Great experience, delicious coffee, made to perfection will come again. Great service as wellread more

This little corner of Bristol Road is currently under a surge or new businesses and Quarter Horse…read moreCoffee seemingly has come out of nowhere to add to this strip, just a stones throw away from the Pagoda. Quarter Horse is based from Oxford and the Birmingham branch is it's sister shop. The space here is vast with huge ceilings and windows at the front and back of the shop coupled with minimalist furniture, there is plenty of seating and will be very exciting to see all these full once the name of Quarter Horse name gets out to Birmingham. I enjoyed a silky latte this morning which was excellent in taste and kept me warm from the wet weather outside. QH are using Round Hill coffee beans at the moment which is a welcome change from the many other fine coffee shops in Birmingham. At the moment, QH is limited to hot drinks (they opened 2 days ago) so it will be interesting to see what food and other additions QH will provide over the coming weeks and really develop into a place with its own identity. But what is extremely exciting for coffee buffs is that on one side of the shop, a new roaster is going to be installed within the next 2 weeks! First in Birmingham! I'm sure I am not the only person who is thrilled at this prospect and cannot wait to see this in action. I have been to many coffee shops in London where this set up works very effectively so this will certainly be something Brummies can be proud of.

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!

Cute, quaint, quirky, cosy and homely little bookstore-come-cafe (:…read more It's average opening hours are 11-6 during which time you can grab a slice of cake, tea, coffee etc, have a peruse through some books, and chill on their big comfy sofa! I find a lot of coffee places just don't really want you stay and they have hard, uncomfy furniture to reflect that. But not here! This place often has events that extend its opening hours, too. My favourite is the 'big comfy folk club' which are folk and acoustic sessions hosted on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. Next one is on 4th March and tickets are only a fiver! Brilliant intimate venue, and the performers usually stick around for a while afterwards which is nice (: OH ALSO, WINE! The big comfy book shop serves alcohol! Live music + book shop + cake + red wine = total winner. See you on the 4th!

I really like The Big Comfy Bookshop!…read more It is a quant used book shop that is family owned. The owner spent over a year compiling books to open his shop, and ever since has kept a good variety of books that are unique to customers, or a popular search result of a used book. There is always fresh coffee, tea options, beer and wine, and some sort of snacks like crisps or cake for sale. Seating is available to hang out with friends for a little while or to start tucking into your future purchase. Also I noticed that live folk music nights and game nights regularly occur here too! Great place!

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!

Great meal - delicious sandwiches and excellent soup. Portions were very good and the bread was…read morefresh. Happy to return!

This is the place when on BOTW. Staff is super nice. Food and coffee are delivered to you wherever…read moreyou are sitting. Lots of options and very active inside and out. It's small inside but works. The place to go for a small breakfast and great coffee

Oikos is easily the best cafe on Erdington High Street…read more Whether you want some breakfast, lunch, or just want to pop in for a tea or coffee, Oikos is perfect. Their menu has a great variety to satisfy whatever you may be crazing, but not too much that it's overwhelming. The staff is kind and accommodating, their smiling faces are always ready to welcome you whether you are a regular or a first time visitor. My personal favourite food is the personal pizza. They just got a new oven, so it takes even less time to cook it to perfection. But I've had many different things from their menu and have yet to have a bad meal.

Oikos Cafe is a bright light in Erdington! Amazing space, really clean, and great coffee. Staff is…read moresuper nice and helpful, and makes a great addition to the high street. You won't be sad to visit!

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!

Love this place. The perfect English teahouse. Quaint and beautiful. I love my cream teas, so…read morewhen in Leamington Spa, do go up to Park Street where it is located, after visiting the beautiful award winning Jephson Gardens, five minutes walk away. I love the vintage style decor, bright, beautiful and welcoming. They even have small tables and chairs for the smaller children. The cream teas are excellent. There is a vast selection of teas to choose from and matching teapots too, i.e. the Rooibos Orange Cream would come in an orange teapot and the Rosé would be in the pink teapot. There are black teas, white teas, green teas, herbal and fruit and decaff. The scones and cakes are all homemade. The warm scones with its light and crumbly texture are just delicious with the fresh clotted cream and jam. Unlike no other tearooms, you can pour and pour your tea, and like magic, the tea seems to be bottomless from the teapot. If you would prefer hot chocolate, this comes in a pot too! Definitely one to come again and again.

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.

Stumbled across this little hidden gem whilst out with my local walking group.. We just managed to…read moreget our group of 16 in the conservatory where they serve delicious cakes and tea/coffee etc. (The fresh cream Victoria sandwich was to die for).This is a newish business still developing (Nov '15) but they have some lovely craft items for sale as well as refreshments. Highly recommend.