We had a child free weekend with nothing to do, so Mrs H booked us a hotel in Birmingham for a last-minute trip away. I’ve driven past Birmingham so many times, however I’ve never actually been. We’d thought about going to Manchester, largely to visit Mowgli again. However, Birmingham has its own branch of Mowgli and the UK’s only branch of Not Dogs!
Not Dogs!
We arrived around lunchtime, and I’d deliberately not eaten much. I wanted to stuff my face at Not Dogs. It’s in ‘LinkStreet’, which joins the Bullring and Grand Central centres. I’d seen the founders of Not Dogs, Katie and Jane, a few years ago on Dragons Den. In short, Not Dogs sell Hot Dogs and other treats that are completely vegetarian, and a good choice of Vegan dishes too. It’s fast food without the rubbish.
Katie and Jane started their business in a van, selling Not Dogs at festivals. Now they have the outlet in Birmingham. I wasn’t disappointed, their vegetarian sausage is EPIC. I went for a ‘Kicking Katie Nacho Dog’ – it was so good. You got plenty of food for £4.75. I’m so sad that there aren’t more branches closer to home. I loved our lunch so much, I’d happily drive there again.
After a bit of shopping around the Bullring, we made our way to our hotel – The Aparthotel Adagio Birmingham City Centre. For a hotel which was modestly priced, it was wonderful. There was a kitchen (packed with all the utensils you’d need), a ‘living space’ with a sofa bed. It was so QUIET too. Despite being in the city centre, and walking distance from the Bullring, you wouldn’t know.
The WiFi was free, and super fast too – before we had dinner we sat and streamed some football. I’ve used many ‘free’ WiFi services that wouldn’t stream without endless buffering. Not so here. If you were staying longer you’d be well away, Netflix and a strong choice on Deliveroo!
Mowgli Street Food – Birmingham
We’d booked an early dinner, so after a bit of a freshen up, we were off out again! Just a short walk to Grand Central and we were at Mowgli. I fell in love with Mowgli after visiting their Manchester branch. The Birmingham branch did not disappoint. There’s an incredible atmosphere, engaging staff, and amazing food and drink.
The food is a bit like Indian street food tapas – you can pick a selection of dishes and tuck in as they arrive. There’s a lot of choice for vegetarians, and all the meat dishes are halal,
We opted for –
Yoghurt Chat Bombs
Treacle Tamarind Fries
Himalayan Cheese Toast
Holy Chow
Mowgli Paneer
Puri
Elephant brand Roti breads
There was JUST the right amount for the two of us. We left feeling satisfied, but not stuffed. At just under £35 per head (including cocktails), its excellent value too. You can make some Mowgli inspired dishes, then I’d recommend Nisha Katona’s cookbook. Nisha is the lady behind Mowgli and she is a curry genius. Mrs H has it, and has made some incredible meals.
We went back to the hotel for a bit of a relax. I was shattered – I’m getting on, clearly! We had a very good night sleep in our room – despite it being a Sofa Bed (a rather fancy one!), it was very very comfortable. Not quite up to the Simba we’ve got, but not too far off!
Today, we had a bit of a lie in, and a cracking Brunch at Browns. It was lovely sitting sipping on a coffee, watching the snow fall on St Martin’s Church. The drive home in the snow, and rain was a bit gruelling. However it didn’t put a dampener on our adventure.
It’s been a funny few weeks and just having a few days of doing very little has been just the tonic. For the first time in a while I’ve felt utterly relaxed. If you’re after things to do in birmingham I recommend checking out 25 Best Things to Do in Birmingham! I really enjoyed my first trip to Birmingham – I know it won’t be our last!
