much more recently because the menu, particularly that for vegetarians and vegans has improved markedly. Thank you for that!

However, this evening, being warm and pleasant seemed just right for eating in the pub garden. Unfortunately, even though we had booked a table and one or two tables were free outside, it was impossible to get away from tobacco smoke, even in the one designated non-smoking table. This is very difficult for non-smokers. There is a large covered area of tables for smokers in the winter time, that also gets heated. Good! That's where smoking ought to be kept to. However, this evening , all but the one outside table had ashtrays, indicating that every one of those tables was a smoking table. We were forced to sit inside.

This is a matter of principle. Smoking kills and so does second-hand tobacco smoke outside. Those of us who value our health have had a freedom taken away from us. The Open Arms and Ember Inns need to review their policy...