There aren’t many cuisines that can combine more flavours than African dishes. Luckily for those that live in Birmingham, and people travelling to the second city, there are a number of unique restaurants available that specialise in African food. Below, we will explore some of the best that you can visit in the city?
Blue Nile Restaurant
One of the finest dining experiences can be found at the Blue Nile Restaurant on Great Hampton Street. The restaurant specialises in Ethiopian and African food, and is open for both lunch and dinner service. The menu is extensive, with dishes suitable for vegans and vegetarians both available.
Blue Nile offers an extremely positive experience, with all customers left delighted with the food that they have had. It’s all about the textures and flavours in the meals, and you really can’t go wrong with any selection. However, we are big fans of the lamb dishes, with the Yebeb Kilkil and Tibs Firfir among are preferred dishes.
28 Great Hampton St, Birmingham B18 6AA
Savanna Restaurant
Savanna Restaurant also offers an exquisite dining option to visitors. It is open for lunch and dinner, and can be located on Bristol Street. The restaurant excels with offering one of the best Ethiopian food experiences in the city, and is perfect for those looking to get a bite to eat after a day of exploring the city.
Some of the meat options are the best in the city, with our preferred choice being the Derho Alicha, which is a chicken casserole. The Gored and Savannah Special Zilzil are also beloved beef options available. On top of the delightful food and friendly service, the restaurant is also moderately priced, which means that it is easy on your wallet.
32 Bristol St, Birmingham B5 7AA
Bantu Birmingham
Bantu is one of our favourite restaurants in the second city, as it offers a range of dining options, which is likely to itch any scratch that visitors have. Cuisines that can be found at Bantu, include Caribbean, Jamaican, Nigerian and African. It is also a perfect restaurant for those with dietary requirements, as the menu is extensive.
Friendly service can also be found at Bantu, with all meals served with a smile. The Moroccan lamb chips are among our favourite meals that can be found here, while the Grilled Boerewors are also a must-try. However, the Okra Stew is one of the finest Nigerian dishes that you can expect to find anywhere in Birmingham.
5-11 Fleet St, Birmingham B3 1JP
Afrikana
Afrikana can be located on Ladypool Road, and is a restaurant dedicated to offering an African dining experience unlike anything you have tried before. Guests are made to feel immediately welcome the second that they come through the door.
To start, Lady Fingers would be the perfect appetiser, while the sharing platter would be encouraged for a larger group. The wraps are an excellent lunch option, with the Let’s Meat Again being our preferred option. Sharing platters are also perfect for the main course, with the Boneless Banquet in Botswana being our personal favourite. The Hallou- Me and You is a perfect selection for vegetarians.
359 Ladypool Rd., Balsall Heath, Birmingham B12 8LA
Empress
Empress Bar & Grill opened in April 2019, and is a great place to go for Nigerian food in Birmingham. Located a short trip north of the city centre, it’s still quite hard to find, being inside what looks like a disused warehouse. Despite this, the food is tasty and authentic, and the vibe inside is very relax and welcoming.
Their chefs are all skilled at crafting Nigerian food, so you know you’re getting the best meal you can. The menu isn’t too long and is filled with true Nigerian meals which means that anything you order will be a taste of Africa. If you’re new to this cuisine and want to try something different, go for the Nkwobi, which is made up of slow cooked cow foot and ugba (fermented oil bean seeds). For something a little more familiar, we would suggest the jollof rice with a side of fried plantain. Delicious!
82, 89 Cecil St, Birmingham B19 3SU
La Fibule
Located in Moseley, an up and coming area that is home to a rising number of independent shops and restaurants, is a small Moroccan restaurant. From the outside you would be forgiven for mistaking for a French bistro. But when you go inside, you’ll see that it is designed to look just like an authentic Moroccan café.
The menu is packed full of familiar and unfamiliar dishes to our British eyes (and stomachs). If you go for a starter of houmous or falafel, just remember that the authentic dishes aren’t the plain options that we have in the UK, but rather are much more flavoursome. Our suggestion for your main course has to be a classic tagine – a dish named for its method of cooking. They have the choice of lamb, fish, and chicken, as well as a vegetarian option. Finish it all off with some homemade pastries or a mug of Moroccan Arabic coffee or mint tea.
31 Woodbridge Rd, Birmingham B13 8EH
Salama Somali & Yemeni Restaurant
There are disappointingly few Somalian restaurants in the UK, but we’re lucky enough to have one in Small Heath. And it’s no small hole in the wall either. Being on the corner of Coventry Road, it’s hard to miss, and you should certainly not drive past it if you’re looking for somewhere new to eat.
Unlike many other places on this list, it’s open for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. But be warned, you won’t be getting toast and jam here! Start your day with some lamb liver or kidneys with a homemade sabaayad or mulawah flatbread. Staying for dinner will get you a huge portion, with a selection of many meat-heavy dishes such as beef suqaar with rice, chicken mandi, or some barbecue. And don’t forget to have a drink of qahwe (a Somali coffee drink) to wash it all down.
479 Coventry Rd, Birmingham B10 0JS
