Stretched & Fired in Coventry

Our first time on Saturday 17th, had such a good night. The food was excellent, really well thought out menu and a great experience.

Fantastic food and the staff were brilliant. Highly recommended.

We have visited twice this year with the aim of making our lives easier ahead of seeing a show, travelling from out of town. Both times Benugo's dreadful service has made things more difficult. We wrote the first experience off as a bad day. The second was just as bad so we won't be bothering again. Both times we got there for 5pm to beat the pre show rush. The first time there were three of us. They brought out two people's mains. Never returned to the table. I had to physically get up and approach one of the oblivious staff, aimlessly wandering in between the tables. We were basically told it was our fault, until a manager finally intervened at which point the meal was prepared and not charged. The second time, with the restaurant close to empty, we were left standing waiting to be seated inexplicably for 10 minutes while the zombie staff marched up and down between tables serving no-one and doing nothing. I took a few steps towards seating myself at one of their many empty tables and one of them sprang into life. The rest of the meal was promisingly uneventful barring a few very minor gripes. The food was just slightly better than okay (although when you're charging £18 for sausage and mash I think it ought to be incredible). The our plates were cleared. We were not offered the dessert menu, as they were cleared. We did - at this point - want the dessert menu. We expected the server would return shortly. They did not. We were never offered the menu or the bill despite sitting there over 30 minutes after our plates had been taken. Once again I had to take matters into my own hands and stand at the bar amongst the gaggle of employed but jobless staff members. I gruffly explained, when one of thel noticed me, the reasons for my dissatisfaction - and that we had planned on dessert but would not now give them our custom. They suggested taking the service charge off the bill, which I accepted. On the two visits: Food - Acceptable Pricing - Unacceptable Service - The Pits This is not the place for a quick pre-show bite - even at two hours out, you risk them making you late for the performance. Given that its housed inside the arts centre, you have to wonder why they're there.

Food was great, and the service was exceptional. Highly recommend

Great atmosphere, food was delicious, staff was polite.