I’ve lived in the Midlands my whole life and spend most weekends in Birmingham. I love this city and feel so lucky to live close by. If you’ve never visited before (or even if you have!) keep reading for my guide on how to spend a weekend in Birmingham.
If you’re not local to the area, there are plenty of hotels in Birmingham which are ideal for a short break. Travelling by train? You might find it easiest to stay near New Street. Alternatively, the Jewellery Quarter is only a 25-minute walk or 10-minute tram ride from Grand Central, and is home to some beautiful bars and restaurants.
Things to do
Birmingham is great for shopping. The Bullring is home to some of my favourite high street stores, including Topshop, H&M and New Look. You also won’t want to miss the brand new Primark - the largest in the world!
On a sunny day I would recommend taking a trip out to Cannon Hill Park. It's only a 10-minute drive (or taxi ride) from the city centre, and they have fun activities such as mini golf. There's even cute little swan boats you can take out onto the lake.
Cadbury World is only a 30-minute train journey from New Street station. Most of the attraction is inside, so it's ideal for a rainy or overcast day. I've been around 5 times (at least twice as a kid, once in my late-teens and twice as an adult). Me and my sisters visited recently with my niece and nephew (aged 4 and 8) and had such a fun day out.
There's so many interactive activities for kids to get involved in. On certain days (for example bank holidays) you can also meet Cadbury characters such as Freddo the Frog and Caramel Bunny.
For something a little different, check out Ghetto Golf in Digbeth. Located in the Custard Factory, it combines mini golf with street art and cocktails. It's extremely popular so booking in advance is essential (it's also strictly for over 18s).
Where to eat
Birmingham has all your usual chain restaurants, but if you're like me you might want to try unique or independent places (I always try to do this when I visit a new city). Luckily Birmingham has plenty of choice!
For a quick bite, I really like Holy Moly Macaroni in Grand Central. If you don't like mac 'n' cheese then this probably isn't the place for you, but if you do then you won't be disappointed. They even do a vegan mac 'n' no-cheese, made from a lightly spiced tomato sauce (pictured above).
For the best burgers in Brum, head to Original Patty Men in Digbeth. If you like craft beer then make sure you check out KILDER bar next door. Digbeth Dining Club is also worth a visit for some of the best street food in the UK. It takes place every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Digbeth in general is a really cool place to hang out. It's also where you'll find The Old Crown, which has existed since 1368, making it the oldest pub in Birmingham!
A short drive (or taxi ride) outside the city centre is The Plough in Harbourne, which serves delicious pizzas and a decent Sunday roast. I also LOVE their brunch menu. It can be busy so it's recommended to book a table in advance, especially if you're looking to go for Sunday lunch.
If meat ain't your thing, make sure you check out my previous blog post for my favourite vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants in Birmingham.
Nightlife
Unless you're looking to go clubbing until the early hours of the morning, I would avoid Broad Street, especially on a Friday/Saturday evening. It's fine for a hen do or stag night, but there are much nicer places to go in Brum.
One of my favourite areas in Birmingham is John Bright Street. It's ideal for a pub crawl; start at BrewDog, then work your way down to The Victoria, stopping off at Cherry Reds and/or Turtle Bay on the way.
Another of my favourites bars is Tilt, a hidden gem located at in the City Arcade just off Corporation Street. Who would have thought that pinballs and pints make such a perfect combination! Although they're known for serving craft beer, they also serve other drinks, including tea and coffee.
I'm also a big fan of the Jewellery Quarter. Some of my favourite pubs/bars include:
- The Lord Clifden - not sure how to describe this one other than it's a good pub with a great atmosphere!
- Button Factory - cool vibe and also has a roof garden if the weather is nice
- 1000 Trades - probably my favourite bar in the JQ. Great selection of craft beer and they have regular special events such as live music and guest chefs in the kitchen
- Ana Rocha - amazing cocktails set inside an art gallery
Have you ever visited Birmingham? If you're looking for any other recommendations on things to do in Brum, please feel free to drop me a tweet @samgriffblog!
Hotels.com very kindly gifted me spending money for this blog post, however all views (including love of Birmingham) are my own.
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I've not been to Birmingham in a seriously long time, so thank you for this! You had me at Cadbury World! What a treat that would be. I'm not a clubber, so I'll be avoiding Broad Street on Friday and Saturday night!
I've never been to Birmingham but it seems like somewhere I would love to visit, especially Cadbury World x
I's been to Birmingham a few times. The shopping is really good and I like the canal area. Birmingham has more canals than Venice. Cadbury's World is worth a visit especially if you have kids too.
Yes I remember hearing Birmingham has more canals than Venice! When I worked in Birmingham (up until a couple of years ago) I used to go for walks along the canal on my lunch break x
Birmingham is somewhere with so much to do isn't it? The shops are lovely to look around, so many different places to eat and of course the theatres offer some wonderful things to see too!
Aww I love this post about Birmingham so much! I didn't know about the pinball bar, that's so cool! I'll definitely have to pay that a visit at some point.
Birmingham has some lovely little places popping up here and there! ;D
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I've only ever been to Birmingham for the day so never realised there was so much to do! I may have to take the kids for a weekend over the summer. I reckon they'd LOVE Cadbury World :)
Louise x
I was recently in Birmingham and spotted Ghetto Golf and thought that it looked a cool place to go, as did the digbeth dining club.
I love shopping at the Bullring, but sadly there are no clothing shops that fit me there. It is still cool though,
Another suggestion to visit is Le Keux; a vintage salon with magical stylists. Also based in the Custard Factory,
Ooo I've not heard of Le Keux, thanks for the suggestion!
I would love to go to Cadbury’s even though I’m dairy free its one of those places that has seemed magical since I was a kid! Xxx
Birmingham is my local city, and I love it! There's so much to do, you've picked out some fab bits here!
I would to go to Ghetto Golf, I went to a similar place in Manchester and it's good fun! x
Dear Sam, I am happy to see how you enjoy your surroundings.
I personally invite you to visit India. I am sure you will discover peace and a great set of culture which will be completely different from Birmingham.
Be free to mail me if you ever wish to come to Hyderabad.
I never thought to pop Birmingham on my bucket list but I think I might now! This looks so good!!
Fab post for someone who's never visited Birmingham. I had no idea there is so much to do, which is a bit ignorant of me really, since it's a city!
The statue of the bull looks amazing - I love public art like that.
Thanks for sharing.
You are very welcome, I'm glad you found it interesting!
You had me at "vegan mac ‘n’ no-cheese"! I'm going to have to take a trip up to Birmingham very soon.
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