Local Area

There is plenty to do in the local area around the University of Warwick, as well as a little further afield if you take advantage of the good public transport links. All of the unique places to visit and eat/drink out are suggested by those living in the local area.

Dietary Requirements

The eateries listed cater to a range of dietary requirements and span a wide range of cuisines. If you do have any dietary requirements/allergies, please make sure to check their websites, menus and/or phone for more information. Each one has been labelled with an indicator of what they cater to, but please do ensure to double-check before going. Additionally, you can check out the Glass Onion app (lists allergens on selected pub's menus) and the Happy Cow website (lists vegetarian and vegan restaurants).

Key: V = Vegetarian; VE = Vegan; GF = Gluten Free; GFC = Gluten Free, specifically catering to celiacs

Coventry

Coventry is a busy city in the West Midlands, the presence of two Universities transforming it into a student city with a wide range of different cultures. It was heavily bombed during World War II and subsequently rebuilt, including St. Michael's Cathederal. It was awarded UK City of Culture for 2021.

Places to consider visiting:

• 📍 Coventry Cathedral - After being rebuilt in 1962, Coventry Cathedral became a major tourist attraction - you can walk around the Cathedral, climb the tower, and they have a Blitz museum too.

• 📍 The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum - just a stone's throw away from Coventry Cathedral, this is the perfect place to delve into Coventry’s history and engage with art and culture. Their permanent galleries range from the Visual Arts to Social and Industrial History, Archaeology and Natural History – there is something for every visitor.

• 📍 Coventry Transport Museum - housing the largest publicly owned collection of British vehicles on the planet, Coventry Transport Museum tells the story of a city which changed the world through transport. Visitors can expect captivating displays, interactive galleries, and highly immersive exhibitions.

• 📍 FarGo Village - an artistically repurposed industrial space in Coventry City Centre, designed exclusively for creative, independent businesses and like-minded visitors. They host an eclectic mix of over 40 independent businesses, including a craft brewery, artisan food, vegan shop, printing, a museum dedicated to Sgt Bilko and a dedicated street food hall.

• 📍 Coventry Watch Museum - "a really interesting little museum run by a group of volunteers. And it's not just about watches - there is also quite a bit of general information in there about the history of Coventry, especially during the watchmaking period (it was one of the main industries in Coventry). It's also located in an authentic old building." Open 2 days a week, Tuesday and Saturday, from 11am-3pm.

• 📍 War Memorial Park - a large park of about 48.5 hectares, opened in July 1921 as a tribute to the Coventrians who died fighting in the First World War. The park's facilities include football pitches, bowling greens, a small golf course, tennis courts, a splash and play area, an aviary for small birds, and a skate board area, but it mainly comprises large open green areas with many trees and shrubberies.

Food and drink:

• 🍴 Shin Japanese Kitchen and Bar - Japanese kitchen with unique, arty decor, featuring a menu of ramen, sushi and other Japanese dishes [V, minimal VE options].
• 🍴 Jinseon Korean BBQ - choose-your-own fresh meat and seafood for ventilated tabletop grilling (booking recommended) [minimal V and GF options].
• 🍴 Habibi - lovingly home-cooked Palestinian food in a comfortable arabic-style restaurant setting [V].
• 🍴 Dirty Kitch - bringing the big flavours of home-style southern cooking to the UK, keeping it 100% vegan. Home of the best vegan fried chick'n in the land (located in FarGo Village) [VE, GFC].
• 🍺 Twisted Barrel Ale Brewery and Tap House - an artisan vegan brewery making handcrafted, flavourful beer in small batches (located in FarGo Village) [VE].

Kenilworth

A quiet market town home to the ruins of Kenilworth Castle and Abbey.

Places to consider visiting:

• 📍 Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden - a vast medieval fortress that endured a famous siege and later became an Elizabethan palace, Kenilworth Castle is among Britain’s biggest historical sites. We will be hosting a trip here as part of the NAM Social Calendar!

• 📍 Abbey Fields - grassy slopes, wildflower meadows, a lake, historic buildings, veteran trees and the ruins of St Mary's Abbey can all be found in the 68 acres of Abbey Fields, as well as a swimming pool, tennis courts and outdoor gym equipment. On Wednesday 13 July, there is a late evening Bat Walk planned!

• 📍 The Kenilworth Market - occurring every Thursday, 9am-3pm, Kenilworth market is a great opportunity to shop in a vibrant open-air setting. Choose from stalls selling everything from fresh fruit and vegetables, plants, fresh baking, fish and clothing, to gifts & food specialities.

• 📍 Kenilworth Common - a Local Nature Reserve with trails to walk and plenty of wildlife to observe.

• 📍 Faerie-Tale Alpacas - a small farm located on a picturesque 15 acres, they have been breeding alpacas since 2008 and offer bookable "alpaca experiences."

Food and drink:

• 🍴 Virgins & Castle - 16th-century pub with a heated garden, serving traditional pub food [VE, GF].
• 🍴 The Queen & Castle - gastropub with a seasonal British and Mediterranean menu (located next to Kenilworth Castle) [V, VE].
• 🍴 Tambayan - a neighbourhood kitchen & bar serving authentic Filipino food and a selection of drinks [V, GF, minimal VE].

Warwick

Warwickshire’s county town is world famous for its magnificent castle and historic charm.

Places to consider visiting:

• 📍 Warwick Castle - dazzling shows and attractions, heaps of gruesome history and awesome birds of prey, all set within 64 acres of beautiful grounds and gardens make Warwick Castle a fun, action-packed day out for everyone.

• 📍 St. Nicholas Park - broad swathes of grass, floral displays, riverside walks, boating, amusements, crazy golf, outdoor paddling pool, tennis, football courts, children’s play areas, a cafe and a leisure centre.

Food and drink:

• 🍴 Dough and Brew - sourdough pizzas and housemade pasta dishes, craft beer and wine [V, VE, GF].
• 🍴 The Chip Shed - traditional fish and chip shop dishes and comfort food [V, GFC].
• 🍴 Il Piccolinos - Sicilian and Italian family-run restaurant and pizzeria (also has a location in Leamington Spa) [V].

Royal Leamington Spa

Wide boulevards, stunning architecture and award-winning parks provide a sophisticated backdrop to this Regency town.

Places to consider visiting:

• 📍 The Parade - walk along the main road through the centre of the town, forming the central shopping hub, with the Pump Rooms and Jephson Gardens to the south end.

• 📍 Jephson Gardens - a beautiful park in the centre of Leamington Spa, with lots of colourful flowerbeds and interesting sculptures it's the perfect place for a picnic. It also hosts a Glasshouse, a tea pavilion, and a Boat Centre.

Food and drink:

• 🍴 Hayashi - sushi, sashimi & other Japanese classics, plus bento boxes (booking recommended) [V, VE].
• 🍴 Kayal - curry house serving Kerala Backwater Cuisine [V, VE, GF].
• 🍴 Fizzy Moon Brewhouse & Grill - casual pub with a beer garden offering drinks & comfort food [V, minimal VE and GF].
• 🍴 Elma - hearty Mediterranean & Turkish cuisine [V, some VE, GF].
• 🍴 Wofon Noodle Bar - a modern noodle bar featuring a fantastic selection of oriental styled noodle and rice dishes plus a great choice of starters and side dishes [V].
• 🍴 King Baba - Indian curry house offering a menu of traditional cuisine. Bring your own drinks! [V]
• 🍴 The White Horse - large pub with a heated beer garden serving ale, cider and pub food [V, minimal VE].

Stratford-upon-Avon

A medieval market town that developed alongside the banks of the River Avon, and the 16th-century birthplace of William Shakespeare.

Places to consider visiting:

• 📍 The Royal Shakespeare Theatre - a listed building, this theatre is owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and is dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. There are theatre tours and shows; on the week of NAM, they are performing Richard III.

• 📍 Shakespeare's Birthplace - visit William Shakespeare’s childhood home in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon. Hear tales of Shakespeare’s family life and get up close to objects from the Trust’s world class collections as you discover how the extraordinary playwright continues to shape our lives today.

• 📍 The River Avon - there are a number of boating companies that offer sightseeing canal and river cruises up and down the Avon (Canal and River Tours, Avon Boating, Bancroft Cruisers and the Countess of Evesham).

• 📍 The Butterfly Farm - come rain or shine enjoy the unique pleasure of discovering hundreds of the world’s most beautiful butterflies flying in an exotic environment of tropical blossom with splashing waterfalls and fish filled pools.

• 📍 The MAD (Mechanical Art and Design) Museum - this quirky attraction displays interactive pieces of mechanical art, in particular; kinetic art and automata. If you’re not quite sure what mechanical art is all about, think of the machines and gizmos used in Wallace and Gromit, Scrapheap Challenge and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In a nutshell, mechanical art is usually beautifully crafted, moving sculptures either made to have an exaggerated purpose or made simply for the fun of it.

Food and drink:

• 🍴 Tzatziki34 - souvlaki and gyros, very casual.
• 🍴 El Greco - Greek dishes and mezze in a 2-storey restaurant [V, VE, GFC].
• 🍴 Dirty Duck - 18th-century pub (formerly known as The Black Swan) on the waterside of the River Avon, popular with actors and serving pub food [V, VE].
• ☕ Shakespaw Cat Cafe - a relaxed environment serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea surrounded by our beloved moggies [VE and GF available on request].

Birmingham

The second most populous UK city, Birmingham will host the Commonwealth Games just 2 weeks after NAM, and is an easy 20-minute train ride away from Coventry.

• 📍 Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - an opportunity to learn about the history of  UK's "second city" while admiring an extensive collection of 14th-21st century paintings, as well as treasures from the Staffordshire Hoard.

• 📍 Cadbury World - chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! Learn how chocolate is made, enjoy a free sample, and visit the largest Cadbury shop in the world. Definitely not just for kids.

• 📍 Jewellery Quarter  - containing the largest grouping of jewellery businesses in Europe, this compact area produce 40% of the UK's jewellery. Contains many active shops, historic buildings and museums, including the Pen museum and Coffin Works museum.

• 📍 Music, theatre and performing arts - there is no shortage of cultural exhibitions in Birmingham, from the 2,262-seat Symphony Hall, to Britain's longest-established producing house, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, to the UK's busiest single theatre, the Birmingham Hippodrome.

• 📍 Canals - forget trains, buses and cars. Explore how Birmingham, the hub of Britain's canal network since the industrial revolution, has more canals than Venice on foot or by guided narrowboat tours.

Food & Drink:

• 🍴 Balti Triangle - birthplace of the Balti curry, a Brummie classic.
• 🍴 Chinatown - a staggering selection of asian cuisines all within a 5-minute walk of one another.
• 🍺 Rooftop beer gardens - take advantage of the views while you are in the big city.
• 🍴 Michelin-starred - treat yourself to the largest collection of Michelin-starred restaurants outside of London.

Map

For ease of checking out the above recommendations, we have compiled a map with all of them included as landmarks.

Green flag markers indicate places to consider visiting; yellow/orange food markers indicate food and drink venues.

🔎 If the above map does not render in your browser, you may alternatively view the map directly.