CanEat Pop-up Xmas Shop
Eat, drink, shop and be generally giddy with Xmas excitement at CanEat‘s last minute Christmas shop with gorgeous indie-gifts aplenty and a whole host of festive indie cheer from local shops and sellers. New Harbourne palace of styled interiors, arts & plants (opening Jan) Hedgerow Stories will be representing alongside beautiful boho booksellers How Brave is the Wren, handmade delectables from Honest Skincare, funky houseplant heaven from Isherwood & co. and lots more. Save us a salmon bun.
CanEat cafe, 1397 Pershore Rd, Birmingham B30 2JR, 10am – 4pm

Streetfood in the schoolyard with The Drunken Tiger + Taste & Liquor
Taste & Liquor have also taken on a mini-takeover of this highly promising new booze parlour converted from a 1880s Victorian School, complete with an outdoor ‘schoolyard’ (ideal for street food sessions) for further foodie festivities up until Xmas. The run up to Christmas sees Jamaican street food from Momma Bears Wings & Tings followed by TDTH’s own speakeasy NYE party in the schoolyard (don’t tell the feds) complete with cocktails, fizz, DJs and a schoolyard full of street food. All for free (and family friendly) until 10pm.
The Drunken Tiger, School Yard, Harborne, Birmingham B17 9NJ, from 5pm. Free. NYE free before 8pm, £10 after. www.facebook.com

Willaroos Vegan pop-up at Urban
Vegan contemporary food from across the globe with artisan beer and wines to accompany. Dishes include Thai cornish pasty with mango salsa, bbq jackfruit bonanza burgers, ramen with gyoza dumplings with gluten-free diets catered for.
Urban, 30 Church St, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2NP. Thu 21 Dec & Fri 22 Dec, 6pm – 11.30pm. From £12. www.designmynight.com

Bar Humbug pop-up Cocktail Masterclass & The Full Santa
In preparation for their takeover of the former Two Cats venue in 2018, The Wilderness is hosting the tackiest most gloriously twisted Christmas experience of the season this side of the German Markets (their words). Festive inspired cocktails by award-winning beverage innovator James Bowker will flow forth Thursday to Saturday from the 30th November. Book now for paired cocktails and snacks or a cocktail masterclass.
Thu 30 Nov – Sat 23 Dec, Bar Humbug, 27 Warstone Lane, Birmingham, B18 6JQ.www.barhumbug.com

Digbeth Apres Ski Lodge Party pop-up (Dec 22/23 tickets still available).
Festivities are officially go, go go with The Old Crown beer garden taking on a seasonal magical ski lodge theme with pine trees, falling snow, ski racks, piste maps, fairy lights, lanterns and presumably enough mulled stuff to float a few elves on. Decked out with all the luxuries of a ski lodge, the heated marquee and fur-lined benches promises to offer the perfect escape from the cold. Street food traders will serve up an Alpine inspired menu and resort classics like fondue and raclette. There’ll also be DJs, live bands and even a vintage ski shop on site selling everything from salopettes to alpine jumpers. No slope skills required. Now booking.
Weekends, Fri 8 Dec & Sat Dec 9, Fri 15 Dec & Sat 16 Dec, Fri 22 Dec & Sat 23 Dec, The Old Crown, Birmingham B12 0LD. From £10 www.designmynight.com

Festive Malaysian pop-up with Norman Musa
An exquisite Malaysian pop-up from celebrated chef Norman Musa takes over the delightfully cosy surrounds of Urban for 3 nights only with festive canapes followed by a spectacular celebratory meal including a multi-layered 3 course menu full of spiced treats and surprises. Highlights include traditional fish curry. spicy mango salad, grilled chicken with coconut gravy and a Xmas edition Asian Tiramisu.  Thu 14 – Sat 16 Dec, Urban, 30 Church St, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2NP. £30 per head, limited availability. www.designmynight.com

Kinome Kitchen Christmas pop-up
Our favourite Japanese dining experience in the city is back with another Kinome Kitchen pop-up. Sachiko’s new Christmas menu features the perfect antidote to this time of year with an exquisitely light touch, sophisticated flavours, clean ingredients and subtle dining sensations. Seared smoked salmon, Shrimp & edo potato with white yuzu miso and a 7-piece Sushi plate are amongst the menu’s delights. For more on Sachiko and Kinome Kitchen see here.
​Fri 8 Dec & Sat 9 Dec, Urban, 30 Church St, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2NP. £40 per head, limited availability. To book see www.kinomekitchen.co.uk.

Digbeth Dining Club December
A fully festive showdown from the finest street food purveyors from across the UK serving up freshly cooked delectables and mouth-watering pre-Xmas feasting in friendly surrounds with plenty of mulled stuff & DJs. Expect eats, beats and a side of sub-cultural Xmas treats. Traders include The Gravy Train Poutine, Urban Cheesecake and sumptuous stuffed Bao from Wallace & Sons. Make like Santa and fill your boots.
Spotlight, Unit 2, Lower Trinity Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4AG. 5.30pm – late. Free www.digbethdiningclub.com

Festive Food Market at mac Birmingham
All the usual fun of the fayre in the festively hospitable surrounds. Support your local indie artisans, fill a stocking or 3, eat, drink and step-up the Xmas cheer.
Sun 17 Dec mac Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park. 10.30am – 4.30pm. Free www.macbirmingham.co.uk

*Sold out*: ETR Late – It’s A Wonderful Life 
Screening of that ole Xmas chestnut with food & drink available (not included) including mulled wine and other festive treats.
Sat 2 December, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s Edwardian Tearooms, Chamberlain Square, B3 3DH Birmingham www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

What’s the Wurst Thing That Could Happen pop-up
Peel & Stone’s brilliantly titled celebration of all things German & indulgent, expect sausage, stews & streudals. Free entry.
Fri 1 Dec, Peel and Stone Harborne, 374 High Street, B17 9PY. Tel: 0121 439 1200
www.facebook.com

Gindependent Gin Battle
Independent Birmingham and Seasonal Markets have declared a city-wide, festive themed Gin War over the first weekend of December, pitting 4 of the best gin distilleries in the country against each other to see who will come out trumps. Creating a winter wonderland full of gin there’ll be taster cocktails from 40 St Paul’s, The Church Inn, The Jekyll & Hyde, Bourne & Co., street food, waffles, cocktail demonstrations, live music and party games. See our full preview here.
Fri 1 Dec – Sun 3 Dec, The Old Crown,188 High Street, Deritend, Digbeth, Birmingham B12 0LD £20 www.independent-birmingham.co.uk

Birmingham Seasonal Markets – Winter edition
Seasonal Market’s winter edition with all the regulars that make each market such a buzzing hive of happy activity and celebration plus an added sprinkling of festive magic. Street food treats galore include waffles, hot toddies and locally produced artisan food, arts & crafts stocking fillers, the Cocktail Caravan, Real Ale Bus Bar and DJs keeping the crowds moving. Food from Low ‘N’ Slow, The English Indian, Original Patty Men, The Bournville Waffle Company and loads more.
Sat 2 Dec, The Bond Company, 180-182 Fazeley St, Birmingham B5 5SE. 12pm -6pm, £2 under 12’s free (50p off with an Independent Birmingham card). 12pm -6pm. www.seasonalmarkets.co.uk

Now Open for bohemian happy hours: The Ruin bar
Boasting quirky boho charms aplenty, this new bar inspired by Budapest’s bustling bar scene features messed up decor, ‘industrial nerve-centre computer room’, distorted library and a growing selection of other random additions is devoted to the the shabby spirit of rustic Hungarian pubs and bistros. we could get just as devoted to its happy hour deals, 2 selected pints for £6 – 5pm-7pm, Tuesday to Friday. Egészségére! (best start brushing up on the Hungarian).
The Ruin, 92 Floodgate Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5SR. Tel: 0121 643 5811 www.theruindigbeth.com

Coming soon: Vanguard Cocktail & Mead Bar
Hip hop and honey cuts the niche groove at this quirky cocktail bar and mead purveyor scheduled to open #anyminute (towards the end of November) upstairs from 1000 Trades 16 Frederick St, Birmingham B1 3HE. Find them on Twitter here and Instagram here.

Just launched: Champagne button at BMAG’s Edwardian Tearooms.
As if the Edwardian tearooms weren’t chi-chi enough in their own gorgeously opulent right, the high life is now available at the touch of a button at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery with PIPER-HEIDSIECK’s new ‘Press For Champagne’ service. Those taking tea in these lovely surrounds now have the option to press a button and receive a glass of the finest fizz hand delivered to the table. Festive – with bells on. www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

See the latest on Clean Kilo zero-waste supermarket set to open in 2018 here.

Also see our weekly free events listings for more food & drink happenings.