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United Kinkdom : Birmingham - December 2008 Country Code: Dial ++44 for United Kinkdom
Getting around
Birmingham International
Bus: Buses from the
airport to the city
centre leave every
30 minutes and a
single fare costs
€1,95/£1.50. Train: Trains run
from Birmingham
International to New
Street Station; the
journey will take
around 10-20 minutes
and a return ticket
will cost €7/£5.30
before 9.30am and
€4,50/£3.40 after
9.30am. Taxi: A taxi from the
airport into the city
centre will cost around
€22/£17 and take
about 40 minutes. Tourist information: The main tourist office
is at The Rotunda,
150 New Street (tel.
(0)870 225 0127,
beinbirmingham.
com).
BRINDLEYPLACE
Perhaps the most stylish and
cosmopolitan part of Birmingham,
Brindleyplace is the ideal spot to stop
and warm up with a coffee.
Sleep soundly – City Inn has modern rooms with
beautiful décor and is perfectly situated
in the heart of the city.
Culture vultures – The Crescent
Theatre (Sheepcote Street,
Brindleyplace) has a bar area
overlooking the beautiful canal. It will be
staging both Mary Chase’s Harvey and
The Storm by Frank McGuiness
throughout December. See crescenttheatre.
co.uk for more details.
Must eat – If you’ve got a bit of cash to
flash, try Cielo (6 Oozells Square,
Brindleyplace, tel. (0)121 632 6882),
which does modern Meditarranean. Try
the salmone con lenticchi (baked
medallion of salmon wrapped in Parma
ham with braised lentils and lemon oil)
or the ippoglosso e vongole (halibut
with garlic parsley and fresh clams).
After some retail therapy, refuel at the
Mailbox’s Bar Estillo (110 Wharfside
Street, tel. (0)121 643 3443), with its
menu of mouthwatering tapas. Go for
the green lip mussels with Parmesan
breadcrumbs, or the chorizo with
cannelini beans.
Shop til you drop – Just over the
canal, The Mailbox (Wharfside Street)
City lowdown
is a favourite with the city’s fashionistas.
It’s the place to go if you’re a fan of top
designer labels. Head to the upper level
for Harvey Nichols (31/32 Wharfside
Street), Gieves & Hawkes (44-46
Wharfside Street) and Hugo Boss
(52-56 Wharfside Street).
CHINESE QUARTER
Birmingham’s very own Chinatown has
an array of restaurants cooking up
authentic Asian dishes.
Must eat – New Happy Gathering
(Ballywalter Road, tel. (0)121 643 5247)
serves excellent Chinese food. Order
dishes as separate meals or try a bit of
everything from the buffet. Birmingham’s
best sushi restaurant is Miyako
Teppanyaki (Arcadian Centre, Ladywell
Walk, Hurst Street, tel. (0)121 622 5183).
Must drink – The Arcadian (Hurst
Street) is a cosy enclave tucked
away in the Chinese
Quarter, that’s packed
with fashionable
little numbers like
Arca Bar and the
Loaf Bar.
VICTORIA SQUARE
Not just one of the busiest areas in
Birmingham, Victoria Sqaure is also
home to the city’s central train station
and rows of big-name stores.
Culture vultures – The square itself is
home to two public pieces of art: The
Ironman and the Floozie in the Jacuzzi.
And the theatres are packed with celebs
performing in pantos. This Christmas,
the line-up includes Robin Hood, starring
John Barrowman at The Hippodrome
(Hurst Street, birminghamhippodrome.
com), and Disney’s High School Musical
at The Alexandra Theatre Birmingham
(Station Street, alexandratheatre.org.uk).
Shop til you drop – You can find
scores of well-known high-street shops
along New Street. If you prefer to do all
your shopping under one roof, The
Bullring Shopping Centre (38 High
Street) hasTopshop, DKNY and Reiss as
well as the huge, space-age Selfridges.
COLESHILL
Although it’s a relatively small part of
Birmingham, Coleshill frequently plays
host to big names from the music and
entertainment industry.
Sleep soundly – If you’re on a budget,
the Innkeeper’s Lodge offers a discount on
advance bookings. If the sky’s the
limit, head for the Crowne
Plaza Hotel.
Culture vultures – The National
Exhibition Centre’s (thenec.co.uk)
calendar is packed full of exhibitions,
concerts and shows. The Clothes Show
Live rolls into town 5-10 December this
year and will be showcasing some of the
hottest trends for 2009.
Compiled by Amita Mistry
Previous issues for Birmingham
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