In coating with two slits of a coating slit and a recovering slit, by optimizing the slit clearance of the coating slit and the recovering slit, a coating layer with a very small and even thickness can be obtained. In a coating apparatus in which after a coating liquid is applied to a web to excess through the coating slit, a desired amount of coating liquid is applied to the web by scraping off an excess of coating liquid with a recovering slit, there is provided a slit clearance adjusting device for adjusting the slit clearance of the recovering slit.