First time in Birmingham — what locals actually recommend
If it's your first weekend in Birmingham, this is the locals' shortlist — the sights worth the queue, the food you can't skip, and the neighbourhood walks that show you the place.
Top spots in Birmingham
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
CultureChamberlain Square
Pre-Raphaelite paintings and the Staffordshire Hoard.
Bullring & New Street
CultureCity Centre
Selfridges blob and Grand Central glass roof above New Street station.
Jewellery Quarter
CultureJQ
Still-working goldsmiths, gin bars and Georgian terraces.
Brindleyplace Canals
OutdoorsBrindleyplace
Waterside bars, museums and narrowboats to Gas Street Basin.
Where to eat
Lasan
$$$Indian · Jewellery Quarter
Aktar Islam's elevated regional Indian — Gordon Ramsay's pick.
Original Patty Men
$Burgers · Digbeth
Smash burgers, mac & cheese and craft beer in a railway arch.
Adam's
$$$$Modern British · Waterloo Street
Michelin-starred tasting menu from Adam & Natasha Stokes.
Otto Wood-Fired Pizza
$$Pizza · JQ
Sourdough Neapolitan pies in a converted Georgian.
Frequently asked
- Standouts right now: Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Bullring & New Street, Jewellery Quarter. The shortlist is curated by people who live in Birmingham and refreshed regularly so it reflects what's actually open and worth your time.