Faculty

Faculty is my one of favourite cafes to visit. It is easily accessible from Grand Central and housed in the charming Piccadilly Arcade. My favourite thing about this café is the size — it is super compact making for a nice intimate setting. There’s a worry you might bump into someone but it’s all part of the fun!
The exposed brick walls, wooden tables and chairs makes for an urban and industrial feel and whenever you step inside this quirky café you will always receive a warm welcome from the staff (super cool people btw).
There is a wide selection of teas and coffees but my favourite is definitely the hot chocolate — super indulgent and yummy! You will most certainly not be able to resist the cake display on the counter; there is always a nice selection of cakes on offer so you will sure to find something you like.
Sometimes I do find that my drinks order takes a little while but it’s definitely worth the wait. This place is the perfect spot for any tea or coffee lover in Brum!
Note to self — grab a window seat and watch the world go by.

Who needs East London when you’ve got a coffee shop like Faculty? They’ve a server sporting a magnificent beard, plus I noticed some of their bottled drinks are actually made in Hackney.
I treated myself to a hearty sourdough goat’s cheese and beetroot toastie with the choice of two salads, all for £5. Lovely presentation, taste and texture.
I didn’t have time to cram in a cake, but they looked equally delightful.
In summary? A charming hipster joint in a quaint arcade a stone’s throw from New Street Station. You won’t be disappointed.

Trendy little coffee shop with a nice atmosphere and superb coffee. Definitely worth a visit but best to pick an off peak time as it gets busy.
Cakes look good too although I haven’t tried them yet.

Love this little place. Perfect location to spend some spare time before the train leaves instead of going to a chain café! Coffee there is beautiful, really sweet but the natural sweetness. And the cakes are delicious! Go check it out, it’s definitely worth it

In the heart of Piccadilly Arcade, Faculty Coffee is one of the many independent coffee places in Bham. The café is quite small and can get busy quickly, but the coffee is well worth the wait. Especially the flat white. If you go in on weekdays it’s quieter. Good range of cakes/​pastries too!

I have to say I massively like faculty, it’s an incredibly welcome addition to the cities coffee shop scene and makes a great alternative to many of the larger chains that are coming into the city.
Faculty itself is a converted shop that now serves fantastic coffee (from an ever changing bean selection) and also incredibly cool selection of foods. Everything from sandwiches and granaola and soups to a more wholesome range of meals which change frequently.
My only complaint, is that there aren’t enough sockets if i am going to work, something that I realise won’t bother many people but as someone who regularly works from a coffee shop on their lunch it is something that bothers me. And they are now always incredibly busy, making it hard to get a table.
Outside of peak times it’s deffinately worth checking out.

The independent coffee scene in Birmingham has built into a tsunami, and Faculty is one of the shops at the crest of the wave.
You’ll find Faculty on the southern end of the Piccadilly Arcade. It’s the perfect location for grabbing a coffee before or after catching a train at New Street Station. The design aesthetic is very simple, with an almost ephemeral quality to it. There is a counter that houses homemade cakes and other treats, a counter that props up the espresso machine, a wall menu, and seating. Essentially it’s nailed the coffee shop vibe that you would find in hubs of hipsterdom like Portland, OR. Seats, much like the tables, are small and due to the limited square footage of the store no doubt, seem to be designed so that patrons do not linger. Perhaps I’m wrong though, as they are currently installing wall outlets for charging devices, and the free WiFi works well.
The coffee itself is made from roasted beans provided by Square Mile Coffee Roasters in East London. The espresso is single origin, and the baristas at Faculty are experts in extracting the right flavour from each bean. They know how to brew one of the best flat whites in the city, and their preparation methods will make you feel like you are in Italy. You’ll want to make sure you have plenty of time in your schedule though, as sometimes the service here can be tricky. On more than one occasion, it’s taken a non-​takeway tea or coffee order over ten minutes to be delivered to my table, even when the shop isn’t full. The coffee prices are what you would expect from an independent shop of this caliber, neither bargain basement or overpriced. The treats sold here are another standout, with an ever rotating table of goodies to choose. Half the time I walk in here, I’m not even planning on eating a dessert, but the interesting flavours attract me none the less. One of my favourites so far was a raspberry polenta cake. If you want something more substantial, Faculty shares a space and ownership next door with a shop that serves sandwiches and other foods throughout the day.
Faculty is a very competent and impressive coffee shop in the busy heart of Birmingham. Some service issues aside, they are able to brew up one of the best cups of joe in the city.

Excellent spot for reading with a cup of coffee and nice snack. Faculty has designed their tiny little square in Piccadilly to maximize space and coziness.
I popped in here to get some reading in before a Unilocal event nearby and highly recommend it if you’re looking for a great café in City Center. The coffee is nicely roasted and brewed with love. I chose a cappuccino and was very impressed with the flavor profile of the beans. The cappuccino provided just the caffeine pick-​me-​up I needed after a long day.
To compliment my beverage, I also ordered a banana almond cupcake with cream cheese frosting. It was divine. Moist, soft, and perfect crumb. The flavors were naturally balanced and not too sweet.
Faculty offer free, fast wifi. Each table offers just enough space for a laptop or notes and your food/​drink order.

Faculty is a breath of fresh air in a city saturated by soulless chain coffee shops! Recently a few cool, independent coffee shops have opened, but for a a city of it’s size, Birmingham is severely lacking in this department.
Situated in Piccadilly arcade, it is a charming little place with a simplistic, organic décor and even after one glance inside, I knew this is a place that is passionate and knowledgeable about every little detail. After perusing the board behind the counter, I chose an Americano. The menu is based on quality over quantity, providing authentic classics that need no frills or additions.
Despite having just eaten, when I seen the selection of cakes and pastries on offer, I couldn’t stop myself. A feta and beetroot tart was calling my name and I am happy I answered! Faculty shares it space with the adjoining shop next door so you can take your order through and sit in there if necessary. We did and whilst in there we couldn’t resist ordering the greek salad with tabbouleh to accompany the beetroot tart. There was also a variety of sandwiches, quiches and salads available. Everything here is fresh and original so there is no set menu on any day but you can guarantee that whatever is on offer has been created by people with a genuine passion for it. All members of staff were very friendly and you can see that they care about their produce and their customers.
If you haven’t yet been then I advise that you do as soon as possible! I will be returning to Faculty whenever I am near and I will only spend my money in independent coffee shops in the city from now on!

I never normally do this anymore but I’m so in awe of this place that I’m writing the review before I’ve even finished eating/​drinking. I knew I’d love this place as when I walked in, the smell of roasting coffee flew into my nostrils, Faculty literally had me at hello.
So more about this love affair, the coffee is brilliant, the cakes taste fantastic and the tea is a relaxing and soothing as the cute little tea pot suggests. The staff working were friendly and happy to offer advice (to me and another customer who had 21 questions about the origin of the coffee) — credit where credits due, the young chap answering knew the answer to every question!
They are also linked to next door, a sandwich shop which is perfect for lunch and you can even order from one side and go and sit in the other or vice versa. Owned by the same husband & wife partnership and matched with the same awesome décor.
It’s not often I’m in Birmingham but one thing for sure is this fling is sure to continue every time I venture in!

Small independent coffee shops are not as plentiful as you would think in the centre of Birmingham, so when I came across this one in the Piccadilly Arcade I could not wait to try it.
Myself and a friend decided to go for an americana and were also tempted by a beetroot tart that was sat looking at us while we were ordering. The coffee had a lovely full flavour and the tart was pretty much perfect. We had to sit in the shop next door to Faculty as it was packed but this was not an issue, the guy behind the counter informed us that the two shops share the seating which I thought was a nice touch. Both places were welcoming and friendly from the minuite we walked in.
The only downside of this experience was having to use the toilet in Café Nero which is a few doors down as neither shop has a toilet, I do think this is the type of the place where you expect this kind of thing though. They are using ever part of the café for seating, its very compact but well designed and definately the type of place I could easily become a regular!

This place takes pride in its coffee, don’t expect to come in and walk out in 2 minutes. They take there time and make it right. Only whole milk or soy (I think) is available, I would prefer semi or even skimmed but I can let it go as I’m sure there’s a reason and they know what there doing.
It’s a very small and cosy establishment, next door is a separate business but the same owner or the buildings so you can take a sandwich over and eat it with a coffee.
There are also plenty of cakes to choose from and some epically named teas.
Now for a small gripe, the place opens at 8am in weekdays. If I can I like to wait and go here as the coffee is worth it. But there have been occasions — more than one. Where I have walked past at 8:10 and it’s not open or 8:20 and it isn’t open. I’m not sure why, I presume maybe they’ve been stuck in traffic or something and you can let it go as it can happen. Now on other occasions I wait patiently outside for it to open staring at the window displays so as not to crowd the place. A guy appears and goes in around 7:50, then comes back out and disappears off returning again at just before 8. He opens and starts setting up the cakes etc. I walk in and ask if I can order. To be sold he can’t make anything for at least another 5 minutes because the machines need setting up. Maybe it’s me, but after running shops and doing early starts it’s important that if you open at a time everything should be up and running at that time because people are in a hurry for work and so on.
So unfortunately and I hate to see this, it loses points for me. It doesn’t get the score the coffee deserves because it’s not just the one occasion and the punctuality feels a little haphazard.

I had researched this coffee shop on Unilocal before coming here and was keen to visit after reading all the positive reviews and I wasn’t disappointed. The décor is very fun with brick walls which seems to be the trend for most places these days.
The quality of the coffee and the service is better than top class. It is really quirky venue with not a lot of seating but plenty of people getting a take out drink. Not to sure if they are connected but there is a bakery/​cake shop next door that do some grey yummy baked goods.
I really enjoyed the V60 coffee, very strong but very sweet in taste so no sugar is required. The seats aren’t comfortable and there isn’t much of it which is a shame as i’d love to spend hours in here.

Faculty is a really cool, cosy independent coffee shop run by people who really do know their coffee.
Faculty is not the place to go if you’re after frothy frapiatos with hazelnut syrup. It is the place to go if you want good quality coffee. The menu does include some old favourites, including cappuccino and latte, but it also has a few less well known drinks, like the V60 filter coffees (not exactly sure what this is but the process of making one involved filters and glass bottles).
If, like me, you don’t know much about coffee Faculty is a great place to try something new and learn a bit more about the different varieties out there.

Good coffee, and great cake. A very small venue though so don’t count on getting a seat when you get here.
Sometimes the music is on too loudly to hold a conversation. A bit annoying as the place is so small too.
Definitely worth a try though if you love coffee. Especially as it’s an independent rather than the chain next door.

The offerings of cakes are just delicious. I was also really intrigued by the offerings of teas. I went for one called the Iron Goddess of Mercy. Reminded me of GOT! I had no idea of what it would taste like (although the barista gave me a very good idea) I was so intrigued by the name I had to try it. Thankfully it turned out really nice.
I really like the style of the place too, my friend described it as being in science class but… I really thought that made it cool.

I would give this place 4.9 stars if I could.
What a snug little café! My flat white was delicious but the star of the show was the banana cake with cream cheese icing and salted caramel sauce. WOW. I will never forget it.
If this place was outside and they stocked soya milk it would be the hands down best coffee shop in Brum centre.

It’s hard to find a better coffee in Birmingham than at faculty. Located right next to New Street Station and well worth a visit if you’re in the area or just waiting for a train.
The passion (perhaps obsession?) of the staff for coffee is clear, seriously they really, really like coffee. I’m not one for discussing the virtues of the V60 over the Aeropress or how the packing affects the flavour but I do appreciate how that love filters down into the cup.
It’s a nicely appointed little shop with it’s own style but little is the word, it’s a bit of a squeeze when it starts to fill up.
The food selection here is now good enough to go with the excellent coffee, because the owners wife has opened a sandwich shop in the next unit (worth a visit in its own right) and is supplying great fresh cakes, wonderful stuff.

I’ve walked past this soo many times but finally went for a hot chocolate this week.
It was lunch time and there’s about 8 tables 3 of them were available. The staff were really very friendly while I took time to decide on my cake.
Coffee seems to be a Science here! And while I’m not a coffee drinker myself I can appreciate the art form of creating great coffee.
Well worth popping when it’s quiet.

Another lovingly put-​together coffee mecca
A stone’s throw from any and every coffee chain, Faculty is a gem in Piccadilly Arcade. Great coffee, very good cake and pastries, and service from knowledgeable staff make it all very worth the extra (literal) two steps off New Street. Make it one of your regular haunts!