Lifestyle News

A brand-new McDonald’s restaurant has just opened in Birmingham Airport.

The iconic Elephant Bar at Raffles Hotel Le Royal has been named one of the “Best Global Hotel Bars” by Food & Wine magazine—one of just 10 venues selected worldwide.

Zizzi is bringing together two Italian favourites with the launch of the new Pizzanini, a playful twist on pizza designed for summer lunches on the go.

For kids with every kind of taste bud, from picky pickers to fearless food explorers, this May half term, little foodies can feast for free at Alfred Works. 

Cow & Sow is hosting a one-off brunch to kick-start the Birmingham Pride celebrations on 23rd May, from 10am to 2:00pm (last sitting at 1:30pm).

Cherry lovers rejoice - Bonne Maman welcomes new Chocolate & Cherry Patisserie Pot to the chilled desserts range.

Independent food and drink destination Society Birmingham is turning up the heat this week as Bostin Burgers, a brand-new, Birmingham-born burger concept from the team behind street food favourites Yardbirds and Pietanic, joins its line-up of traders.

Reservations are now live for Makers Place, Birmingham’s most exciting new rental community, located in the heart of the city’s iconic Jewellery Quarter.

Independent restaurant Maneki Ramen, located in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, is marking its first anniversary with the launch of an intimate new Chef’s Table tasting experience, debuting on Saturday 30th May 2026.

The UK's “curry and a pint” ritual enters a new era as Bunta Beer, the UK's first non-alcoholic Indian craft beer, announces its first draught listing at The Latimer.

20,000 food and drink fans from across the Midlands have visited new Midlands food and culture venue Dockworks Waterfront in its first two months, the team behind the destination have revealed.

Birmingham Restaurant Festival will return from 1^st to 31^st August 2026 to celebrate its 5th birthday, with 29 restaurants revealed so far and many more to follow.

Each year, Birmingham Restaurant Festival takes over the city, giving foodies exclusive menus to enjoy for incredible value throughout the month of August. Diners can make as many reservations as they like, with a variety of lunch and dinner menus on offer, providing the opportunity to experience the best food and drink hotspots in the city.

Joining the Festival line-up again, this time with a shiny new Michelin star, The Wilderness will give foodies the chance to experience the team’s signature rock and roll fine dining. Also confirming participation is newcomer Vieni, where Sicilian dishes from chef Angelina Adamo have been receiving rave reviews since opening at The Goodsyard earlier this year.

Three of the restaurants voted by festival-goers as having the best menus during Birmingham Restaurant Festival 2025 are also returning for the 5th iteration: 

• 670 Grams, nestled in the heart of Digbeth’s Custard Factory, sees Michelin-trained chef Kray Treadwell curate innovative tasting menus using the best local produce. After being recently reimagined, Birmingham Restaurant Festival will give visitors the chance to see the restaurant in a new light
• Adams, a British fine dining restaurant in the heart of Birmingham, has held its Michelin star for 12 years, serving elegant modern dishes through accessible tasting menus
• Cow & Sow, the contemporary steakhouse, serving prime cuts, small plates and the finest of ingredients was a firm favourite for festival-goers

The city-wide celebration will highlight Birmingham’s distinguished culinary scene, through a carefully-crafted line-up of restaurants located in the city and surrounding suburbs. For the 5th year running, the participating venue list already boasts an eclectic mix of old and new restaurants, perfectly showcasing the culinary diversity of the city. In the city centre, participating venues include 24 Stories, the fine-dining restaurant in the sky, Isaac’s, The Grand Hotel’s underground British brasserie with a French twist and seafood-focused bar & restaurant The Oyster Club.

Over in the Jewellery Quarter, Italian neighbourhood gem Trentina, is set to take part, as well as Michelin Good Food Guide listed, Spanish-inspired Txikiteo and popular music and dining venue The Jam House. Further afield in leafy Edgbaston, diners can also enjoy the best of British produce at Chapter, one of the Good Food Guide’s ‘Best 100 Local Restaurants 2024’. Other restaurants in the line-up include Primitivo Bar & Eatery, Hotel Du Vin, Gaucho, Regina’s, Flight Club, Chez Mal Bar & Brasserie, The Cosy Club (Bennetts Hill), Chung Ying Cantonese, Restaurant At The Woods, Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill, Noel’s Bar & Restaurant, Siamais, Lulu Wild, The Alchemist (both Colmore Row and Brindleyplace), Zindiya and Pho.

The final restaurant line-up will be revealed closer to the event. Festival Menus will go live, and reservations will open on 18 June. After that date, diners can follow the directions given on the individual restaurant pages, to secure a table. Birmingham Restaurant Festival has also launched a new initiative, Birmingham Food Tours, which will run all year round. The first tour is A Taste of Birmingham, a guided four-hour experience introducing guests to the city’s rich food heritage.

Making stops at 6 handpicked eateries and covering both the Jewellery Quarter and Birmingham City Centre, the culinary tours are led by passionate local foodies and include tastings and drinks. For those that can’t wait until August, ‘A Taste of Birmingham’ will be running on Saturday afternoons from 18th April and can be booked for £99pp via the Birmingham Restaurant Festival website. Alex Nicholson-Evans, Founder & Director of Living For The Weekend, organisers of Birmingham Restaurant Festival, said: “I’m delighted that Birmingham Restaurant Festival is back for its fifth year running, what a milestone that is! It’s incredible to see so many fantastic restaurants lined up to take part already, some familiar faces and some completely new, all coming together to showcase the very best of our city’s diverse culinary scene.

“We have plenty more to announce over the coming months and we can’t wait to share them all with foodies from Birmingham and beyond. The addition of food tours to our offer is something I’m particularly excited about. Our first tour, A Taste of Birmingham, is such a fun way to spend the afternoon and discover the city’s culinary heritage whilst you drink and dine at some amazing spots.” 

To book a spot on the ‘A Taste of Birmingham’ food tour visit the Birmingham Restaurant Festival website.

Bunta Beer is the UK's first non-alcoholic Indian craft beer, specially brewed to complement bold, flavourful Indian food and has launched with listings with Kricket, Aspen & Meursault, Vintopia Wine, East West Pizza and cult convenience store Londis N16.

An original Jamaican-Turkish fusion residency has opened up in a Peckham pub, and it already feels like it was always meant to be here, writes Myfanwy Fleming-Jones…

The UK's most decorated dessert producer marks ten years of artisan gelato in Bristol with an exclusive anniversary competition.

Meliá Chiang Mai’s executive chef Suksant Chutinthratip, known as Chef Billy, has been lauded with the prestigious Chiang Mai Green Kitchen “Green People” Award for his pioneering work building a more sustainable food system.