Nerds on Tour: Top 5 Geeky Things to do in Birmingham

Following on from the response to my posts about geeky things to do in Coventry, I thought why not expand my horizons and do a tour of a local city – Birmingham. Check out what are, in my opinion, the best nerdy geeky things to do on a day trip!

1. Visit TokyoToys for some Kawaii Goodness

As you come out of the back entrance of the train station, you’ll walk straight up the street to Tokyo Toys! It’s this fantastic little shop with a whole wall of plushies, figurines, manga and all things cute! My friend Nat took me on the tour, and so we did what every 90’s kid had to do and got matching friendship key-rings.

2. Play some board games at Geek Retreat

I loved this little space! The last time I’d been to Birmingham, the place where Geek Retreat resides was a comic book store – so I was so happy that it’d been turned into a board game cafe where you could just rock up, and chill out with some friends. We didn’t have time to stay around here as we were doing a tour but I’ll be sure to go back and play for a few hours!

3. Get a Katsu curry and Ramune Soda from Yaki Nori

Would any trip be complete without a stop for lunch? I’ve not been to Yaki Nori for years but I wasn’t disappointed – I had the super reasonably priced lunch time box – packed with rice and katsu chicken! Plus an ice cold Japanese Lemonade to wash it down. Mmmmm.

4. Grab some comics at one of the 2 Forbidden Planets!

Nat (who runs blog ThereMightBeCoffee), took me to Forbidden Planet. Unfortunately the one in Coventry is pretty small so I was SO happy to see 2 floors stocked full of nerdy stuff – I got myself a mini-haul and I NEVER do that kind of thing anymore! I was surprised to learn that actually, we visited the smaller of the two! Definitely a staple of anyone looking for geeky things to do in Birmingham.

5. Enjoy a Bubble Tea and a Japanese Cheesecake from Caffe Chino

Seriously, I’ve never tried Japanese Cheesecake before and it’s like nothing I’ve ever tried. I always say this when trying Japanese food – it’s different to anything else. It is like, the taste of American cheesecake with the fluffiness and texture of the lightest Victoria sponge you’ve ever had. Oh my gosh, I want to go back for more.

So there’s my nerdy run-down of Birmingham after just one day there! My friend Nat and I are definitely going to do another nerdy day soon – they’re so much fun and it’s great to explore new places with someone who is local to the scene!

You can check out what Nat thought of my home-town’s nerd central, here!

I have to say I missed out Worlds Apart, as I did wander round there but I had already spent so much money I just didn’t need any more retail therapy! I also would love to visit the Kitty cafe for lunch next time I visit, as it looks so comfy and cute.

What other geeky things to do have I missed from my list? Please make some recommendations for me and let me know if there’s anything essential I have to do next, in the comment section below.