Beyond the Balti Triangle: the best independent eateries in Birmingham
From moreish bao buns to cheese-stuffed hot sandwiches, there’s more than curry to sample if you’re visiting the city for the Commonwealth Games
July 2022
‘More than UB40 and heavy metal’: Birmingham’s alternative arts and entertainment
Photography then and now
Let the games begin: Birmingham, then and now – in pictures
November 2021
I was a schoolboy chef at Birmingham’s Grand Hotel. Now I’m back – as a guest
A local's guide
‘I buy at least 40 samosas’: Jess Phillips’s inside guide to Birmingham
November 2020
A guided walk of Tolkien's original Shire, in Birmingham
It’s there and back again for our writer, who takes in Hobbiton, the mill, the Old Forest and the author’s childhood home – all in the suburb of Sarehole
March 2019
Grace Dent on restaurants
Legna, Birmingham: ‘An orchestra with an instrument missing' - restaurant review
The decor is beautiful, the service courteous and the atmosphere stimulating, but what happened to the food?
October 2018
Take the kids to …
Take the kids to … Legoland Discovery Centre, Birmingham
This indoor twist on a Legoland theme park builds up the fun with its miniature city, rides and play area but crumbles when it comes to entertaining older kids
April 2017
Take the kids to …
Take the kids to … West Midland Safari Park
Featuring A-listers of the animal kingdom, this safari park gets a thumbs up from the children – and the attached fun fair makes it a complete, if pricey, day out
November 2016
Holiday guides
Alt city guide to Birmingham
Marina O'Loughlin on restaurants
The Wilderness, Birmingham: ‘This is dinner as theatrical performance’ – restaurant review | Marina O’Loughlin
October 2016
British boltholes
The High Field Townhouse, Birmingham: hotel review
Part of the maverick Peach chain, this pub/hotel in upmarket, leafy Edgbaston is swanky and handsome, but it doesn’t always hit the mark on the food front
May 2016
Record 1 million overseas visitors to Birmingham
Peaky Blinders and the man who bit the heads off rats for a bet
April 2016
Why I love …
‘Birmingham is beautiful if you look at it in a certain way’
For Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, Brum is undersold aesthetically and historically – something he wants to help rectify
March 2016
Take the kids to …
Take the kids to ... Cadbury World, Birmingham
It may not be the Willy Wonka-like experience the writer hoped for but chocolate lovers and kids will enjoy this attraction dedicated to the history and production of the sweet stuff
September 2015
Marina O'Loughlin on restaurants
Two Cats Kitchen, Birmingham – restaurant review
‘What the hell is “new Baltic cuisine” when it’s at home? No idea, but when it’s this good, who cares?’
August 2015
If it’s paddleboarding you’re after … don’t ignore the pull of Birmingham
Urban paddleboarding may not have the glamour of surfing but in Birmingham one man is using it as a way of exploring the city centre and its industrial past from a new viewpoint
July 2015
Best craft beer pubs around the UK
Top 10 craft beer pubs in Birmingham
As craft beer fans head to the Birmingham Beer Bash this weekend, we go in search of the pubs serving the city’s superlative ales
March 2015
Britain's best budget eats
Top 10 budget restaurants and cafes in Birmingham
Birmingham’s diverse range of cuisines can be savoured without spending big bucks. Here – updating his 2009 guide to the city – Tony Naylor picks 10 inspirational indies where you can eat well for under £10 a head
