What can I say other than that it is a Costa Coffee Shop. The choice of coffees are wide and the…read morepremises are actually very clean, if you need a pick me up or just need a caffeine fix then this is the place to be.

Harborne, very lately has had an influx of places where you can get a coffee, but Boo Boo really…read morestands out for me. Located right opposite the swimming baths and gym, I always end up having a brew before a gym session. Being this side of Harborne, works to Boo Boo's advantage as you don't have to take a walk down the High Street which can seem like a mammoth task on a Sunday morning! Every time I have been in, it has been very busy. With a couple of outside tables and a massive window, it's great when the sun is shining on us. The Coffee is most excellent because they use Allpress espresso beans from London which gives their drinks a massive edge over most places some places in Birmingham. Single origin is offered though a Chemex, another brew method not often seen in the second city. If Coffee and Tea isn't your bag then I can recommend one of the many smothies they offer, which can have protein added to them. Boo Boo coffee is very family friendly and you can pop your little ones in the play area they provide. This place has been come a favourite place of mine to have some alone time or catch up with friends. Sure you will love it!

Birmingham is fast becoming a hotspot for great coffee shops. Boo Boo Coffee is located in harborne…read morejust off the high st. This store has always been busy every time I visit. The shop is small and quirky. They do accept reservations so if you are going to visit with friends it's worth booking ahead. There's some seating outside too. The coffee served here is excellent. I couldn't see anywhere advertising the sort of beans or specifics used. The coffee does stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the best in Birmingham though. The store also serves typical brunch which is available all day long. If your looking for a quick coffee or some brunch in harborne I would highly recommend it here!

This is my idea of heaven! a little hidden gem, a delightful little Tea room and very popular with…read morethe Barnt Green folk. Walking in from the small high street of Barnt Green village it's style is a combination of someone's living room and what I would imagine a post war tea shop would be like, Minus the hair net and curlers! It is filled to the brim with vintage crockery and gifts, quirky ornaments and fabulous post war style tables with cute little table place settings. Everything in the shop can also be bought. Although Vintage Tea Rooms are the current trend I welcome the quirkiness and makes it more of a unique day out as opposed to the high street franchises and once again supporting local and independents. I stumbled across this tea room by accident whilst visiting Barnt green and as I was on my own they just about had a place for me to have lunch, it's very busy with small groups of ladies lunching with their three tiered ornate cake stands and afternoon teas. It needs to be booked well in advance to reserve a place. I had a simple lunch of soup served in an ornate tea cup and a small plate of sandwiches and of course Earl Grey Tea for one. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I will definitely visit again with friends and it's only a short walk from Barnt Green station. Looking at their website you can also hire their services or the tea room for parties. Lush!

When my mum last came to visit me in Birmingham, we stumbled across the Little Tea Shop and tempted…read moreby the name, we went in. The shop itself was small but the decorated tastefully. On offer were your normal hot and cold drink selections, alongside what looked like homemade cakes. As we went in on a Tuesday afternoon, we were able to get a table so we sat down and enjoyed a slice of chocolate cake and a couple of hot chocolates. It was a pleasent experience and a great stop off point before getting a train.

It's often hard to find a nice independent, intimate place to grab a meal in a large city centre,…read moreso coming across The Little Tea Shop, a short walk away from New Street Train station was an extremely pleasant surprise. As the name suggests, this eatery is small and friendly and on top of that serves up some great quality grub! You can get yourself a delicious handmade sandwich or opt for the more traditional option of a good old fry up. Obviously being a small business, seating is at a premium so it can be difficult to eat in on a busy day, but if that's the case then simply grab a sandwich to take away and eat in the fresh air, although on a typical Birmingham day this can present its own problems due to our less than favourable weather most of the year round.

Really great store. One of the staff that served, Sam, was really friendly and she had a good…read morerapport with the customers. Shame you can't use starbucks card or passbook app in here, something to do with it being a franchise. Some comfy seats, some not so comfy. Luckily it wasn't too busy in here this morning so we had a pick of the seats.

Really nice store. Spacious, wifi, toilets, plenty of seats, only a few comfy seats though. They…read moredon't take Starbucks cards though.

Woodstock is an unassuming presence from the outside and what with its mostly lame 'music pun'…read moretheme that screams "avoid" amongst Selly Oak's chip shop haven, it turns out to be a real treat. Pleasant and polite staff, coffee that is reasonable and of good quality and a huge menu that will prompt a good five minutes of staring at the wall trying to make a decision (this can be a little awkward when a couple are sat directly underneath the menu on the wall and you are stood there, motionless, rushing your confused brain and abating your impatient belly in the process of making a decision). The baguettes and paninis are particularly nice - the veggie option was thoughtful and delicious. Whether it's an early hangover cure, or to just get away from the usual fare that Selly Oak boasts, Woodstock is a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of the Bristol Road.

Woodstock Cafe in Selly Oak is a wonderful place to pop in for a baguette or jacket potato for…read morelunch, when I lived in Selly Oak I'd often be found in here at lunchtime because the prices are so reasonable and the food so tasty. It's a similar set up to Subway where you tell them exactly what salad items you want on your baguette and then choose a filling from the menu board. The end result is a delicious baguette that will keep you going all day because the staff are so generous with their fillings. The choices range from the standard ham right up to more unusual Mediterranean fillings, everything I've tried here has been delicious apart from one baguette I had which had loads of black olives in there. Now, I hate olives so the fact that I didn't like this was not the cafes fault in the slightest - more me being a numpty and ordering a food I loathe! In the winter the jacket potatoes are excellent comfort food and again they come with a range of fillings from cheese to ratatouille so there is something to suit everyone. The staff in Woodstock are lovely and will chat as they are preparing your food, I always get the impression that they are really interesting in what I'm saying rather than just talking for the sake of it. The atmosphere in Woodstock is very chilled out and comfortable, sometimes I'll go in with a magazine and sit reading that for an hour without being disturbed - apart from when I want another delicious fresh coffee that is! The customers are mainly students as the university is two minutes up the road, I've eaten in cafes surrounding Northampton uni and found the students obnoxious and loud but this is definitely not the case in Woodstock and this seems to be the place for people to sit and relax rather than be shouting and screaming. Next time you're in Selly Oak I'd definitely recommend a visit to Woodstock for a spot of lunch, the food is fantastic and it won't break even the most credit crunch affected bank!

As it happens, I'm probably going to have to change the listing for this place pretty soon, as,…read moreapparently 'Barnt Green Coffee Lounge' is only a temporary name until the new owners can think of something more interesting. It does what it says on the tine though. It is indeed a coffee lounge, in Barnt Green. It also does hot and cold food, at very reasonable prices (nothing appeared to be over £5) and cakes. I ordered a green tea, which arrived in its own little green pot on a nice wooden tray. I love it when simple things are well-presented, so this place got my thumbs up pretty immediately. Also, the staff were welcoming and helpful, they have free wifi - always a real plus - and their coffee is ethically sourced and produced. Hurrah. They also have a lovely long, stripy seat that runs along one wall of the lounge. I am a sucker for a stripy seat. See my Barnt Green Inn review ... So, what's not to love? Well, not a lot. The only minor drawback is that the only seat next to a plug, should you be wanting to charge your laptop, is right by the front door, so you could find yourself in a bit of a draught - albeit a wifi hotspot sort of draught. Other than that, nothing to complain about. Obviously I'll have to go back at some point in the near future, to see what name they've come up with. Any excuse....

We stumbled across this place while escaping the rain at the Christmas market and it was such a…read moregreat find. A small flat white and small cappuccino for £6 total is a rare find these days and we both loved our drinks. So much flavour and nice, strong coffee. My only reason for giving 4 stars is that the layout was a bit cramped and it was slightly lacking in customer service. If you're just popping in for a takeaway coffee though, this is a fab spot.

I never normally do this anymore but I'm so in awe of this place that I'm writing the review before…read moreI've even finished eating/drinking. I knew I'd love this place as when I walked in, the smell of roasting coffee flew into my nostrils, Faculty literally had me at hello. So more about this love affair, the coffee is brilliant, the cakes taste fantastic and the tea is a relaxing and soothing as the cute little tea pot suggests. The staff working were friendly and happy to offer advice (to me and another customer who had 21 questions about the origin of the coffee) - credit where credits due, the young chap answering knew the answer to every question! They are also linked to next door, a sandwich shop which is perfect for lunch and you can even order from one side and go and sit in the other or vice versa. Owned by the same husband & wife partnership and matched with the same awesome decor. It's not often I'm in Birmingham but one thing for sure is this fling is sure to continue every time I venture in!

Winterbourne is a great place for a sunny day. £5 gives you access to the Arts and Crafts house and…read moregardens, both of which are lovely. Behind the more formal gardens are woodland trails (you might even see a beech tree I helped to coppice as a student many years ago) and Edgbaston reservoir, a calm expanse of water populated by ducks, moorhens and crested grebes. There are beautiful waterside rock gardens with stepping stones, which I love. The whole place feels like a sanctuary from the city and is conveniently located close to the Barber Institute and the university campus if you want to make more of a day of it. There's a tea room which sells serviceable scones (with that really aerated cream rather than proper whipped or clotted cream though) and also sandwiches, soup and potatoes etc. You can get plants and gifts at the shop- and if you go during the week you may be able to get some advice from the gardeners, too.

Beautiful House and garden just 5 minutes away from Birmingham University. Amazing greenhouses…read morefilled with various flowers, cacti, plants. Such a lovely place to visit on a summer day especially if you check out their tearoom by the terrace!