Sainsbury's at Martineau Square is probably the largest supermarket style store in Birmingham city…read morecentre, at least in the Sainsbury's brand anyway but it is far from the best. The store was really understaffed when I came in, it felt like they were ready to shut in the middle of the day with no manned tills or counters, the store was even really dark to get around (perhaps a power outage in part of the store), yet there was no staff members apologising or offering assistance. Other reviews suggest it isn't even a lighting issue and it has been going on for weeks and months, which surely makes no sense: as someone who visits Sainsbury's stores across England and Wales, I've not seen anything like it. I couldn't get any of the items I came in for which strangely were on sale in a smaller Sainsbury's store on Colmore Row, it is a large supermarket but I just wasn't impressed with the selection. The ramped enterance into the store remains dangerous and is an accident waiting to happen as it involves a sharp and narrow corner blocked by a wall, I really don't know how health and safety approved it as it is too narrow to have two lanes and all it takes is to people coming up at the same time (and then unable to go back) and BANG. The store really does need to review their staffing levels, ramped enterance and lighting as a matter of urgency.

I am reviewing this branch of sainsbury's on the one thing I get there and thats the salad…read morebowl.....I know this is a controversial 5* review but it's actually really good! For £2.95 you can have yourself a medium salad bowl packed full of bean, beetroot, red pepper, chickpea and other salads which I have to say tastes great! Big shouts to the pea and mint salad which gives the whole bowl freshness and a whole load of extra flavour....I strongly recommend going in on that scoop for a lunchtime win! I know you are thinking.....supermarket salad bowl.....it's going to be rubbish.....but this one shames other supermarkets. I need to say that compared to Morrisons dried out salads this is on another level. If you want a cheap lunch on the move and want to be healthy in a savage world of burger temptation.....give this a go.

Tesco Caxton Gate on New Street is in Birmingham city centre and was recently rebranded from a…read moreTesco Metro store into a Tesco Express. Tesco describes this as "a change of consumer shopping habits", this is a change with all of their Tesco Metro stores which have been changed into Tesco Express or Tesco Superstore locations. This is probably the best supermarket in the city centre in terms of size and overall selection, I did find the stock to be a little depleted, especially on the Ground Floor with some shelves almost empty, but I do understand the shortages going on right now are causing harm to supermarkets, I hope and trust they are trying their best. It is over two floors, I personally want to get in and out of a store as quick as I can, especially with Tesco Express stores which are Tesco's answers to "convenience" stores, having to wait for a lift/escalator is just not a grab and go quick experience. The checkout area seemed a little messy, and the staff didn't seem too interested. It would be great to see a mobile scanning and payment system implemented here, which makes the overall experience much quicker and more consumer-centric, similar to what Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer now offer, at their nearby location(s). The store was fairly clean and free from most obstructions. 4*

This is the best supermarket available in the city core and being split across two levels it's also…read morethe biggest. Offering everything to stock your apartment up for a weeks shop it also has a great selection of fresh fruit and veg (you should really go to the market on Saturday if you can however) as well as a variety of meats and a very well stocked selection of alcohol, especially wine..... It's also great to grab a work lunch or something for dinner in the evening. At the weekends I'm a big fan of their 2 for £10 deal which includes a main, side, desert and bottle of wine for £10. This offers is always available and clearly signposted in the fridge section. Plus it saves of cooking and ain't nobody got time for that.

Located on Navigation Street, which is really close to many areas of Birmingham including The…read moreMailbox, New Street Station, Grand Central and the Bullring - this Sainsbury's Local store is fairly small and isn't as modern as one would expect from a central location. The store was really cramped and poor to get around, with staff stocking shelves during the day and the self-service area being quite close together including boxes and even a bin in the way of getting to the "bagging area", which wasn't correctly signposted leaving to confusion at the till. I didn't find the staff to be friendly and after having a problem which required assistance at the self-service till I had to wait a few minutes without the store being too busy again. The selection wasn't great either - I did get 2 out of 3 items I came in for, which would usually be good but these are items which are sold at virtually every Sainsbury's Local store, so considering that it is still pretty poor and based on a quick browse in other areas it wasn't too great either. Poor, slow service and a cramped store making the overall shopping experience more of a chore which takes much longer to do, than somewhere to grab a quick snack or some essentials while in the city centre. There are so many branches of Sainsbury's Local, Tesco Metro/Extra and more around the city - so I can't justify the reason to re-visit nor recommend this one. 1*

Not the cheapest of places or the biggest of places but what Sainsbury's on navigation street has…read moreover other of the supermarket chains in the city centre is the fact it's open every day 7-11 and let me tell you at half 9 on a Sunday nights it's a god send. Like I said it's not a massive store so prob explains why they don't have many offers on and most of the items on sale are the more expensive ones not many Sainsbury's owns and things like that. It has a really good selection of sandwiches and meal deals for all the workers in the city and a gorgeous fresh bakery section. They could do with more self service check out points because in the morning rush you can find abit of a wait but other than that it's a nice little store,I def can't complain as its right on my door step :)

I've been trying to improve my diet recently so searched for healthy lunch options and I am so glad…read moreit led me here. There's a very clear sign with instructions as you enter - basically you grab a plate and load up with whatever and as much as you want from a huge vegan and mostly organic banquet and then this is weighed at the till. You can also grab a dessert (set price) and then order drinks when you pay. Everything I ate was really nice and flavourful - lots of spices and Asian-inspired dishes (from the Middle East to East Asia!) e.g. pad thai, dhal. There are hot and cold options and great little sides like kimchi and onion bread. Every single bit of food is gluten free so an outstanding option for those folks. I can't wait to return on my next trip to Birmingham!

Wow!! Come to Natural Healthy Food's! Tonight was my first time coming here!! The food is so…read moredelicious! It's like a mini Whole Foods!! They have a mini grocery section and then a dining area with the best food! So delicious! They have a feast of delicious food from dhal to curry to the BEST roasted root vegetables like sweet potatoes and I believe turnips! So freaking good!! It was like an explosion of flavors in my mouth like fennel, cinnamon, thyme, Oh my gosh!! Food so good make you wanna slap your mama! Jk! But seriously, it is so good! Wow! I am so inspired for meal prep and some date night meals! It is vegan, gluten free, organic and delicious! I don't miss the meat! Great for a meatless Monday! Oh my gosh, wow! They have excellent service too! The only thing I would say is that some of the food on the dining menu contains nuts, so just be mindful of that if you are allergic to nuts. It's great because their food does not contain any dairy which is one of my allergies. Another thing to take note is that like Whole Foods with their hot section, they charge by weight. Oh my gosh! The food is so filling!! Wow! It feels like back home when I would get hot food at Whole Foods but I would say their food might be better than Whole Foods! It's nice when places like this have more variety in terms of food and cuisine. Some Whole Foods don't have much variety in the cuisines, but Natural Healthy Foods does! Wow so delicious! It is a great place to unwind, to study, or to hang out friends and family or for a date night! :)

Sainsbury's on Colmore Row is opposite Snow Hill station in Birmingham city centre and while it…read moreisn't the largest store in the city centre, I was able to get more of the products I was looking for here than 'Sainsbury's Central'. That being said, the stock was a little depleated in certain areas. Prices seem a little higher as it's a convenience style store and I do feel the store could have been kept a little tidier. If you're travelling from Snow Hill, this is the best store in the area in comparison to Tesco and Co-op nearby, but if not there's much better elsewhere within the city. 3*

This Sainsbury's has a good location opposite Snow Hill at the end of Colmore Row. It's rather…read moresmall but that makes sense for a city centre shop. I've only ever popped in on my way home for work so I've not grabbed lunch from here though when I do go in in the evening, there are 'lunch' items still available. There's the obvious fresh veg and fruit, meat and pastries available at the back. The booze selection is the standard so don't go in expecting to get something special. It never seems to be that busy which is nice and there's four self-service tills at the front which tend to move quickly. The staff are nice and if there is a queue more will come and serve.

Very good oriental food related supplies and very well stocked. Most prices are cheaper than…read moresimilar items elsewhere. This is my go to place and I drive into the city for it.

Always a very convenient supermarket as it's the closest one to me and also opens till later than…read moreDay Inn! The shop has grown massively with the long awaited expansion meaning it's storing much more variety of groceries and is no long a cramped maze like it used to be. The items they stock is similar to day inn, however there are a few minor differences especially in the herbs and spices section. At a competitive price, it is no different than Day Inn however they're just very convenient and always there when you need it.

This branch of Tesco is in a really useful location on the upper floor of The Mailbox complex in…read moreBirmingham, just outside the main terrace going to the restauraunt area which interlinks with the canal, bridge and The Cube - fairly close to the independent cinema and AC Marriott. The store is pretty typical in terms of size for a Tesco Express store, mainly designed to be small where you can pick up essentials however the store was really unclean and untidy, this seems to happen a lot in these types of stores for some reason, with warehouse cages blocking a whole aisle again making it hard, even close to impossible to visit certain parts of the store. The staff didn't seem too friendly or willing to move anything, meaning I'd have to go to Sainsbury's Local on my way back towards the main city centre / New Street. Product range could be improved as well as making the queueing area more friendly rather than hectic. Useful location with potential, one of the few stores of its' kind within The Mailbox and Cube facility, so it is pretty useful even if the store its-self isn't that great so that gains an extra star. 2*

The world of food, downstairs in Selfridges is absolutely amazing. It's spread over a huge space…read morehousing plenty of items you'd find in Asda, but also mirrored with plenty of stuff you certainly wouldn't. There's stuff you'l probably never want to try (dried ant's) and the like but plenty of stuff you would. There's lots of food stuff imported from around the world, most famously the Krispy Kreme brand of doughnuts. Amongst the piles of food are small food 'stalls' with prepared food like curry, pasta's, meats etc. You can also sit yourself down on a stool and grab yourself some sushi if you're feeling peckish

I was hungry and I was looking for something quick to eat so I headed over to the food court at…read moreSelfridges & Co. at Bullring Mall and I went to Patisserie Valerie. I went to the menu which was at the back of the stand, which is not a good place to put it and the employees were not even greeting me and attending to me. I had to say, "excuse me" to get their attention and then head to Even so, the employees should be paying attention to the customer and aware of when their customers arrive and where they are. Once I was helped, I got the eggs on whole wheat toast. It was okay, just to get something in my belly, but it had no flavor, no sauce. I believe it was £3.95 from what I read or maybe I was so hungry, but she charged me £2.95. I ain't complainin'. Lol. :) She was very nice, but it was not the best experience. It was more of a grab and go to get something to fill me up, but did not have much flavor. Although they are more known for their sweets, they should still have high quality, tasty food for their other food items. It is also a chain, so sometimes with chains, the quality of the food and service goes down. Out of the other options, they are more like fast-food service and do not have healthy options. It was okay, not as great as I thought it would be. That's okay. If you are looking for great places to eat at the mall, check out the sit-down restaurants like Bill's, which has exceptional service and food. There is also Café Rouge and other restaurants that should be good. :)