The Guardian’s Word of Mouth is asking how come Birmingham became the only UK representative of Delice, the European food network:

I will confess that I haven’t eaten out very often in Birmingham (I had a lot of chocolate there 15 years ago at Cadbury World, which hardly counts). So I can’t really say whether the city deserves either the opprobrium or accolades it’s currently getting, food-wise… Brum isn’t well known for being the gastronomic centre of the universe, so, I have to ask, why was Birmingham chosen?

I too haven’t eaten in Brum recently, but I did live there for a year and found it to be a very lively and interesting city that was always trying to give London a run for its money regarding the cultural scene. I remember a lot of great restaurants and probably too many currys so was curious as to what our users were recommending in and around the second city.

I got off to a dodgy, but fun start when the first thing I found reviewed was a toll road, but after that the thumbs up came thick and fast:

The Ibar: This trendy chill out bar underneath the IMax cinema is one of the best places to relax without much expense.

The Warehouse Cafe: A good, friendly veggie cafe in the middle of a social centre. The menu’s varied and fresh as y’like.

Alishaan: the staff are friendly, always helpfull and never pushy, the shop itself is really smart, and the menu is really simple none of the silly dishes which indian take-outs tend to have.

Rimini’s: Almost every student in Brum has visited it at least once. It offers very affordable prices and you can bring your own wine with you(!). They do great folded pizzas and yummy pasta.

Zagora: At first I wondered why dessert wasn’t brought out as soon as the main course was cleared, but then the music got slightly louder and a belly dancer came out. Dessert was served while she was, very skillfully, dancing.

Time to look up some old friends I think…

Photo credit: Sphere - All Other Destinations by Lee Jordan (CC license)