Birmingham is a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities and religions; a fact often reflected in its diverse and exciting restaurants. The city’s Muslim community makes up 1/5th of the population, with many establishments choosing to cater to their dietary needs, and makes Birmingham one of the most halal-friendly cities in the UK.
Much like the diversity that makes up the second city, there is a vast variety of halal food in Birmingham to choose from too. We’ve rounded up some of the best halal restaurants in Birmingham to make it a little easier for you to decide.
1. Alam
If you’re hungry right now, but still can’t decide what to eat, you can do a lot worse than Alam. Although it specialises in Indian food, the multi-cuisine halal restaurant offers a globetrotting menu to satisfy every craving. Start your morning off right with an order of French toast or a Pakistani omelette. For an evening meal, lamb-on-bone karahi is a showstopper. But the beef lasagne, smash burgers, and biryanis are just as tempting.
Don’t leave without sampling at least one of the cheesecakes either – with Eton mess and Ferrero Rocher as our favourites. It won’t be just the food that keeps you talking about Alam for weeks to come, however. The magical garden – which serves as a shisha lounge as well as a dining area – has to be seen to be believed.
356 Coventry Rd, Small Heath, Birmingham B10 0XE
2. Opheem
For something a little special next time you’re hunting for halal food in Birmingham, it has to be Opheem. Offering a fine dining experience, it is one of five restaurants in the city with a Michelin star – the only one among halal restaurants in Birmingham too. Many Indian regions are represented on the modern menu, but the occasional Persian and Arabian influence appears too.
The current 10-course tasting menu journeys from Mumbai to Malabar via Delhi and West Bengal, and will set you back £115 per person. A cheaper five-course menu is also available, as well as an a la carte lunch menu. Aston-born Aktar Islam’s Opheem isn’t an everyday experience, but something to be cherished and enjoyed from start to finish.
65 Summer Row, Birmingham B3 1JJ
3. Vietnamese Street Kitchen
This family-run restaurant brings passionate cooking, family recipes, and authentic Vietnamese cuisine to Birmingham. So that no one misses out on tasting their amazing cooking, Vietnamese Street Kitchen has a separate halal menu (as well as a vegan menu, and gluten-free menu) to order from.
Don’t expect a sorry list of options though. The main menu is faithfully recreated – with the odd item here and there unavailable. From summer rolls and steamed bao buns to crispy battered bites with sweet chilli dip, all the street food we associate with Vietnam is here. And you surely can’t miss out on a big bowl of pho.
St Martins Square, Bullring, Birmingham B5 4BW
4. Qavali
Named after Qawwali culture, a style of Sufi devotional singing, Qavali is a fine dining Indo-Persian restaurant with a difference. In some ways, every dish has travelled the same path as Qawwali music, meaning they travel culinary specialities from across Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Persia, and India, with many halal options.
The exquisite menu offers the most delicious dishes from all over the Middle East such as the Hyderabadi Biryani, delicately layered in saffron rice and topped with a thin and crispy pastry lid. You’ll also be able to try a range of stews and curries, as well as deliciously tender meats cooked on the charcoal grill like Punjabi chicken tikka and Lahori lamb chops. No doubt one of the best halal restaurants in Birmingham.
60 Broad St, Brindley Pl, Birmingham B1 2HJ
5. Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill
If you’re looking for a steak, you can request a halal fillet in advance. Outside of that Marco Pierre White’s might not be the place for you. What is available is an amazing selection of chicken dishes, which are all halal as standard.
This includes The English House Chicken & Leek Pie, Marco’s Classic Caesar Salad and Roast Chicken à la Forestière, served with woodland mushrooms, fondant potato, Madeira roasting juices, and buttered leaf spinach. While slightly limited compared to other options, it’s a definite must for anyone craving some traditional British cooking, which also offers halal food in Birmingham.
200 Wharfside Street, The Cube, Birmingham B1 1PR
6. Eis Cafe
Everyone deserves a little dessert now again. Make Eis Cafe your go-to spot to satisfy that sweet tooth. Instagrammable, indulgent milkshakes mixing crazy flavours (called locoshakes) include Nutella and pretzel, chocolate fudge brownie, marshmallow Oreo, and blueberry cheesecake.
If that’s not to your tastes, you can grab a pizcookie (pizza+cookie) or waffles, served with a side of ice cream, too. While Eis Cafe also serves a savoury menu of Moroccan-themed sandwiches for a quick and filling halal food spot in Birmingham.
500 Coventry Rd, Small Heath, Birmingham B10 0UN
7. Damascena
With five locations around the city, you’re never far from these halal restaurants in Birmingham. These Middle Eastern cafes – based in the City Centre, Harborne, Jewellery Quarter, Moseley Village and Edgbaston – offer everything from hearty breakfasts to quick dip snacks. Freshly oven-baked pies called fatayer (like a Levantine pasty) are the filling snack we’ve been missing all our lives.
While, the meze plates are the perfect sharing dining experience between a few of you – ordering small plates of kofta, halloumi, vine leaves and falafel. Finish off with delicious treats of handmade baklava. Having Damascena in town means you’re never far from halal food in Birmingham.
5-7 Temple Row West, Birmingham B2 5NY
103 High Street, Birmingham B17 9NR
Heritage Court, 17-21 Warstone Lane, Birmingham B18 6HP
133 Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8JP
Lyndon House, 62 Hagley Road, Birmingham B16 8PE
8. Archies
Who doesn’t love a burger? Archie’s Instagrammable smash burgers – which pay homage to American cuisine – are our go-to high-end, fast food joint in Birmingham.
Everything on the menu is entirely halal, so the only difficulty is choosing what amazing burger to get our mouths around. Every burger comes automatically with two smash patties, but the Good Burger comes with three! If you’re feeling extra hungry. The Sweet Alabama adds maple-glazed turkey bacon, while the Chilli Cheese Burger comes with, you guessed it, chilli con carne. A sloppy bite but worth the mess. While here you have to try one of Archie’s famous shakes too and grab a side of waffles to share.
8-9 Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, B2 4DJ
9. The Red Couch
The Red Couch claims to be “the pioneers of halal breakfast in Birmingham” since it opened in 2007. We can’t confirm or deny this, but it’s a brilliant breakfast all the same. From full English to omelettes, and breakfast bagels to pancakes dripping with maple syrup, The Red Couch can satisfy all your morning cravings.
If you’re not an early riser, don’t worry because the restaurant is open until 5pm every day, so you can grab your morning meal at any time. To accompany your meal, a wide range of beverages from tea and coffee to fresh juices, milkshakes, frappes, smoothies and signature mocktails, are also available.
234 High Street, Birmingham B23 6SN England
10. Chaiiwala
Chaiiwala deals in the best Indian street food in Birmingham. There are several locations all over the city, so you’re never far away from good halal eats. While its main focus is on bringing chaii tea to the masses – with everything from pink chaii to karak coffee – the food menu makes Chaiiwala somewhere we can spend all day. Fill up in the morning with a traditional Desi or English-ish breakfast (with lamb rashers), or grab a mid-day snack in the shape of masala chips, Mumbai mac ‘n’ cheese or an aloo tikka burger.
135 Soho Rd, Birmingham B21 9ST
2 Walsall Rd, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 1AA
177 Alum Rock Rd, Alum Rock, Birmingham B8 1NJ
437 Coventry Rd, Birmingham B10 0TH
410 Ladypool Rd., Balsall Heath, Birmingham B12 8JZ
776 Stratford Rd, Birmingham B11