Delicious Cafes in Birmingham, Perfect For Studying
We love a good cafe. They’re the ideal place to meet friends, gorge on delicious food and even spend some solo time studying or relaxing. Comfy sofas, indulgent carbs and massive mugs of coffee, Frappuccino’s, iced tea and hot chocolate – what more could you need whilst living in Birmingham?
If you’ve ever watched TV, you’ll understand the importance of a cafe. Friends had Central Perk, Seinfeld had Monk’s Diner and Leslie Knope and the Parks Department had JJ’s Diner.
A great cafe can become a haven, a home away from home and even an extension of your own living room. Plus, if the library gives you the ick, you can’t just spend the whole term revising in your room!
To help you on your way to finding a new hub, we got some of the best Cafes in Birmingham, which are just a stone’s throw away from your Birmingham student accommodation and an incred place to study.
1. Boston Tea Party
Near Lucas Studios
190 Corporation St, Birmingham B4 6QD
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There are a few BTPs dotted around Birmingham, but our favourite location has to be the one on Corporation Street.
Within walking distance from your luxury studio accommodation, BTP offers funky decor, top quality coffee and a relaxed vibe.
The menu is perfect for a quick bite to eat, and the space is an excellent place to work.
2. 200 Degrees Coffee Shop & Barista School
Near Lucas Studios
21 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2BH
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The guys at 200 Degrees are so good at making coffee they literally teach other people how to do it!
This is a vast space, so you always have a good chance of getting a table.
The food menu is delicious, and the staff are super welcoming.
To top it off, the Spotify playlist is always on point so you can save your lo-fi beats for the library.
3. Cafe Face
Near The Recording Rooms
519 Bristol Rd, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6AU
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Cafe Face is a purveyor of inexpensive, delicious, no-nonsense food and other cafe classics. It has provided Birmingham students with affordable full English breakfasts for years, transforming it from a cafe to an essential public service.
This cafe is an institution of student life, the saviour of the shallow pocket and slayer of the hangover. With comfy seating and loads of plugs, dig out that laptop and get to work.
4. Cafe 55
Near The Recording Rooms
539 – 541 Bristol Rd, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6AU
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So far we have given you cafes you can study in as well as all the other usual cafe stuff. Cafe 55 is slightly different because this is a cafe that specialises in Pan-Asian noodles and rice bowls.
The food is student budget-friendly and completely delicious. You’ve got bubble tea on tap for when you need that energy kick and wholesome food to get that brain working.
5. Feng Cha
Near The Recording Rooms
579 Bristol Rd, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6AF
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Feng Cha specialises in bubble tea. The decor is a cross between high-end aesthetics salon and a futuristic pod that wouldn’t look out of place in A Brave New World.
If you don’t know what bubble tea is, take the short walk from your luxury student accommodation and sample the best Birmingham has to offer at Feng Cha. Pssst – its fruity, multicoloured goodness from heaven.
6. Cafe Artum
Near B16 Studios
Hockley Social Club, 60 Hampton St, Birmingham B19 3LU
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Probably the coolest cafe in all of Birmingham, Cafe Artum combines music, food and coffee to make the perfect drinkable blend.
The cafe is also a record shop and a bar, so if you’re a creative at uni and need some inspiration, this is the vibe for you.
7. Coffee & that
Near B16 Studios
196 Monument Rd, Birmingham B16 8UU
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Neat, crisp, clean and cool. Coffee & that know how to deliver a comfortable space and a good cup of coffee.
This locally run business is really welcoming, and the menu is student pocket friendly.
8. Damascena
Near Lucas Studios
Portman House, 5-7 Temple Row W, Birmingham B2 5NY
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Coffee originates from the Middle East, and Damascena transports us right back there with authentic coffee and cuisine.
Feast on beautiful Lebanese inspired flatbreads, aubergines with transcendental spices and delight in a transformative coffee. The coffee here is so good that you’ll leave wondering how a certain global super brand can even consider themselves a cafe!
9. Yorks Cafe – Ikon Gallery
Near Lucas and B16 Studios
1 Oozells St, Birmingham B1 2HS
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It is not often you describe a cafe as beautiful, but it is the only way to describe Yorks Cafe. The large windows and period building make this a wonderful place to spend some time.
This cafe offers its own home-roasted coffee, which brings all its drinks a unique and rich flavour. Alongside their speciality coffee, they serve an award-winning brunch from noon every day.
Yorks Cafe is associated with the Ikon Gallery, an internationally recognised contemporary art gallery that hosts regularly changing exhibitions.
Cafe Working Rules
We get that it can be tempting to work from a cafe, particularly if you need a change of scenery to reset your brain. We would recommend you are considerate when you do decide to work and if you follow our top rules for cafe working you can’t really go wrong:-
1. Keep It Compact – No unreasonable table spreading! We get you like the big table by the window, but it is not cool to take the prime spot group table when you don’t need it.
2. Keep Ordering – One coffee for five hours of table time is not good enough. Remember, the cafe owner is running a business too and you’re using their lecky.
3. Keep it Clean – Don’t leave your mess on your table waiting for someone to clear it away. Put your rubbish in the bins and even consider taking your empty cup over to the counter.
4. Keep It Nice – Be polite. You are in someone else’s space for the day, so make sure you are courteous to the staff and other customers.