Heading to Birmingham for the weekend? Why not hit the city like homegrown hipsters and make for all the coolest bars, restaurants and coffee shops?
Here’s our guide to making like locals on a weekend in this increasingly trendy Midlands city.
1. Spotlight
If you and your friends love to hang out, listen to live bands, and eat unusual foods, you’re in the right place. You get all of this and more at the Spotlight in arty Digbeth.
Nestled in a Victorian railway arch for added authenticity, the single-room event space and bar is furnished with cherry red Chesterfield sofas and sturdy industrial tables. This is the place locals head to after work on a Friday as Digbeth Dining Club serve up delicious street food.
Book yourselves into our Travelodge Birmingham Central for a comfortable king-size bed at the end of the night.
2. The Victoria
Cosier and a little less high-volume than Spotlight, The Victoria is a theatre pub that’s been serving locals since the end of the 19th century. It’s rumoured that one of the regulars loved the place so much he decided to stick around and haunt the place, often being sighted near the bar in the early hours of the morning (the Vicky’s open till 2am on Fridays and Saturdays).
These days the décor features vintage lampshades made from bowler hats and plenty of bunting. Brush up on your craft beer knowledge, because you’ll want to test the range here. Sourdough pizzas will satisfy mass hunger too, before you head downstairs for the free music and events by night.
Hipsters love a good cup of coffee and they don’t come much better than this. The baristas at Urban Coffee Company take their brew seriously and will be willing to talk you through the range on offer, so you can find the perfect cup for your needs – or just show off to your friends.
The cakes and sandwiches are equally delicious and the atmosphere is laid-back and relaxed.
Our Travelodge Birmingham Central Moor Street is not far away, so you can roll out of bed and straight to this coffee heaven.
4. Head to the Custard Factory
Fancy picking up some new threads to make your friends back home wish they’d come along?
Head to the Custard Factory, a super-cool mix of boutique shopping, galleries and event spaces.
Affectionately labelled Birmingham’s ‘creative quarter’, this area of town bustles with artistic events and workshops. Shops include plenty of vintage offerings plus some fashionable young designers and artists.
A little lower-key than the Custard Factory, the non-profit Midlands Art Centre offers cinema, theatre, exhibitions, courses and markets to keep the most creative and artistic of hipsters entertained. There’s also a great café and and bar so you can grab a bite to eat while you enjoy the sights and sounds of Birmingham’s art scene.
