Top 3 Big Eats in the City | Birmingham

Welcome to Birmingham; a multi-cultural hive of great people, great culture and most importantly, great food. This week, Mankind took to the heart of England to find you hungry lot some foodie faves, and trust us, you won’t be disappointed. Just when you thought your weekend couldn’t get any better, we present you with: FOOD.

1. Chamberlains (8 Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury, Birmingham, B68 0LH)

Being the heart of England and all, we thought we’d start off with some stereotypically British grub. Nothing feels better on the weekend than ‘two finger saluting’ the week from hell and noshing on some fish and chips as a well-deserved pat on the back. Not just any fish and chips though. Chamberlains is the only way. Family run, multi award winning and rated 5 stars for Food Safety and Hygiene (yes, it really is a chippy!) the modern takeaway not only serves you up the lightest, crispiest fish, chips, Bowkett pies and veggie options, but also offers you a completely unique eat-in restaurant experience too!

All images sourced from @ChamberlainsB68 Twitter

If you’re expecting a typical chippy with precooked fish and pies slowly festering behind some hot glass, then you’ll be disappointed. Chamberlains cook everything to order so that your grub is hot and fresh, and the best bit: they cook it all in rich beef dripping. No joke. Which can only mean one thing: snow white fish dressed in amazingly golden, crispy, batter and golden batons of potato-y goodness. Yes please. They’re really accommodating though and will cook in vegetable oil if you ask nicely. They even do gluten free options and run dedicated gluten free events. Expect cod, haddock and calamari with black pudding fritters, cheese and onion pies and chip butties.

Not just a takeaway for that quick Friday dash, they also have a restaurant with trained chefs cooking up starters, mains and desserts. How about fish pies, cod and mackerel scotch eggs, bread and butter pudding and chocolate fudge cake?

It’s evident these guys serve up nothing but quality in terms of food, atmosphere and prices – good on yer!

Cone of chips please?!

2. Suriya (426 Kingstanding Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, B44 9SA)

Another one to impress that girl at work. Birmingham has a fantastic choice of Indian restaurants but nothing really beats the quality and ambience at Suriya. Serving up Indian and Pan Asian tasties, you’ll find it in the heart of Birmingham, but still far enough away from the hustle and bustle for a date-worthy experience. Combining ancient traditions and authentic flavours, you’ll probably forget that you’re actually in a restaurant in the West Midlands. Using only fresh and natural ingredients, you’ll be spoilt for choice with a range of fragrant curries and house specialities infused with lemon, peppered with onions and garnished with glazed cherry tomatoes. One of our faves has to be the chef’s recommendation ‘Sali Gost’ – a hot and spicy lamb dish ‘extensively prepared with fenugreek and cumin and garnished with potato straws.’ We like us a bit of heat at Mankind.

It’s actually illegal to eat at an Indian restaurant without ordering sides and a naan. Did you know that? Don’t get yourself arrested. Make sure you try their sweet Peshwari Naan, Onion Bhajis saturated in cool, minty sauce or mango chutney and their tender Fish Tikka.

3. Boston Tea Party (190 Corporation St, City Centre, Birmingham, B4 6QD)

Breakfasts, bagels, burgers, pancakes, sandwiches, homemade cakes, afternoon tea. Wow. Just wow. How on earth have we only just discovered this beaut of a venue?! Situated right in the heart of the city on Corporation Street, Boston Tea Party is the perfect option for lazy, hung-over Sundays and chilled out sessions. With a mission ‘to serve simple & well-prepared food & drinks made with great ingredients, skill & love’, the ethically aware café serve you the best food and drinks from scratch onsite every day, with ingredients strictly sourced from the West Country. Housed inside an impressive looking old building, it’s kind of weird (in a good way) to enter and be greeted by modern local artwork, an American diner style tiled floor and industrial pipes and lighting.

All images sourced from @BTPcafes Twitter

So let’s get to the good bit. What and when can you eat? Well, quite simply, everything and all day. If it’s early (or even if it isn’t) why not try a plate full of applewood smoked bacon, scrambled eggs with tomato and basil and traditional pork sausage? Or a Cornish Stack with white pudding, fried bread topped with gruyere cheese and garlic and thyme mushrooms? Spot on. If you’re being dragged around the shops, you can always stop off in the afternoon for a Pulled Pork Wrap, Burger with Bacon and Cheddar or our personal fave, the ‘Get Your Goat, You’ve Pulled’ sandwich (it has nothing to do with the name, honest).

Stocked to the brim with homemade cakes, you can treat your mum to afternoon tea and snaffle yourself some baked cheesecake. This place really is top notch. We could literally doss there all day and eat everything. Starting with the famous Egg and Bacon tart…GO!