Woodstock Cafe

With its large, money conscious student population, it’s a wonder that the Selly Oak area is not completely dominated by chains and franchises that are able to drive prices to very bottom thanks to their size. Thankfully, it’s not quite got to that stage yet, and places like Woodstock Café are providing a bulwark to multinational control. Woodstock makes sandwiches to order, with customisable options such as what bread you have, and more fillings than you can shake a stick at, normally ranging between £3 and £4. The biggest compliment that I can pay to the food is that the place is still running seemingly without issue despite a Subway located just a couple of doors away. A lot of Woodstock’s success can probably be traced down to its unique, unusual style, with its obviously music-​themed menu options and its dim interior. This atmosphere may be something of an acquired taste, and undoubtedly there will be those that don’t like it, but give it a go and decide for yourself.

Woodstock is an unassuming presence from the outside and what with its mostly lame ‘music pun’ theme that screams «avoid» amongst Selly Oak’s chip shop haven, it turns out to be a real treat.
Pleasant and polite staff, coffee that is reasonable and of good quality and a huge menu that will prompt a good five minutes of staring at the wall trying to make a decision (this can be a little awkward when a couple are sat directly underneath the menu on the wall and you are stood there, motionless, rushing your confused brain and abating your impatient belly in the process of making a decision).
The baguettes and paninis are particularly nice — the veggie option was thoughtful and delicious. Whether it’s an early hangover cure, or to just get away from the usual fare that Selly Oak boasts, Woodstock is a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of the Bristol Road.

First sight of the Woodstock Café alerts you to the fact that there is something a little unusual about this establishment, in fact it’s pretty obvious that the proprietors went for this impression very deliberately. This café does not share it’s name with the famous music festival by accident, in fact it plays up this association at every step of the way, from the cheeky borrowing of the festival’s logo to the sign in the window that promises «bread zeppelin».
Normally such shenanigans would really annoy me but somehow it seems a good fit for this proud little café. There’s literally dozens of places in Birmingham serving similar food to Woodstock Café but what makes this Café special is the little touches such as the delicious and unique Turkish coffee, the range of sandwich fillings that goes from the usual to lesser know Mediterranean salads. It favours a darker, cosier lay out than the open plan, light filled arrangements found in many modern eateries. The Woodstock Café’s quirky charm will hopefully insure it’s success for many years to come.

Woodstock Café in Selly Oak is a wonderful place to pop in for a baguette or jacket potato for lunch, when I lived in Selly Oak I’d often be found in here at lunchtime because the prices are so reasonable and the food so tasty.
It’s a similar set up to Subway where you tell them exactly what salad items you want on your baguette and then choose a filling from the menu board. The end result is a delicious baguette that will keep you going all day because the staff are so generous with their fillings.
The choices range from the standard ham right up to more unusual Mediterranean fillings, everything I’ve tried here has been delicious apart from one baguette I had which had loads of black olives in there. Now, I hate olives so the fact that I didn’t like this was not the cafes fault in the slightest — more me being a numpty and ordering a food I loathe!
In the winter the jacket potatoes are excellent comfort food and again they come with a range of fillings from cheese to ratatouille so there is something to suit everyone.
The staff in Woodstock are lovely and will chat as they are preparing your food, I always get the impression that they are really interesting in what I’m saying rather than just talking for the sake of it.
The atmosphere in Woodstock is very chilled out and comfortable, sometimes I’ll go in with a magazine and sit reading that for an hour without being disturbed — apart from when I want another delicious fresh coffee that is!
The customers are mainly students as the university is two minutes up the road, I’ve eaten in cafes surrounding Northampton uni and found the students obnoxious and loud but this is definitely not the case in Woodstock and this seems to be the place for people to sit and relax rather than be shouting and screaming.
Next time you’re in Selly Oak I’d definitely recommend a visit to Woodstock for a spot of lunch, the food is fantastic and it won’t break even the most credit crunch affected bank!