Below is some information about restaurants and pubs close to the university.
The information is somewhat arbitrary and based on places that
I have been to and like.
There is also limited information about how to get these places, so it
is probably worth asking for more information from a local.
Staff house bar
This is the bar on the university campus, and quite likely the first place
that a number of people will go to at the end of each day. They tend to
have reasonable beer, and it is convenient.
Selly Oak
The restaurants in Selly Oak on the Bristol Road are the most convenient to
the university. There are many Indian restaurants: Sundarbon and Sheratton
are two of the better ones. There is also a mediocre Italian restaurant called
Rimini. The pubs on the Bristol Road are not very good: the OVT is possibly
the best of them.
Harborne
Harborne High Street has a much better selection of pubs and restaurants than
Selly Oak, but it is a longer walk (about 20 minutes). There are lots of
pubs on and around the High Street: personal favourites include The White Horse,
The Junction and The New Inn; the Green Man being an Ember Inn serves reliable
food. There is a nice Thai restaurant called Mai Thai,
there is Pizza Express and a Zizzi, a couple of Indian places,
and a number of fancier restaurants.
City Centre
It is straightforward to get to the City Centre on the train. There is a
small Chinese area near the Arcadian centre with a number of good Chinese
restaurants: my favourites are Chung Ying and Chung Ying Garden.
There are also many pubs, bars and clubs nearby.
The Mailbox and Brindley Place are perhaps the most pleasant
areas in the city centre, and there are many restaurants and bars there: two
of my favourite restaurants are Peppers in the Mailbox, and the Thai restaurant
Kinnaree on the canal nearby.
Broad Street, which is close to the Mailbox and Brindley place,
has lots of pubs, bars
and clubs. As far as getting back to the accommodation it is possible to walk
from Broad Street (about 20 minutes), otherwise you can get a train back to
"University" station or take a taxi (it will cost
something between £5 and £10).
