Let’s face it, it was already a shoe-in for the city’s favourite coffee shop (see our Top 10 Best Coffee Shops here), so when the Moseley institution finally spawned its sophisticated city centre big sister it’s no wonder the hummus-loving masses, (including us) went wild. Renowned for its excellent and incredibly reasonably priced Middle Eastern fare and traditionally ‘Oriental’ decor, this new city centre oasis of taste is nestled between Cafe Nero and The Old Stock Joint on Colmore Row. Everything that makes the original Moseley cafe so special has been recreated. The luxuriously decadent decor still transports you to a wonderful place between Birmingham and the Byzantine Empire, the food is as excellent as ever, the falafels so good and fresh they burn your mouth as you attempt to eat them fast enough, the pomegranate jewelled and sumac spiced fattush still borderline sacred, the olives and rainbow pickles – a treat for all the senses. And it’s all relatively cheap too with fresh traditional pastries from £1.95, warm flatbreads served with generous fillings starting from £2.65 and platters (enough to share between 2, or serving one as a large meal) starting at £7.95. The only downside is that you may struggle finding a seat such is their newfound popularity and we don’t think that’s likely to change soon. But quite frankly, Damascena was always worth the wait.

Damascena, Portman Building, 5-7 Temple Row West, Birmingham B2 5NY. Tel: 0121 233 1803. Opens 8am – 8pm except Sat 9am – 8pm and Sun 10am – 6pm. www.damascena.co.uk/