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Sian Victoria © - Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Palm tree leaf, Edgbaston Village

How to spend a day in Birmingham

There’s always fun things to do in Birmingham, especially this time of year as there are new bars, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues popping up every week. Unlike in London, all the attractions in Birmingham are a lot easier to get to.

If you’re not local to the city or simply fancy a night away to make the most of going out, then there are plenty of hotels in Birmingham, so that you don’t have to worry about missing your last train home and can instead enjoy a stress-free overnight stay in the UK’s second city with an abundance of stylish, affordable, luxurious and family-friendly hotels to choose from.

There are so many reasons to visit Birmingham. So, for you to get a little inspiration on how to spend a day out in Birmingham I’ve handpicked just a few of my favourite independent places to visit this season to get you feeling festive.

1. Natural Bar & Kitchen

Sian Victoria © - Plant-based vegan nachos, Natural Bar & Kitchen, Birmingham

Sian Victoria © - Karma Kola, Plant-based vegan nachos, Natural Bar & Kitchen, Birmingham

With the rise in plant-based diets, the city's vegan food scene is quickly evolving. My favourite independent vegan places to eat in Birmingham are Not Dogs on Link Street within Grand Central & Bullring, The Warehouse Café in Digbeth and Natural Bar & Kitchen opposite The Mailbox.

My most recent vegan restaurant visit was to Natural Bar & Kitchen. If you are looking for Instagrammable food places to go to Birmingham, then this is the place to be!

They have matcha and beetroot lattes, delicious sugar-free desserts and a pay by the weight food service as well as a full menu, alcohol licence and regular live music within a laid-back environment.

After seeing this good-looking Nacho Plate (£6.95) on my Instagram feed I just had to go and try it for myself. It comes with corn & wheat tortillas, guacamole, cashew cheeze, salsa, jalapenos, sweetcorn and black beans.

It’s so damn good and comes without the guilt as it’s a lot healthier than your usual nacho plate overloaded with dairy cheese. For drinks, we opted for sugar-free Karma Kola (£2.90) which tastes surprisingly good.

Sian Victoria © - Christmas tofu turkey cranberry sandwich, vegan, Birmingham

Sian Victoria © - Plant-based vegan food restaurant, Natural Bar & Kitchen, Birmingham

Sian Victoria © - Plant-based vegan Ramen bowl, Natural Bar & Kitchen, Birmingham

For my main meal, I opted for the festive inspired Christmas Sandwich from the special’s menu (£7.95). It comes with tofu style turkey, cranberries, stuffing, sourdough bread, chips and cranberry jam.

While my partner went for something warm and hearty with a Ramen Bowl (£8.75) full of rice noodles, pak choi, bean sprouts, wild mushrooms, spinach, chilli and coriander. Both were flavoursome, delicious and beautifully presented.

We do ejoying visiting the Asian food places in Birmingham, so this was the first time we were able to get our hands on a fully vegan Ramen bowl with plant-based 'meat' protein instead of extra veggies. So, we were very happy with this flavoursome dish.

2. Ghetto Golf

Sian Victoria © - Ghetto Golf, Custard Factory, Digbeth, Birmingham

If you prefer to support local independents over chains, then take a short walk from the Bullring and visit the Custard Factory in Digbeth.

It is known as the Creative Quarter of Birmingham and is full of independent retailers such as Cow Vintage and entertainment venues such as The Mockingbird Cinema and Ghetto Golf. There is also the popular Kanteen cafe which is one of the trendiest brunch places in Birmingham.

Ghetto Golf now known as Fang Golf is somewhere my partner and I have wanted to go to for ages, so we finally got around to visiting by booking our time slot via the website. It costs £10 each to play 18 holes of crazy golf and there are food and drink items available to buy. So, its perfect for a night or day out with a group of friends in the city.

At each hole there’s a different theme, so you’ll spot a full-size bus, an old pub, a Blockbusters store with a spooky surprise and a neon playground.

3. Digbeth Dining Club

Sian Victoria © - Nutella & Oreo crepe dessert, Digbeth Dining Club, Birmingham

Sian Victoria © - Digbeth Dining Club, Custard Factory, Birmingham

Sian Victoria © - Only Jerkin, Digbeth Dining Club, Custard Factory, Birmingham

Digbeth Dining Club is a few steps away from Ghetto Golf and it’s the place to be on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. You’ll find a variety of street food vendors, a buzzing atmosphere and live entertainment. On Friday and Saturday, it’s £1 to enter but was free for us to get in on a Thursday when it just opened at 4 pm.

Each day there are different food vendors, if you check out the hashtag #DigbethDiningClub you’ll see some insane foodie photos that are sure to make you eager to visit and super hungry!

We enjoyed my favourite combination Nutella & Oreo smothered on crepes from a regular vendor Victoria Creperie, for £4.50 and it was delicious.

Depending on the day and which independent food stalls are visiting, you can find some of the top-rated desserts in Birmingham here.

4. Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Sian Victoria © - Christmas Illuminations, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston

Sian Victoria © - Illuminated tropical palm tree, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Edgbaston

Edgbaston Village can be found a short walk away from Birmingham’s lively Broad Street. It’s a lovely village I try to visit often, there are so many luxurious places to go and unwind away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

You can get LED Light Therapy in Birmingham at EF Medispa or relax with back, neck and shoulder massages in Birmingham at Edgbaston Holistic. Or if you fancy staying in a boutique hotel with an upmarket restaurant and bar visit The High Field or The Edgbaston Cocktail Lounge. Alternatively, if you seek Italian food in Birmingham, visiting the authentic Laghis Deli is a must.

Not so far away from Edgbaston’s great independents, you can find the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. It’s the perfect place to visit this time of year with family as they have recently launched their yearly Magical Lantern Festival.

I visited for the opening and had a great time walking around seeing the illuminations. There’s also a tea room, bird cages and four glasshouses showing a tropical rainforest and arid desert.

The Magical Lantern Festival is around till the 1st January. If you don't make a visit there's also Cannon Hill Park nearby, to go for a scenic walk in Birmingham.

5. Be At One

Sian Victoria © - Be At One, Cocktails, Brindleyplace, Birmingham

The festive season wouldn’t be complete without somewhere to go for cocktails. The newest cocktail bar on the block is Be At One, it has recently opened at Brindley Place.

They have a menu packed full of tempting cocktails, you’ll be spoilt for choice. We tried the ‘Peachy Blinder’, ‘Kiss from a rose’, ‘Banoffee Old Fashioned’ and the out of this world ‘Blueberry Muffin’ which I have been eager to go back and drink again (but from a pint glass – it’s that delish!).

Be At One also has a lively atmosphere with the bartenders known to have a little boogie behind the bar, making it one of the coolest cocktail bars in Birmingham.

To conclude

So, there you go just a few of my favourite places to go in Birmingham. If you are seeking things to do this season, I highly recommend checking out Birmingham’s independent scene and creating a festive day and night out in the city.

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