10 Most Popular Neighbourhoods in Birmingham

Birmingham City Centre has almost all imaginable entertainment options and provisions that you'd expect in England’s 2nd largest city. Here, you'll find big-name stores alongside esoteric boutiques, and shopaholics should consider placing The Bull Ring and Grand Central shopping centres near the top of their visit-list.

The centre has an array of restaurants, from the fine dining of Adam's to the contemporary British selection at Land. The area is also home to a great selection of pubs and bars, including the chic atmosphere of The Alchemist cocktail bar, and the traditional feel of The Wellington. The city centre is where you'll find the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, a great place to marvel at ancient Egyptian artefacts, Pre-Raphaelite treasures, and locally sourced relics.

Westside is a trendy and affluent neighbourhood in central Birmingham, where canal-side restaurants and hip cocktail bars sit side by side with luxurious warehouse apartments. The Crescent Theatre regularly hosts plays and musical acts, while the Ikon Gallery showcases local and international exhibits.

Westside is home to the National Sealife Centre Birmingham, where you can get up close and personal with all manner of sub-aquatic creatures. The area also has many high-grade restaurants, including Maribel, Pulperia, and Recess at Brindleyplace. Some of the area's drinking options include The Alchemist, 52 Gas Street, and The Bulls Head.

Theatreland is literally packed with entertainment options for wide-eyed visitors to enjoy in Birmingham. The world-renowned Repertory Theatre is the longest-running building-based theatre company in the UK. It hosts innovative productions in a pillar-free auditorium. Housed inside the nearby International Convention Centre (ICC), the iconic Symphony Hall welcomes world-leading classical, rock, folk, jazz and pop concerts. 

The ICC also houses the well-stocked Library of Birmingham and Ice Skate Birmingham (the UK's largest indoor ice rink). The biggest concerts and prestigious sporting fixtures take place at the Utilita Arena Birmingham. Families will find plenty to enjoy next door at Legoland Discovery Centre. 

Birmingham Gay Village is an effervescent neighbourhood featuring vibrant late-night pubs, bars and nightclubs, as well as cosmopolitan alfresco cafes. Located around Hurst Street, the area is at the core of Birmingham's LGBTQ community. Each year, it hosts the city's colourful Pride Festival, which attracts upwards of 70,000 revellers over the Bank Holiday weekend in May. 

The Village Inn presents drag shows and cabaret 7 nights a week, while The Loft Lounge is a great place to soak up the atmosphere among the crowd of hip 30-somethings. You should consider Missing for a night of partying, or Equator Bar for a laidback ambience. Those looking for booze-free refreshments can check out Quarter House Coffee Roasters and The English Breakfast Club. 

Edgbaston is an affluent suburb of Birmingham. It's famous for hosting international test cricket and T20 matches at the Edgbaston Stadium – home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club. The area also boasts gastropubs, boutiques, delis and international restaurants. A must-visit is the 15-acre Birmingham Botanical Gardens, where you can admire over 7,000 species of plants, shrubs and trees, and enjoy a glimpse of diverse geographical environments in 4 impressive glasshouses.

The tree-lined splendour of Cannon Hill Park is a great place to spend the day, with ample space for picnics, jogging, sports, and leisurely boat rides. When mealtimes come, Don Diego is a popular choice for Mediterranean cuisine, while Colbeh offers excellent Persian dishes. Anyone in the mood for authentic Carbonara should check out Fogo Bar & Kitchen.

Bournville is a picturesque suburb, originally founded by the Quaker Cadbury family to house workers of their now-famous chocolate factory. The area is synonymous with chocolate and, in particular, the dark chocolate bar to which it gives its name. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cadbury Factory and Cadbury World provide one of the biggest tourist attractions in the whole of Birmingham. Here, you can learn bout the production of your favourite chocolates (and stock up on the delicious cocoa treats).

Everywhere you look in Bournville there are delightful green spaces and quaint little shops, but nightlife is the one thing you'll struggle to find here. Thanks to its Quaker heritage, up until 2015, no booze was allowed to be sold anywhere in the village –  even today, only 1 newsagent is permitted to do so. The area also houses a beautiful Serbian Church. Overlooking the village green in the school tower is the wonderfully quirky Carillion – this musical instrument is made up of 48 finely-tuned bells, and one of only 15 left in the UK.

Digbeth is one of the coolest neighbourhoods in Birmingham. Having benefited from regeneration and an influx of hip young creatives, the once run-down area is now home to an eclectic mixture of street art, independent shops, cafes, bars and arts venues. Originally built by the Bird's company to produce their famous yellow desert, The Custard Factory is central to the areas new lease of life.

The neighbourhood's Victorian buildings have been restored and repurposed to serve as a creative hub for the digital generation, and are now home to bohemian cafes and shops, the Mockingbird cinema, and Ghetto Golf, an eccentric take on mini-golf. Fans of street food should explore the wide selection of bites on offer Digbeth Dining Club, which runs at Spotlight and Mama Roux’s every Thursday to Saturday. Fans of soul music and retro boogie can shake their tail feathers at The Night Owl, while some of Digbeth's best restaurant options include Rico Libre, Original Patty Men, and Chance & Counters.

The Chinese Quarter is a compact neighbourhood of bustling streets packed with Asian shops and eateries. Many of the area's buildings contain Chinese architectural features, and at Holloway Circus, you'll find a granite pagoda surrounded by Chinese-style gardens and sculptures. Birmingham Back to Backs is a fantastic museum set in the city's last remaining court of back-to-back houses, with 4 carefully restored historic buildings designed to show how life in Birmingham changed between 1840 and 1977.

As you might expect, the Chinese Quarter is the place to find some of Birmingham's best Asian eateries, with Ming Moon and Chung Ying offering great Chinese options, and Kyoto Sushi & Grill, and Miyako Teppanyaki popular Japanese choices. When it's time to get loose and limber, Sly Old Fox and RUM RUM Bar in The Arcadian Centre are 2 of the Chinese Quarters most popular drinking spots.

Moseley is a cosmopolitan residential suburb of Birmingham offering a varied selection of restaurants, bars, and boutique shops. The area is often voted as the best place to live in Birmingham, and with its abundant parks and green spaces, it isn't difficult to see why.

Moseley Bogs famously inspired J.R.R. Tolkien when composing his renowned literary canon and is a peaceful spot in which to immerse oneself. Mosely Road Baths is an architectural delight, with the Grade II-listed pool building still boasting many original features from its Edwardian heyday. In the summertime, the Mostly Jazz Festival and Moseley Folk and Arts Festival takes place in the park. There are excellent food and beverage options in Moseley – Carters, The Prince Of Wales, and Patrick Kavanaugh are all worth visiting. 

Bordesley is a small neighbourhood close to the city centre which has recently found fame as the setting for the hugely popular TV show, Peaky Blinders. Another claim to fame for Bordesley is St. Andrew's Stadium, home of Birmingham City, which brings plenty of football fans to the area on matchdays.

Near to the stadium, you'll find Kingston Hill Park – a compact and enclosed green space boasting nice views of the city. When it comes to mealtime, a good option for south Asian food lovers is MyLahore, while anyone wishing to indulge in a little shisha with their meal might want to head to Lè Mirage Lounge for some tasty Middle Eastern dishes.