Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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Previous issues for Birmingham

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United Kingdom : Birmingham - July 2009

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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).

SNOW HILL

With the cathedral at its heart, the city’s business district is made up of impressive Victorian architecture housing some of the city’s best shops, bars and restaurants.

Sleep soundly – Burne Jones House (11-12 Bennetts Hill, tel. , cityquarters.co.uk, apartments from €75/£65) offers serviced apartments and roof terrace views, in the ex-residence of the eponymous pre-Raphaelite painter.

Must eat – Set up by Michelin-starred chef Glynn Purnell in 2007, Purnell’s (55 Cornwall Street, tel. ) offers bold and innovative fine dining with dishes such as lemon sole cooked in coconut milk and burnt English custard egg surprise. For contemporary Indian food, visit Asha’s (12-22 Newhall Street, tel. ). Pop in between 5.30pm and 7.30pm for bar snacks.

Must drink – Marvel at the imposing front doors, enjoy a drink and a pie below the domed ceiling and catch a show in the theatre – The Old Joint Stock Pub & Theatre (4 Temple Row West) has it all.

Shop til you drop – The elegant Great Western Arcade (Colmore Row) has a range of independent speciality stores. Buy handmade Belgian chocolates from Chouchoute Chocalaterie (Unit 40) and unique, contemporary jewellery from Helen Hulston (Unit 17).

ASTON

Venture beyond Villa Park to discover there’s more to north Birmingham than its Premier League football club.

Culture vultures – Set in 52 acres of historic parkland, Aston Hall (Trinity Road) is a Grade I listed Jacobean country house reopening this month after an €11.5m makeover.

Must eat – Built in 1901, The Bartons Arms (144 High Street, tel. ) is the epitome of Victorian decorative grandeur, but caters for modern tastes with Thai food. The Drum is the national centre for black British arts and culture. Its Frontiers Café Bar (144 Potters Lane, tel. ) serves African, Asian and Caribbean cuisine with live entertainment.

CHINESE QUARTER

Within walking distance of New Street Station, you’ll find food to suit your budget and timetable, and some of the city’s most vibrant nightlife.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Ibis Birmingham City Centre (Ladywell Walk, tel. , ibishotel. com, from €58/£50) is in the middle of the Chinese quarter and satisfies late-night munchies by providing snacks 24 hours a day.

Culture vultures – Birmingham Hippodrome (Hurst Street) is one of the UK’s most popular theatres. From 1 July, it is staging Queen and Ben Elton’s hit musical We Will Rock You. In its 100th year, The Electric (47-49 Station Street) offers a luxury cinema experience with a bar, waiter service and sofa seating. Book in advance.

Dance the night away – Made up of five bars and two nightclubs, Oceana (1-5 Hurst Street) offers you the chance to explore “the world in one night”. Travel down Hurst Street and you’ll find yourself in Birmingham’s gay village, home to the legendary Nightingale Club (18 Kent Street), which has hosted the hottest names in dance music for 40 years.

BRIERLEY HILL

Lying 19km west of Birmingham, regeneration has enabled Brierley Hill to leave its industrial past behind and become one of the Black Country’s liveliest towns.

Must eat – Faradays Restaurant (The Waterfront, Level Street, tel. ) serves local classics such as pork chop and Black Country faggot with onion gravy mash.

Must drink – The Vine (10 Delph Road), known locally as The Bull & Bladder, is found on Brierley Hill’s ‘Real Ales Riviera’ and stocks a range of local ales from Bathams Brewery.

Compiled by Karen Miller