Visiting Birmingham with family: easy dinner that works for everyone

Looking for family restaurants in Birmingham that suit everyone at once? Book a table at Aara, 108-109 Icknield Street in the Jewellery Quarter, where one menu covers vegetarians, meat-eaters, gentle palates and spice lovers, with dishes from the North Indian tandoor to Andhra and Telangana home cooking.

Family trips come with a familiar problem at dinner time. One person wants something mild, another is vegetarian, a grandparent wants the dal they grew up with, and the children just want bread. This guide pairs a simple family day in the city centre with a dinner that keeps the whole table happy. Every city stop links to its official page, so check opening times before you set off.

Morning: museums that are built for children

Visit Birmingham's families page calls the city "a fun and straightforward city to visit with even the smallest of family members", and the city centre makes that easy.

Start at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery on Chamberlain Square. General admission is free with no booking needed, and alongside the Staffordshire Hoard and the Birmingham History Galleries there is Wild City, a new family gallery. There is a tearoom too, which helps with younger visitors.

If your children prefer to press buttons, head to Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum at Millennium Point. It has four floors and over 200 hands-on exhibits, including MiniBrum, a child-sized mini city, a 4K planetarium and an outdoor Science Garden. In term time it opens Tuesday to Sunday, and admission charges apply.

Afternoon: sharks, otters or jewellers

For an afternoon that small children will talk about for weeks, the National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham has a 360° ocean tunnel with sharks, a giant turtle and rays swimming overhead, plus sea otters and Gentoo penguins. Booking online is the simplest way to guarantee entry.

Older children may enjoy the Jewellery Quarter itself. Visit Birmingham describes it as the home of British jewellery, with more than 100 independent retailers and craftspeople and the Chamberlain Clock at its centre. The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is a workshop left exactly as it was when its owners locked the door in 1981. Entry is by guided tour, Thursday to Sunday, and on selected Thursdays it runs a kids' jewellery workshop where children design a bracelet or pendant. Pre-booking is advised.

Evening: getting to Aara

Getting to Aara is easy without a car. The Grand Central tram stop sits at the entrance to New Street station. Take a tram towards Wolverhampton and get off at Jewellery Quarter; Birmingham Museums puts the trip at about eight minutes. Use your maps app for the last stretch to Icknield Street.

Driving with car seats and buggies? There are three free spaces in front of the restaurant and free parking on the left side of Pope Street, 24/7. Carver Street and Pope Street also have ample free parking after 6pm Monday to Saturday and all day on Sunday.

We open at 12:00 every day and serve the full menu all day, until 22:00 Sunday to Thursday and 23:00 on Friday and Saturday. That makes an early family dinner, before tired legs set in, just as easy as a late one.

One table, everyone sorted

Our dining room is warm and casual, and on most evenings you will see families round the big tables. Indian food is made for sharing, which is exactly what a mixed family table needs: order a spread, put it in the middle and let everyone help themselves.

For gentler palates: butter chicken, chicken korma or veg korma (cooked in a creamy coconut, mildly spiced gravy), dal tadka, steamed basmati rice and a basket of tandoori naan or puffed poori. Many children happily start with poppadoms, vegetable samosas, onion pakora or fries with our in-house spice mix.

From the tandoor: our tikkas are marinated overnight and chargrilled over live flame. Chicken tikka, malai chicken tikka, lamb sheek kebab and, for vegetarians, paneer tikka and soya chaap tikka. The tikka platter saves a lot of debate.

North Indian favourites: chicken tikka masala, paneer tikka masala, chana masala, saag aloo and vegetable kadai masala, all good with naan.

From the South, for the adventurous: the Andhra chicken fry and Telangana mutton curry carry real heat, so save them for the spice lovers, while the Malabar chicken is cooked in a fragrant coconut sauce with curry leaves. Chicken 65 and Apollo fish are popular starters to share.

Biryani for the whole table: our slow-sealed dum biryanis come in vegetable, chicken, chicken tikka, lamb or king prawn, and in a large size that is made for sharing. Add bagara rice if you want a fragrant rice on the side.

We use halal meat in our meat dishes. Vegetarian dishes are clearly marked V on the menu, so it is easy to check before you arrive.

To finish: kulfi, apricot delight, a mango lassi or sweet lassi for the children, and a Masala chai for the grown-ups.

Tips for booking a family table

• Book ahead at weekends. Walk-ins are always welcome when we have tables, but weekends book up quickly. Book online and your table is confirmed straight away.
• Bigger family gathering? For parties of 12 or more, please call 0121 389 9882 so we can set the room up properly.
• Allergies or dietary needs? Add a note to your booking and mention it again when you arrive.
• Not sure about spice? Check the menu before you come and ask us when you order.

Book your family table

Aara, 108-109 Icknield Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham B18 6RZ. Open daily from 12:00, until 22:00 Sunday to Thursday and 23:00 on Friday and Saturday.