Beyond the Balti Triangle: Birmingham's best independent restaurants

When Jack Brabant established Digbeth Dining Club, an independent street restaurant on the outskirts of Birmingham city center 10 years ago, he and his team felt they were taking risks.

"We were doing it in the back of a remodeled old taxi repair unit and told people to follow their noses to find us," he said. -he declares. “There were people doing bits here and there, but nothing on the scale of what there is now. It's a completely different city. »

Birmingham is home to a thriving independent food scene, with a huge range of street vendors and quirky eateries ready to welcome customers flocking to the city for the Commonwealth Games .

Long associated with the Balti Triangle, Brabant hopes newcomers will see that the city now has “fantastic diversity where you can sample whatever you want.”

"Once they get past the Spaghetti Junction [a famous highway junction outside of town], they'll see there's so much going on here ", Brabant said.

"You can see it in places like Stirchley, where there's a real thriving indie scene, and places like Moseley and Kings Heath, which have completely changed over the past few years."

Brabant believes that the diversity of the populat The city's young ion has helped propel the food scene. "I hate to use that phrase, but it really is a melting pot of great food and indies. Over the past 10 years we've seen people continue to create great things."

Here are some of the best independent food choices for those visiting the city for the Commonwealth Games (July 28-August 8).

Tiger Bites Pig, Downtown

His unusual name is perhaps the first thing that catches the eye, but these are the delicious bao buns that make Tiger Bites Pig the most memorable. Tucked away just around the corner from New Street station, it's a low-key affair with a handful of tables (and no toilets). The bao are freshly prepared every morning on site (try the braised beef shank with oyster mushrooms, marinated egg yolk and crispy shallots - it's phenomenal) and its hearty bowls of rice will keep you satisfied for the rest of the day. Bao buns from £5, rice bowls from £11.50

Eat Vietnam, Stirchley