The Taste of Birmingham food festival kicks-off tomorrow, and so, over on Travel, I've done gone written a guide to the city's best budget eateries. It's an attempt to get beneath the skin of a city which, whilst well known for its Michelin starred fine dining, and its world famous baltis, is a bit of a mystery to most outsiders when it comes to eating on the cheap*.
Of course, any such list is going to be partial, subjective and controversial - which is where you come in. We want your tips. Given most visitors will be doing their thing in the city-centre, that's what I've (largely) concentrated on, bigging-up the likes of Urban Pie, Asha's and the Great British Eatery, rather than suburban hotspots like Blue Ginger and Thai-Victorian-pub-fusion, the Bartons Arms. But there must be tons of great, affordable places in the Brummie hinterland, which you know about and I don't. Indeed, looking at the city-centre, where, typically, most conscientious independents seem to have been hounded out, I suspect that the 'burbs is possibly where Birmingham's best delis, takeaways and cheap restaurants thrive. If you know of one, then spill ...
Suburbs aside, there were a few city-centre places on my provisional list, that for reasons of time or instinct (you have a gander, it doesn't look that good), I didn't get around to. Did I miss anything at Chez Jules, Cafe Bebo or the Edwardian Tea Rooms? Is there a top notch deli in the centre, because I didn't find one? And how brilliant is The Wellington, a real ale pub, with 16 beers on draught, where they provide you with plates, cutlery, napkins and sauces, so that you can eat your own food? One day, I will hotfoot it over from Urban Pie to the Wellie, to sink a pint of Purity's Pure Gold (£2.70), with one of UP's superb pastry creations. But, for now, let's hear all about your cheap eats recommendations in Brum ...
* For the purposes of this game, 'cheap' is loosely defined as somewhere you can eat a plate of food and get a drink for £10 or less. But that's not hard or fast, and, obviously, plenty of places will be much cheaper. Clear?
