When I first started with Yelp, I threw this question to the masses; "Where is the best tea shop in Birmingham?". One of the first recommendations I received was the Edwardian Tea Room. Now, I have always known this place existed - but never had a chance to visit. This was finally rectified last week. The Edwardian Tea Room is housed within the fantastic Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (on Victoria Square). You need to head in the building, up the stairs and through the shop and the Buddha exhibit to find it. Decorated beautifully, the tea room really does feel like you've stepped back in time. No music plays in the background, but you can hear the murmur of conversation, the scraping of chairs along the floor and the clanging on trays as the staff clean up the empty tables. The menus are displayed on the wall (rather than individually on tables). You need to head up to the counter and order before you find a table (although if you're in a group, you would do well to bag a table first). The Tea Room (as you would expect) has a large selection of cakes (and tea, of course). A slice of cake and a pot of tea is a bargainous £2.95 - meaning it's a wallet safe alternative to some of the more hipster coffee and tea shops in the centre of town. Again, as previously mentioned, it's very popular with an older crowd due to the prices. However, on my visit their were older visitors, young people and families (who were catching their breath after trekking around the huge museum). I grabbed a herbal tea (£1.60) and took a seat in the large room to do a little bit of work while I enjoyed my hot drink. As well as tea, coffee and cake, there is a varied menu on offer for very reasonable prices. A large fish and chips (with all the trimmings) and a cup of tea was around £7.50. Not too bad, and they offer many other hot options too. Even on my many trips to BMAG, I haven't ever taken the opportunity to visit the Tea Rooms. Following my trip last week, there is a good chance I'll be back JUST TO visit the tea rooms. read more

Such a beautiful place to spend time. It's a great way to end or start a visit to the museum but you can also just pop in for food and drinks which I've done before. As I said, it's completely lovely. It was re-decorated about a year ago, which improved an already lovely space. Mis-matched furniture and big prints of Edwardian ladies sit perfectly in the lovely, big, light room.There are tables for big groups and soft chairs for cosy coffees. I've had a fish finger sandwich here which was nice but nothing to write home about. I've also tried the afternoon tea which was lovely, especially the cakes. It's not a particularly fancy afternoon tea but it makes a lovely lunch. The highlight here is really the space and the atmosphere- definitely worth spending some time in. read more

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Lovely hidden gem in the heart of Brum. We were strolling by the museum and decided to pop in since admission is free. In addition to some great exhibits, the museum also boasts the Edwardian Tea Room, tucked neatly behind the gift shop. The atmosphere is absolutely dreamy. With high, vaulted ceilings, soft lighting, and spacious clustered seating, I felt like we were in a quaint high tea room from the late 1800s. Across from us was a large group hosting a baby shower and many couples were snuggled up with newspapers, books, and pots of tea to share. This is the perfect location for romantic book nerds or singles looking to escape for the afternoon. I ordered the cream tea and Seth S. had a cappuccino. The tea flavors are all organic and served in enamel pots. Each cup is nicely fitted with a strainer so as to prevent any loose leaves from floating around your perfect cuppa. 4 mini sultana scones are included with the cream tea and are served just warmed with fresh clotted cream and strawberry jam. Larger afternoon teas are available as well - with sandwiches and pastries served on cute wooden window boxes. The lunch options (soup, sandwich, pastas, etc) also looked delectable. I can't wait to go back and try more. read more

Edwardian Tea Room - This place is so cute - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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Located inside BMAG the main clientele of this tea room appears to be OAPS and BMAG staff members. If you ever want to find good quality food at cheap prices then you can't go wrong by following the blue rinse brigade. I had a toasted Tea cake and pot of tea which came to £3.40 which is the price of a grande drink in the coffee chains and I got three cups of tea from that pot! Bargain! I love the decor of this place as it has high ceilings, ornately tiled floors and artwork scattered around however the actual tables and chairs are pretty much the same as you'd find in your average cafe. When you select your food you can either get it out the chiller cabinet if you're after cold drinks for example or you tell the staff member behind the what you'd like from the hot meals and they dish it up and you load up your plastic tray. You do get the feeling of being on a conveyor belt as you're heading towards ordering hot drinks section and the till although a staff member did bring over my tea cake once it had toasted. From a cursory glance of the menu other items to purchase include soups, fish and chips, jacket potatoes, sandwiches and salads. I went in on a Friday at 12pm and it filled up very quickly so perhaps elevenses or late afternoon may be quieter times. If you prefer traditional tearooms to hipster hangouts or are looking for a drink and a snack after vising BMAG them this eatery comes highly recommended. read more

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After a arti-ful day learning about the current collections at the Birmingham art museum we decided to take a short rest at the café located towards the back of the hall, Walked in 'wow' I said, what a beautiful place, The tea room is a pleasantly quiet hide out it offers a range of hot food and drinks with an ever changing menu. It has free Wifi too, bonus points. As always it took me a while to decide what to have but I went for the famous 'Fish and chips' in the end it was fried to perfection, and beautiful a cup of splendid tea The sauces also came in mini mason jars which was uber cute, beautiful interior and even have a range of comfy chairs for you to rest in. They also free tap water served in eco recyclable cups, as I eco warrior myself, I love this concept. Have a good day everyone, thanks a bunch for reading --------- read more

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I went along to the re-launch of the iconic Edwardian Tea Room at the heart of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and experienced first-hand its remarkable transformation. The once tired and much overlooked canteen has been transformed into a wonderful space for a spot of lunch or an event. Prior to makeover the Edwardian Tea Room wasn't leaving a great taste in the mouth. It was basically a glorified canteen that didn't add anything to your visit to BMAG. Now, however, it is worth going in for a peek alone. The new look Tea Room is really impressive, with gorgeously upholstered soft furnishings, a large trendy looking bar area, large tables and great lighting. The walls are adorned with copies (splash resistant) of portraits of stylish Edwardian gents and ladies about town from the gallery's collections. The whole design feels very sophisticated and compliments the amazing, authentic space, with its beautiful tiled floor and huge glass ceiling vaulted ceiling, perfectly. The culinary offerings seem centre on British classics. On the launch night I got to try mini fish and chips, bacon rolls, fish finger sandwiches and various meats, cheeses and chutneys from the generous antipasto platters. All really fresh and tasty. Of course, I had to finish off with cakes and macarons - also delicious. I'm definitely going to be heading back for afternoon tea. Friends have eaten here for lunch since the launch, munching down on bacon sandwiches and more, and all have really enjoyed it. For a more boozy lunch, or a special event, there's also a well stocked bar. You can hire the Tea Room for a private do and the launch night demonstrated its potential as a venue. The lighting looked great, live music came floating down from the mezzanine above and the numerous guests fit comfortably into the space. The reincarnated Edwardian Tea Room makes a fitting addition to BMAG and is well worth a look; there's no better place to refresh after an afternoon spent looking at the collections. read more

Edwardian Tea Room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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Edwardian Tea room certainly looks the part; it's spacious with large regal ceilings and huge ornate windows. The chairs are oh-so-chic with kitsch colours and patterns. It's a little bit retro but with an equally stylish modern twist. On decor alone, this is one pretty place for tea. And so it would seem, the perfect place for an afternoon bite to eat. Situated in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, it's wonderfully located, with all manner of interesting things to be found just around the corner. It's nice to have such a beautiful museum cafe waiting to be discovered. The decor really lends itself to the museum, in particular the various beautiful paintings which hang in the Round Room. Delightful! We popped in for lunch after our set in the museum as part of the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival. From the onset, service was a little slow with the lady on the till repeating our choices back to us several times as she put the order through. I went for a peppermint tea and a baked potato with tuna. In hindsight, I should have asked for mayo as it came without. Although, I did think that this was the norm. Not to worry! We did have a short wait for food but it was definitely worth the wait. My suki peppermint tea was delicious and the potato was generous in size and also loose on the portion control of the tuna filling. Just what I needed to power me through to our gig in the evening! The antipasto platter that was brought to our table, when delivered, was just left at the side of our table with not a word or question of where it should be placed which, unfortunately, was on the other side! I have to say that the antipasto did looked incredibly delicious and fresh. Although more of a sharing platter than for one unless you're very hungry. I would have liked the service to be a little warmer since no one came over to check if everything was okay during the meal or said goodbye and thanked us as we left. Although, I still did enjoy the Edwardian Tea Room for lunch this time round in Birmingham. The staff told us that it had just opened after being refurbished so maybe they're still getting to grips with things for the moment. As it stands, I'd say it's the beautiful interior that steals the show! read more

Edwardian Tea Room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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Where to start? Food: delicious. It's basic caff on paper - omelettes, sandwiches, jacket potatoes. But what omelettes, what sandwiches! I had the brie and field mushroom omelette and a pot of tea. Massive omelette, loads of cheese and mushrooms. The people next to me had a sort of tea (preserves, scones, cream but also sandwiches). It came in a really clever shelf display... and the sandwiches looked like proper sandwiches, with a decent amount of hand made filling. Very comfortable seating, friendly service, great ambiance. Go here! You won't regret it. read more

Edwardian Tea Room - This is how they served afternoon tea to my neighbours. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

I went to the Edwardian Tea Room today for afternoon tea and was really impressed. The tea room is part of the Birmingham Museum and Art gallery and is a beautiful airy space. We were greeted by a friendly waitress who seated us in a booth and took our order quickly. Our large pots of tea arrived quickly, I had a lovely loose leaf peppermint tea which was really refreshing. Our sandwiches, scones and cakes arrived shortly afterwards. The sandwiches were lovely, thick fresh bread with generous and delicious fillings. We then moved on to our scones with clotted cream and jam. Again they were very tasty, the only small downside being that all of the scones had dried fruit in them, I personally prefer them plain. The three mini cakes were also delicious and just enough without being too sweet or filling. All in all I was really impressed by the whole experience, and I will definitely be returning for tea and cake very soon. read more

Edwardian Tea Room - The beautiful Edwardian tearoom - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

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The Edwardian Tea Room is often described as a best kept secret of Birmingham. That may seem a bit off considering how packed the place can get at lunch and on the weekends. Counting how many locals I've talked to that haven't been here though, I think the description still fits. The Tea Room is located on the northeastern end of the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. The room is a combination of a museum cafe mixed with a bar and sandwich shop. Refurbished several years ago, the Tea Room simply looks great from top to bottom with a mix of modern and antique motifs throughout. The Edwardian Tea Room seems to be where I ultimately end up on days when I have nothing better to do than sit awhile and sip some tea or coffee. Unlike many city centre cafes, staff will not try to rush you off to clear space. There are dozens of tables and booths in the spacious room so that it's typically not too difficult to find a spot. Booths along the walls encourage you to stay with wall outlets for your laptop or phone. Although it's described with 'tea room' in its name, there is so much more. A stout and pilsner are on tap in addition to bottled beverages, espresso drinks are competitively priced for the city centre, and a glass of wine can be had for under £5. A full menu with brunch, mains, salads, sides, and desserts features classic English fare and some interesting twists. Portions are hit or miss, with some titanic and others meager. At £7.50, the 'bhaji burger' comes in a small pita and is a vegetarian delight, but could do with chips as a side. The loose leaf teas are still the main star of the room, with about eight varieties to choose from, arriving in a large ceramic pot for £2.80. If you haven't made it to the Edwardian Tea Room yet, make it a priority next time you're around Victoria Square. It's a near perfect spot for a lunch break or a lazy afternoon. read more

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I can't believe I haven't found this sooner. What a lush, decadent and stylishly designed large Tea room with an impressive glass roof, right in the heart of the Birmingham Museum gallery. Always good to refresh the taste buds after a relaxing walk admiring the art and artefacts in the galleries and conveniently on the way through the museum shop. They have made good use of one if their gallery areas providing a large space with small relaxing areas and booths, lush fabric covered chairs and traditional style high backed chairs and some leather sofas. Located next to the tea room is an interesting play and learning area for children. Lovely cakes and sweet treats to choose from. I ordered smoked salmon and eggs on brioche, a little disappointed with what I ordered and thought it maybe better for £££ The service was slow, but despite that a very nice place for tea and cake. read more

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The Edwardian Tea Room has long been a call in point for me on trips to Birmingham - a chance to meander through the art gallery and then enjoy a nice pot of tea in pretty surroundings. On a visit last week I got a chance to check out the new refit - it has several good points, now boasting an array of different types of seating (sofas and soft chairs as well as just "normal" tables and chairs), and serving a range of teas and delicious cakes. However, I wasn't 100% convinced all the changes were for the best. Pots of tea now come served in ceramic pots - which may reflect the attempts to look "authentic" and give it a quirky Edwardian twist, but in reality look like they've been dug out of the back of someone's cupboard, and get overheated so you can't lift the lid (to give it a stir), before pouring. In addition, although having soft chairs are an improvement, its a shame that the more decorative hard chairs have been replaced by newer,more generic looking ones. read more

Edwardian Tea Room - Edwardian Tea Rooms at BMAG - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Fabulous Food!!!!Highly recommend a visit to this place, if you like art and culture. read more

Edwardian Tea Room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

After living in Birmingham for over 10 years it was about time I visited the Edwardian Tea Rooms. Nestled away in the BMAG the tea rooms have been recently refurbished. I can't comment on how they looked before but I really like what they've done with the place. A great mixture of rustic, industrial, classical and contemporary without looking too busy or over the top. It reminds me a lot of a cross between The Lost & Found and Pure Bar & Kitchen. Being a museum cafe I was expecting over inflated prices but a large americano is only £1.90 ish and it's pretty good coffee. We went on a busy Saturday afternoon (the day of the Christmas parade) not long after the new Staffordshire Hoard exhibit opened and whilst it was busy we easily found a table and the service was prompt and friendly. Prefect for recharging your batteries after exploring all bmag has to offer and also for a quiet brew and a cake to escape the chaos of a weekend in Birmingham city centre. read more

This is Birmingham's loveliest spot for a cup of tea. The surroundings are so elegant that they more than make up for the occasional screaming child or self-service counter. The walls are sumptuous shades of jewel green and burnt sienna and the floors are ornately tiled. There are paintings and sculptures dotted around the room. There are even potted palms (I'm a big fan of potted palms and think they can make or break a tea room). The food available is your traditional tea room fayre - sandwiches, cakes, hot and cold drinks. My main issue is the self-service counter, it just doesn't feel quite right with the surroundings, especially not with the stacks of grey trays and a giant Coca Cola fridge. Call me old fashioned but I'd much prefer waitress service. read more

I visited here recently for brunch with a friend. It's been refurbished since I last came and looks really cool now. Lots of space and comfy seats. The menu offered an array of delicacies to choose from and I went with pancakes and a green tea. It was really delicious and the place had a relaxing vibe. Great for friends, families, dates...anything! read more

Edwardian Tea Room - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Birmingham, XWM

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is one of the stars of Birmingham. Despite my boyfriend and I being fully paid up 'friends' of the museum one of the ways I feel I give back is by always spending some money in the tea room. My tendency is to have the scones cream tea (with coffee of course, I don't do tea) and even though the scones are a little dry and the coffee not perfect, the ambience of sitting under this glorious balconied roof makes up for any little short comings in the food quality department. They do offer hot meals and soup if you get there in time and there is a bigger selection of cakes than ever! And the hot chocolate is good! read more

This tea room, located inside BMAG, is where I like to take people visiting Birmingham especially if they are not from the UK. It is great that Birmingham still has a tea room and daytime eatery like this. As you enter you are greeted by a huge room with very high ceilings and a stunning glass roof. The walls are decorated with art. The furniture is made up of simple wooden tables and chairs. There is normally ample room even if there is a group of you. The food, cakes, tea and coffee is normally of a very good standard and not too expensive considering the location. It is even licensed if you need an early afternoon tipple. Often there is live music, of a classic nature, for free which really adds to the overall ambiance of the experience. It is a real shame it isn't open in the evenings as it keeps to the museum's opening hours. However, the space is available to hire for private functions. read more

Beautiful hidden gem in the centre of Birmingham. Nice cakes and tea - well worth a visit.

Good choice of snacks and meals in a beautiful and historic setting. It does get busy at lunchtimes and weekends with lengthy queues, but the food is worth wait. One of Birmingham's hidden gems - visit soon. read more

I do really like having a beverage or a snack at the tea room. It has a nice, relaxed atmosphere and it is really pretty to look around. ( I also recommend checking out the museum while you are here) or enjoying the museum first and then relaxing for a chat about it at the tea room! read more

I decided to hold my small bridal shower at the Edwardian Tea Room. I had contacted the event booking coordinator via email with the date and time and she let me know it would be available. She instructed me to go in to pay a £10/person deposit to confirm the booking. When we arrived on the day, they said they had no idea what I was talking about and they didn't have any reservations for that day, but in fact had had a large party no-show for lunch the day before. Despite confirming that I had emailed the correct date, they had booked me in a day early and failed to contact me when no one showed up for my event despite having already paid £120 toward afternoon tea. Because of this, we waited over an hour to be served and the wait staff seemed annoyed more than anything, did not apologise, and instead told me that it was "fine" and "not a big deal". The tea itself was enjoyable, but they clearly seemed inconvenienced by our business and refused to take responsibility for their mistake. Because the tea took so long to be served (something we weren't warned about) we were cleared out while I was trying to open gifts, interrupting what should have been a special moment for me. I will not be returning and would not recommend it to anyone, especially a large party or for a special event. read more