The 14 best coffee shops and cafés in Birmingham

Opened in 2009, Urban’s Church Street emporium set the blueprint for Birmingham coffee culture. Testament to its popularity, Urban opens seven days a week and is frequented by everyone from office types having a morning meeting and on-the-hoof freelancers quietly working away to folks just wanting a glorious coffee and a slice of cake. The Church Street location is currently closed, but the Jewellery Quarter incarnation continues pumping out fabulous coffee every day of the week.

How do you fancy your luck? One of the quirkier establishments in Digbeth’s Custard Factory, Chance and Counters is a treat for those who enjoy their board games with a lighter touch than chess. With over 600 games available, visitors are spoiled for choice before they even glance over their menu of tasty finger food, milkshakes, wines and craft beer. Pride of place, though, are their hot drinks – expect all the usual coffee suspects and a generous selection of teas and colourful lattes.

Faculty by name and nature – you’ll find caffeine alchemy in Brum’s answer to a coffee classroom. Opened in 2014 by former Saint Kitchen owner Geoff Lam, Faculty is on a mission to provide great coffee and allow customers to understand more about it. There’s no room for sofas or comfy chairs – this is a coffee-making laboratory, after all. An intimate room with a pop-up vibe, Faculty’s decor is stripped-back and industrial, with wooden fittings, exposed brick and pipework aplenty.

The overflowing front counter will catch your eye as you enter Saint Kitchen, taking centre stage amid a seating area that boasts stylish chairs and stone and wood fittings. The coffee is mighty fine, and the flat white is one of the best anywhere. There are also filter options, an ample choice of loose-leaf teas, and single-origin hot chocolate. Food includes all-day breakfasts, paninis, noodles, soups and plenty of cake.

First existing (quietly) in the shadow of Birmingham’s Snow Hill business district, Café Artum has always stood out. With a bigger space as part of Hockley Social Club (brought to you by the renowned Digbeth Dining Club), its new digs find it in good creative company. Combining a love of music and coffee, Café Artum doubles as a record shop and bar as well as a venue; whether it’s soul DJs, vinyl or a humble Sunday roast you’re after, you’ve come to the right place. 

One of the first venues to open at the lavish city-centre complex The Grand, 200 Degrees is a haven of artisanal coffee and exquisite sandwiches. Despite the wealth of independent coffee shops in Birmingham, this one stands out for its emphasis on the food as well as the brews. Sandwiches are available from a regularly changing menu. Naturally, they roast their own house blend, an exotic combination of Vietnamese robusta and Colombian arabica beans.

This friendly, family-run chain has grown exponentially up and down the M5 over the past few years. It’s a byword for consistency and familiarity. Arriving in Birmingham in 2013, Boston Tea Party was a caffeinated shot in the arm of Corporation Street. If you’re not sucked in by the massive trays of home-baked cakes by the entrance, then BTP’s vast menu covers everything from all-day breakfasts to mains, including burgers, salads, toasted sandwiches, soups and a very good kids’ menu.

Under Pressure has a simple menu reminiscent of places such as Prufrock. You can have espresso with or without smooth, steamed milk (say flat white, and you will get just that), along with filter and brewed selections. If you’re not in the mood for coffee, there’s also a selection of teas to choose from. They are true coffee wizards; make no mistake about that.

An oasis of Middle Eastern hospitality in the bohemian suburb of Moseley, Damascena has won over Birmingham’s tastemakers and punters alike and now has five fabulous locations across the area. Coffee first came to us from the Middle East, and Damascena is the place to discover its roots. When it comes to lunch and dinner, classic shawarmas feature roast lamb or chicken wrapped up with garlic dressing and gherkins.

Moseley’s Cafephilia has a slower vibe than the rushed coffee ritual you’ll get in cafés in the city centre. Stylish and independent in ethos, the establishment takes its brewing very seriously indeed. But a good coffee shop is about the entire experience. And here you’re treated to an eclectic menu stuffed with things like jerk chicken paninis, syrupy waffles and wonderfully indulgent milkshakes (plus all sorts of good vegan and gluten-free options).