Errrmegggerd Pancake season is HERE. Shrove Tuesday is peeking round the corner and we couldn't be more flippin' excited. Everyone knows breakfast and brunch foods are the best kind of foods, especially when they're made with those three magic little ingredients. Who knew those fluffy, flat little cakes could make us so unbelievably happy?
Because you deserve to brunch like a champ, here's where to get stacked in Birmingham this Pancake Day.
All Stickie Fingers' pancakes are made from vegan batter and are generously topped with all the good stuff. We'll be honest, we can't decide which one is our fav between the Black Forest pancakes (chocolate pancakes topped with cherries, chocolate sauce and cream) or the traditional Canadian pancakes, topped with crispy bacon (or halloumi for a veggie alternative), blueberries and syrup. We told you: it's proper dreamy stuff we're talking about.
Serving everything from cookie dough pizzas to chocolate fondue, Pirlo’s is a New York loft style dessert lounge with an extra dollop of indulgence. If it’s your first visit we recommend trying the Banoffee Crepe with bananas, toffee sauce, fresh cream and a scoop of Banana Swirl Gelato. Or if you're a frequent visitor we’d say go for the cookie dough crepe - it’s rich, gooey and oh-so-naughty.
Dessert Lab is the go-to dessert parlour in Moseley Village. Take a seat in their 100 cover dessertery and settle in for a mind-blowing sugar rush. Opt for either a traditional crepe, American pancake stack or a Creffle (a waffle with a pancake on top). Toppings on offer include glazed banana, with melty milk Belgian chocolate and crumble aux pommes - homemade apple crumble and Belgian chocolate with creamy ice cream.
Jam Jar offers a wide variety of hand-crafted waffles, crepes, cookie dough, sundaes and ‘back to school’ favourites including apple crumble, sticky toffee pudding and jam roly poly. Their crepes come in a range of flavours including Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, Cadbury's Flake and Banoffee. Yes, you probably have put on 5 stone just reading this descriptor.
First impressions might make you think that this is your classic English breakfast spot - but De Maines of Moseley has a French accent in the form of galette. If you haven’t had a galette before, it’s a type of pancake made with buckwheat that’s filled with savoury bites and folded into a square. There are a few different galettes to choose from, including the ‘classic’ (ham, egg, and cheese), the vegetarian (egg, cheese, mushrooms and tomatoes), and the ‘special’ (blackpudding, apple and onion). But our personal favourite has to be the Gallette Breakfast - a heart pancake stuffed with everything you want in a breakfast fry-up: sausage, egg, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes. It might sound like an unusual combination but believe us - it’s good.
There are an awful lot of cafes in Birmingham, but few are quite like Cherry Reds. Allow this quirky, centrally-based cafe-bar – with its mismatching furniture and vintage wall art – to help you feel right at home. American-style pancakes with lashings of maple syrup and salmon and spinach topped with a fried egg and asparagus. The 'Big Red' comes complete with sausages, bacon, scrambled egg and hash browns piled on a stack of pancakes with an extra jug of maple syrup, corrrrr.
Now listen up, this isn't technically a pancake but it deserves an honourable mention because it's too delicious to keep from you. We’re talking buttermilk fried chicken waffles with bacon and maple syrup. No, you're drooling! Come for the waffles, and stick around for the exceptional coffee.
Lewis’s is the friendliest of neighbourhood cafes. Based in the heart of Moseley, it’s been serving the good people that live and call through the area since 2014. Now let's get right to the sweet spot - their American pancakes are absolutely dreamy and come with either crispy bacon and maple syrup or berries, yoghurt, almonds and coulis. A word to the wise: check out their french toast options whilst you're there, they're the best in Brum.
On the ground-floor of a quintessentially Victoria building (dated 1898) situated at the corner of Mayvale Rd and Linden Rd, you’ll find the magnificent Leverton & Halls - an independent deli, cafe and shop that’s become an institution for locals and workers in the Bournville area. Keep your bells and whistles, the pancakes at Lev's are hearty, good value for money, and most of all, delicious.
Breakfast is possibly the best time to be at Juju’s – on a sunny day, its canal setting makes for a great al fresco spot to kick back and refuel. The pancake menu caters equally well to meat-lovers and vegetarians: choose between bacon lardons and sausages, a sweet berry compote or caramelised banana.
Dedicated to using local sourced and seasonal ingredients (prioritising those that are organic), Kitchen Garden Café serves food of real quality, whilst promoting positive eating habits. This begins with their all-day breakfast menu, featuring yours truly - the humble pancake. Get your fluffy pancakes here topped with fresh fruit and lashings of syrup.
From lively-looking office teams knocking back cocktails, to old friends jumping in on the infamous bottomless brunch, you’ll find anyone who’s anyone at this bright and quirky hangout. Just a few of their killer brunch options are the oh-so-fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Get yours stacked with either bacon and maple syrup, fruit and Cornish cream, or opt for the house favourite - The Full English pancakes. It's a yes from us.
Set in the stunning surrounds of St Paul’s Square is the stylish and ever-popular Saint Kitchen. This family run cafe is one of Brum’s finest indie coffee shops with an impeccable selection of single origin coffees, all-day brunches and a delicious range of homemade pancakes. The coconut milk pancakes with Nutella and banana are particularly lovely.
The Plough is a real neighbourhood gem located on the Harborne High Street. Famous for their down-to-earth menu and edgy décor, you’ll find a villagey vibe right in the centre of Brum and their brunch menu is pretty awesome. Pancakes wise they offer a short-stack served with crispy bacon, blueberries and maple syrup.
