Have you ever been to the Jewellery Quarter? Well, if not, why not?! It’s a great place to spend the afternoon, dine out, or even an excellent option for somewhere to live during your studies or after graduating – as you’ll see below, this area has a brilliant balance of everything you need in an ideal city centre location…
1. Location
Speaking of, let’s talk about how perfectly located the Jewellery Quarter is. Around a 10-15 minute walk to the city centre, and boasting two tram stops that can take you all the way to Broad Street (or Wolverhampton, if you’re so inclined), the JQ is quiet enough to feel chilled, but close enough to the city to ensure there’s no FOMO going on.
2. St Paul’s Square
The Jewellery Quarter has many beautiful parts, but by far the most idyllic is St Paul’s Square. St Paul’s Church is nestled in a leafy green park area that is perfect for picnics and lunches whilst watching the many doggos saunter past. This area is teeming with people in the summer – and rightly so!
3. Restaurants
You’re spoilt for choice for places to eat in the JQ. Hankering for pizza? Try Otto. After a curry? Lasan is just off St Paul’s Square, and Indian Brewery is between the JQ and the city for some delectable Indian street food. For when your parents are paying, go to Folium for Michelin-level food – or if you want the real deal, Opheem is round the corner and bagged its Michelin star in 2019.
4. Bars and pubs
All this talk of food making you thirsty? Thankfully, the Jewellery Quarter has a fair few bars and pubs. Wine your thing? Try 1000 Trades for natural wines, or Arch13 – where you can also pick up a bottle in their wine shop. For beers, try The Wolf, Indian Brewery, or Pig and Tail. Then, for more of a pub vibe, there’s The Red Lion, The Rose Villa Tavern, The Church Inn or The Lord Clifden.
5. Architecture
One of the best things to do in the Jewellery Quarter is simply to take a stroll around the streets and admire the old and new architecture. There’s a lot of regeneration in this area, with many old warehouses and factories being turned into flats and offices – there’s even a nursery in the old fire station. There are lots of stories behind the buildings, so it’s worth doing your research!
6. Cafés
There are cafés aplenty in the JQ. As well as a branch of Damascena, there’s Coffee Tales and 3 Threes who specialise in vegan and veggie options. Oh, and for breakfast, try Urban Coffee or Saint Kitchen. Trust us on this one.
7. Indie shops…mostly jewellery, we’ll admit
There’s some lovely indie shops in the JQ, but yes – most them are jewellery shops, funnily enough. However, it’s a great place to go for a special gift, to have jewellery fixed or engraved, or even attend a workshop to make your own pieces!
8. There's loads to do
You might think that for a small area there might not be much going on – but you’d be wrong, I’m afraid! Activity-wise, you can get up to bouldering, escape rooms, darts, walking tours, visit the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and the Pen Museum, and even tour jewellery and art studios on certain days through the year. Or, you can enjoy some live music at Actress and Bishop, The Asylum, 1000 Trades and The Jam House!
9. School of Jewellery
We couldn’t exactly do a list about the Jewellery Quarter without mentioning our fabulous School of Jewellery, could we?! We’ve now expanded to two sites, with our main school on Vittoria Street and a new postgraduate hub on St Paul’s Square. With the JQ producing around 40% of the UK’s jewellery, this is the perfect place to study this subject, surrounded by inspirational experts and industry names.
