Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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United Kingdom : Birmingham - December 2008

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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).

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. ), 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. ), 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. ) 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. ).

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