Stock up with an Indian-inspired spread or a chocolate feast at one of these brilliant afternoon tea spots in Birmingham
We Brits love an afternoon tea. And from the laid-back and casual to the upmarket and extravagant, several first-rate restaurants and cafés in Birmingham offer mid-afternoon pick-me-ups that are well worth splashing out on. Because Brum’s the capital of curry, too, you’ll find a lot of the addresses listed here combine spicy Indian faves with the traditional British cake and finger sandwiches. And then you’ve got also the sweet treats. So many sweet treats.
Worked up an appetite? However traditional you want to go, these top-notch afternoon teas in Birmingham will let you have your miniature cake… and eat it, too.
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Since his appointment in 2015, acclaimed pastry chef Olivier Briault has turned The Edgbaston into a must-visit destination for afternoon tea. From the opening amuse-bouche – a tasty morsel presented in a sea of misty liquid nitrogen – it’s clear he’s offering a cut-above experience. Caviar-topped passionfruit macarons and delicate Paris-Brests continue the magic through to the last crumbs.
A mere moment’s walk away from Edgbaston’s beautiful botanical gardens, Three Church Road is the ideal spot to continue a day of serene indulgence. In the oh-so-tasteful Georgian surrounds (all dark woods and muted colours), you can dig into a tasty, traditional spread of finger sandwiches, scones and the like. And it’d be rude not to top it all off with a glass of bubbly, wouldn’t it? Luckily, that’ll only set you back an additional fiver.
At Indian ‘streatery’ Zindiya, the name of the game is High Chai. That means taking the traditional British afternoon tea and souping it up with Indian flavours and sweet, moreish masala chai. Samosas, tikka paneer and Bombay sandwiches nuzzle up to spiced scones and an excellent carrot cake in a cross-continental fusion that’s all kinds of delicious.
Hotel chain Malmaison has got the chic-on-a-budget thing nailed. It should come as no surprise, then, that its afternoon tea follows suit. For less than £20, you’ll get the full shebang (minus booze) – and they don’t shirk on quantity or quality, either. The savoury options (bagels, sliders, etc) get the thumbs-up, but it’s their cake selection that really brings things home. Featuring dinky brownies, Bakewell tarts and even a fruit shake, it’s lip-smackingly good.
We’re firm believers that men, women and everyone in between should be free to sample the delightful wares of an afternoon spread, but we understand that dainty sarnies might not be to everyone’s tastes. So at the 1565 restaurant, part of the Park Regis hotel, they’ve beefed things up a bit with a special Gent’s Afternoon Tea. In place of cucumber sandwiches, you’ve got steak and chicken sliders, while the booze of choice is a dark rum cocktail.
What happens when one of Birmingham’s best Indian restaurants decides to get in on the afternoon tea action? One of the most gorgeous slants on the tradition in a while, that’s what. Bringing the flavours of India and styling them with the delicate attention to detail you’d expect from a high tea, Praza’s offering is both punchy and refined. Featuring a selection of Indian street food favourites, alongside sweet treats like the ever-popular galub jamun, it’s a whole new – and utterly brilliant – dining experience.
If there’s a better match than quintessentially English design brand Laura Ashley and the quintessentially English pastime of afternoon tea, then we’ll eat our delicate, floral-printed hat. The most ridiculous thing here is that it took until 2017 for our Laura to open a tea shop, but last year she (well, they) did in Solihull. Since then it’s become a go-to spot for classy treating (that’s treat eating, obvs); the only issue is whether to Instagram the food or the walls first.
If you’re a dark chocolate fan, then you’ll know Bournville as the dark red bar that’s always tempting you from the fridge. If you live in Birmingham, however, you’ll know Bournville as a southerly part of the city. It’s here that Cadbury make their choc, and it’s here that you can head to Cadbury World and sample it all via the ever-delicious medium of afternoon tea. This one’s all chocolate err’thang. And frankly, we couldn’t be happier.
To really get to grips with this city’s illustrious manufacturing history, inspired inventions and significant sporting achievements, you have to go exploring. Which is why we’ve put together a handy guide to all the many excellent things to do in Birmingham right now.
