Birmingham is the perfect place for anyone who loves food, there's so much on offer across the city, nearly every big chain you can think of has a restaurant here, but more than that the city is teeming with cosy pubs and small independent eateries which leave Brummies spoilt for choice. In this post I'm going to run through a few of my favourite foodie spots in the city, the list is by no means exhaustive and I'm discovering new places all the time, but this just gives a little taste of the huge range on offer.
TAPAS REVOLUTION - GRAND CENTRAL
First and foremost, Tapas Revolution. I honestly feel like I end up in here every time I pop into town, but I can't help it, everything on the menu is so good! The first time I ate here was in first year and ever since I've been recommending it to anyone who will listen, and constantly trying to convince everyone to come with me.
Although Tapas Revolution is part of a small chain it has a really authentic and friendly atmosphere, and with 50% student discount off food and drink on Monday and Tuesday it won't break the bank either.
Top Dishes: Patatas Bravas (roast potatoes dressed with sauce), Torreznos con Mojo Dulce (crispy sweet and spicy pork), Croquetas de Jamon (deep fried ham and béchamel croquettes).
THE WHITE SWAN - EDGBASTON
The White Swan in Edgbaston is a really lovely pub, its one of those slightly nicer places which I always tend to take family when they visit. I've been here three times and each meal has completely hit the spot. One of my favourite things on the menu is their roast dinners, they come with all the trimmings and a choice of meats, it's the best substitute for when you're missing a home cooked Sunday lunch.
Also, its worth noting that the rest of the menu is equally delicious, think classic gastropub food and warm hearty desserts.
GRAND CENTRAL KITCHEN - CITY CENTRE
Now this one is a bit different, but Grand Central Kitchen is well renowned for having one of the best cooked breakfasts in Brum. From the outside the restaurant doesn't look like much, but the quality of food is second to none. In theory a full english should be easy to get right, but it often ends up being greasy and unappealing, this couldn't be further from the case at Grand Central Kitchen. Everything is made fresh to order and portion sizes are really generous, especially considering the low price point.
Grand Central Kitchen also does a great range of paninis and sandwiches which has made it a firm favourite for those working in the city.
THE PLOUGH - HARBORNE
I've only visited The Plough once but I'm happy to say it lived up to the hype. I had dinner here a couple of weeks ago with work and tried one of the toasted Cubano sandwiches which was absolutely delicious. I had the paprika spiced chicken sandwich which came with chips and a side salad. Again the portion size was really generous - I couldn't even finish it -and the varied flavours of the dish were well combined.
All I can say is I can't believe that I left it until final year to try this place, I'll be back again soon perhaps for 2-For-1 pizza Mondays or burger Tuesdays, although it'll be hard to resist ordering that Cubano again.
CIELO - BRINDLEY PLACE
I've visited Cielo three times now, most recently for my boyfriend's graduation meal in July. Cielo is the most upscale of all the restaurants I've included, but it makes the perfect place for a special meal. Each time we've been here the staff have really made us feel really special, nothing is too much trouble and the food is consistently exquisite.
All of this is not to say it is out of a students price range; two of the times when I've visited I was eating from the fixed menu, with this offer you can get three courses for under £20 which is absolutely worth it considering the service, exclusive atmosphere and outstanding food.
DIGBETH DINING CLUB - DIGBETH
Now for a special mention, Digbeth Dining Club is arguably the best place to get a taste of Birmingham's independent food scene. It runs on Thursday's, Fridays and Saturdays each week and there's usually a rotation of different traders, with a couple who are there for the whole month. The food here is definitely worth making a special journey for, you're almost guaranteed something amazing and there's tonnes of choice so its great for groups. DDC has become incredibly successful and provided a platform for some small traders to launch their own restaurant, such as Holy Moly Macaroni.
Digbeth Dining Club also made their debut at UoB this year by bringing five stalls to Xplosion, hopefully next year they will be back and bigger than ever.
I hope this post has given you a good idea of all the amazing food you can find in Brum, as I said this really is only a small selection of the places I've managed to visit so far, and I'm hoping to tick a lot more off my list before I graduate this summer. If you do end up trying any of these restaurants I'd love to hear how you found it, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message on instagram.
Thanks for reading,
Molly
I think most of my fellow final years can relate to the feeling of their time at Uni just flying by. It seems like no time at all since I was nervously moving into my first year halls and yet I’m now well into my third year. All this has got me thinking about everything I want to do before it’s my turn to don the cap and gown. Don’t get me wrong I’ve done so much over the past two years but there’s always those things which I never get around to doing, and I want this year to be the one where I find time to do the things I’ve been putting off and make lots of memories of my last year.So, here are 10 things I’m hoping to tick off my final year bucket list;
By the time July comes around I hope to be able to look back at this list and have ticked off most things, if not everything. But for now stay tuned on my insta to see how I get on…Thanks for reading!
1. Explore more of the Birmingham foodie scene.
Birmingham has so much to offer in the way of food, I honestly feel spoilt for choice in the number of different restaurants spread across the city. Grabbing dinner with my friends or boyfriend is one of my favourite things to do, and if I’m struggling to decide on where to go I take to Instagram to see where local bloggers like @Birmingham_eats have visited lately.2. See more of Digbeth
Similarly, Digbeth is one of the most interesting aspects of Birmingham, it’s full of unique restaurants and bars, vintage shops and has an amazing street art scene. I never really ventured into Digbeth until second year when Ghetto Golf first opened, I also made my first visit to Digbeth Dining Club last month, it was only then that I realised how much is actually going on in Digbeth, and how much more I still have to see.3. Do something memorable.
The Uni bubble is home to everything weird and wonderful, it provides the opportunity to make once in a lifetime memories with your friends whilst still having the safety net of uni support. Later this month I’m going to be getting involved myself by taking part in Carnival Rag’s hitchhiking challenge, myself and my housemates will get dropped 100 miles from Birmingham and have to hitchhike our way home all while raising money for some amazing charities. Stay tuned on my Instagram to see how this goes!4. Improve my photography skills
This is a pretty simple one, I’ve been involved with photosoc (and a couple other societies) since first year but this year I really want to make an effort to become more involved and take every opportunity to attend events and learn new things. Some of the things they teach you would cost hundreds of pounds to learn in private courses so now is the time to make the most of their expertise.5. Take a walk in Lickey Hills
Lickey Hills is a country park just a short train ride away from uni, I’ve wanted to go since first year but for some reason I’ve never made it. Taking some time away from uni and getting some gentle exercise always leaves me feeling really refreshed, plus it’s always good to branch out and see more of your local area.6. Take advantage of the Birmingham music scene
Birmingham is an amazing place for live music, as a big city with two huge arenas we get all the big tours coming here, which isn’t a luxury I have in my home town. As well as that, there’s loads of smaller venues which have a more intimate feel and are great for seeing smaller artists. This year I’ve already seen Tom Grennan at the 02 Academy and in December I’ll be seeing Hozier for the first time too!7. See a comedy show
I’ve never actually been to a comedy show, one of my housemates recently went to one in to one in town recently and since then I’ve been wanting to go. One of the beauties of being in a big city is there’s always something like this going on and I’ll probably be needing a good laugh when my deadlines are looming come April.8. Go to a crazy bingo event
This ones a bit difficult to explain (give it a google) but once you understand what it is I’m sure you’ll be wanting to go. As I said, uni is the home of the weird and wonderful, and what better to epitomise that than the bingo phenomenon sweeping student cities. I already have tickets for Bingo Lingo’s launch night in Birmingham, and if the hype is to be believed then I’m in for a rather interesting night.9. Challenge myself to cook more interesting meals
In first year I could not cook, at all. But over the last two years I feel I have really upped my ability (though you might be better to ask my housemates for a more impartial opinion. I’ve also been gifted many a cookbook which I am slowly working my way through, I think the cherry on top will be if I manage to help cook a house Christmas dinner – then you can call me an adult.10. Take a trip with my housemates
Now this has already been discussed on a few occasions, and I am really hoping we can fix a date for it soon. My housemates and I have been throwing around the idea of going for a weekend away to another city in the UK, we’re thinking of somewhere with good night life, as well as lots of shopping and of course good food. I think this would be such a fun way to round off final year so fingers crossed we can make it happen.By the time July comes around I hope to be able to look back at this list and have ticked off most things, if not everything. But for now stay tuned on my insta to see how I get on…Thanks for reading!
Molly
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