Child free weekend in Birmingham! Ideas please

[whohoo]

I'm meeting my sisters in Birmingham for a few days in April for a catch up. We're staying fairly central.
None of us have been before so I'd love some recommendations on places to eat, nice bars, but also things to do in the day time.
I'm very excited as I've not been before and also as I'll be child free for the first time in quite a while!

Some ideas to consider apart from shopping, depending on what you like doing (starting with cheap/free). These aren't necessarily obvious from Google.

Train to selly oak station, Walk along canal to bournville. Brunch at Leverton and halls/caneat/kafeunion. Selly Manor museum, bournville self guided mini walking tour.

Train to univeristy station - lapworth geology museum/barber institute of fine art/Winterbourne house

Meetspace VR Alice in wonderland escape room (difficult one)

Lunch centrally - The coconut tree (good Sri Lankan food if you are fine with chilli)

Evening out - nice bars around St Paul's Square

Have a meal at Damascena. Loved it when I went for work a few months ago.

There are loads of great places to eat, but an indication of your preference and budget would be helpful!

BM&AG has recently partially re-opened with a Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition: https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/birmingham-museum-and-art-gallery/whats-on

Meal budget - places were mains are around £10-15 I guess?

Is it worth heading to the Curry Mile if we're staying centrally?

This looks great. We're not planning on shopping so definitely looking for other activities.

Unless there's any particularly good vintage / charity shops?

For vintage shops you could head to the Custard Factory in Digbeth, close to town.

Don’t go to the curry mile. It’s v shabby around there now

For something off the wall, try this! https://www.coffinworks.org/

Jewellery Quarter is you haven't been - just a fascinating place to see. I think there is a little museum there. Lots of fashionable places to eat

Digbeth's Custard Factory - quirky / arty / eateries

Wander around the City Centre - Victoria Square is where the City's 'Council House' is, and Town Hall, and there are quite often things going on in the square there. Also the Art Gallery (which has been closed for refurbishment but I think will be open by then) which is free and worth a look round even if you don't know much about art. Also has nice Edwardian Tea Rooms in it. Then walk through to Centenary Square which is nicely done, and it is worth going in to what we all call 'the New Library' which I think is lovely, but as with all new buildings, not everyone agrees. Go up to the Shakespeare room. Go out on to the viewing gallery.
Then walk round to Brindley Place, walk along the canal for a bit, or take a trip on one of the canal boats. Lots of eateries there, not too pricey.
We have St Philips Cathedral (Anglican), St Chad's (Catholic) and St Paul's Square is a nice place with lots of eateries - not far from Jewellery Quarter if you don't eat there. St Martin's in the Bull Ring is the oldest Church though.
We have a Chinese Quarter if that is your thing.
Theatres - there is The Hippodrome, The Alex and The Rep which might be places to look if you want to see a show.

@SleepyHedgehog 's ideas are good too, and there is also a station in the heart of Bournville if you don't want to walk so far. Cadbury World is there, which locals think is a bit expensive for what it is, but there are usually offers with train tickets or with clubcard points and I think worth a visit if you haven't been before. If you are in Bournville, the carillon is often played on a Saturday afternoon if you can make that work. Have a look on-line for the history of Bournville - built as a model village by George Cadbury.

Or, if you are in to sport, you'd have to look up fixtures but we have cricket at Edgbaston (bit early in April), Football at Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Brom, Walsall just a short tram or tain ride away. Often athletics meets at Perry Barr and various sports happen at the University.

I don't think you can beat a visit to the Nature Centre at Cannon Hill Park (simple bus ride out of town in Edgbaston) - now known as Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park. I go there without having any dc to take, every now and then, as do many people I know. It really is lovely and excellent vfm.

Amazing food in The Coconut Tree. Run by a lovely man too

Jewellery Quarter is lovely for a wander. Loads of nice bars and restaurants. Try 1000 Trades, Attic’s bar down there (the name of which escapes me), Arch 13 or Lucky 7.

Stirchley (by Bournville Station) has fab bars as well as basically being Bournville which is good for a wander. Couch is one of the best cocktail bars in the world (allegedly, I have been many times but have not been to any other world renowned bars so can’t comment!). Stir Stores is vibey and there are three brewery tap rooms that always have street food on, as well as the British Oak or Cork and Cage. Alicia’s pizza is awesome, as is Yardbird’s chicken.

In King’s Heath the food is now great, as well as being great for a gig or a dance. On the same (low traffic neighbourhood) road you have Grace and James for wine and cheese, The Juke for beer and records and Poli for more good pizza.

In town I would recommend Pure Bar for food. We also love Loki for wine.

Check out Independent Birmingham or I Choose Birmingham for great suggestions. I sound like the Birmingham Tourist Board! I’m not, I just live here and think it has so much to offer!

The bar in Harvey Knicks is very glam, serves a wicked martini and the staff are so beautiful looking yet lovely down to earth folk. We happily spend an hour or two there when we go to Birmingham

I love a grown up boozy day out/night away in Brum 😁

Download the independent Birmingham app. It's £2 a month, so you'll have to cancel it, but you get discounts and all of the independents are there for you to see. Also follow then on socials.

Random things. There is tilt, a pinball place which is cool. Street art in digbeth is cool. That's where all the vintage stuff is too. Also, the custard factory has some great independent stuff. And floodgate is fab you can do curling there.

If you want a curry, but don't want to head out of the city, ashas is worth a visit. Loki wine in the great western arcade is worth a visit.

Go to the library and go up to the rooftop garden for a nice view.

The Museum and Art Gallery as a PP has said.

The Back to Backs are really interesting- you have to book in advance though.

The Jewellery Qtr museum was closed when we went a few weeks ago.

Cannon Hill park would be nice on a nice day, and the MAC might have a good exhibition on.

The canal basin is nice for a wander.

There's an art installation running at the moment replicating the Northern Lights. Might be worth look.

Custard Factory is good.

You will probably struggle to find city centre places to eat with main courses under £15. Damascena possibly... out of the centre you might have more luck.

I forgot the Medicine Bakery - definitely go there!

I moved to Birmingham relatively recently so am taking note of all these recommendations!!

Also adding the suggestion of brunch or takeaway coffee and cake from Early Bird in King's Heath, followed by a stroll around Highbury Park. You could combine this with a visit to Stirchley/Bournville for lunch and more pottering, or walk up to the Uni via Canon Hill Park, and take the train back into town for the evening.

Hope you have a great weekend!

New St Medicine Bakery was wonderful. Much better than the Mailbox one in our opinion.
BBC centre might have reopened?
Food in Chinatown
We loved going to the Irish bars in Digbeth. The music was fab
Wandering around the canals...a barge ride if you fancy.
Selfridge's had some lovely places to peruse.
There was a cool craft bar/arcade games place we discovered.
The library is beautiful.
If you fancy splurging on food, I can highly recommend Adams restaurant.
And pop into the Lego shop to pick some things up for your children 😉

Oh yes, Damescena is awesome. As is Medicine bakery on New Street.

We liked the coffin factory tour. Really interesting.

The museum is interesting - it has been closed so you'd need to check if it has reopened.

Secret Birmingham is also a useful website & Facebook page for finding-out what is going on: events; food; exhibitions ...

I echo that the coconut tree is good but it's more than you indicated price wise as it's small plates - we spend at least £30-40 a head typically if it's happy hour, more sometimes. (Not Birmingham branch though I think they have the same prices, also you need to book in the evening)