Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Welcome to the Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Destination Guides

bthere! Destination guides

Previous issues for Birmingham

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

United Kingdom : Birmingham - April 2008

Country Code: Dial for United Kingdom

Once synonymous with gridlocked traffic and industrial grime, Birmingham has come on leaps and bounds over the last decade. It’s now a bustling, cosmopolitan city with great shopping, some stunning architecture, and plenty of canal-side restaurants – perfect for soaking up the early spring sunshine. Ron Toft reports

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. , beinbirmingham. com).

JEWELLERY QUARTER

Nicknamed ‘Treasure Island’, this little district sells everything from rings and necklaces to cufflinks and watches.

Culture vultures – Learn about the district’s history at the award-winning Museum of the Jewellery Quarter (75-79 Vyse Street). Or try making a pen nib or writing with a quill at The Pen Room Museum (The Argent Centre, 60 Frederick Street), which spotlights Birmingham’s pen-making trade.

Must eat – Check out The Vaults (Newhall Place, tel. ) for juicy grills and great wines in unique surroundings. Or spice up your life with the exotic flavours served up at Itihaas Indian Restaurant (18 Fleet Street, tel. ), which was named Best Restaurant in the UK 2007 by Cobra Good Curry Guide.

Must drink – The Jam House (1 St Paul’s Square) is good for live music. Look out for Jools Holland and The Rythym & Blues Orchestra.

Shop til you drop – The Jewellery Quarter is home to more than 100 jewellery outlets. One of these, Crystalink (35 Hall Street), can count a former racing driver, a top golfer and a couple of premiership footballers among its many customers.

FORT DUNLOP

Once a derelict tyre factory, Fort Dunlop has been transformed into a retail complex with more than 1,000 parking spaces and the UK’s biggest living grass roof.

Sleep soundly – Check in early (from noon) and check out late (up to 2pm) at Fort Dunlop Travelodge (Fort Parkway, tel. , travelodge.co.uk, rooms from €80/£61).

Must eat – Choose between Italian or Indian food at Duet Cuisine (Unit 1, tel. ).

Must drink – If you appreciate decent coffee, head for the freshly ground heaven of The Daily Grind Coffee Shop (Unit 3). For something a little stronger, The Glass Lounge (Unit 9) has a large wine list.

Shop til you drop – Get a limited edition rock ’n’ roll photo at Snap Galleries (Unit 7). Or pick up a gorgeous bunch of flowers at The Flower Room (Unit 8).

BALTI TRIANGLE

Introduced by the Pakistani-Kashmiri community in the 1970s, the balti is one of Birmingham’s best-known exports. There are around 50 restaurants in the Balti Triangle, which is centred round Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Moseley.

Must eat – One of the Triangle’s more high-end establishments, Al Faisals (136-140 Stoney Lane, Sparkbrook, tel. ) specialises in Kashmiri cuisine. Imrans Restaurant (262-266 Lady Pool Road, Sparkbrook, tel. ) is renowned for its traditional Punjabi dishes and desserts.

EDGBASTON

Edgbaston’s claim to fame is its cricket ground – home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club and venue for Test matches and One Day Internationals.

Sleep soundly – Grade II-listed Edgbaston Palace Hotel is modern but still mindful of its Victorian heritage, while City Inn Birmingham is stylish and contemporary.

Culture vultures – Head for The Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses (Westbourne Road), where you can marvel at exotic plants and birds. Birmingham Nature Centre (Pershore Road) is home to more than 130 animal species, including Babu, the famous red panda who escaped in 2005.

Must eat – The Michelin-starred Simpsons Restaurant with Rooms (20 Highfield Road, tel. (04) specialises in light, modern dishes based on classical French cuisine. And, with four elegant bedrooms available to book, you can always make a night of it.

Must drink – American visitors will feel completely at home at the Baltimore Bean Company Public Bar (Menzies Strathallan Hotel, 225 Hagley Road).

Compiled by Ron Toft