There's a courtyard right in the centre of Birmingham that is ripe for alfresco dining when the sun's out. Full of tables and chairs, some topped with pretty little flower pots, there's even a sun shade to keep diners comfortable.
The square is lined with eateries, from a wood-oven pizzeria and a peri peri chicken hub to an authentic Arabic restaurant and a charcoal grill house. There's a chicken restaurant with a balcony overlooking the courtyard plus an 'underrated coffee shop' selling Turkish coffee.
But the strange thing is, this hive of global cuisine somehow exists in a forgotten end of town, a place that's been 'on the brink' of change for so many years, many people consider it to be completely abandoned. And yet, these independent businesses continue to exist, making the most of their perfectly central position and ignoring the number of vacant shops surrounding them.
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You may be surprised to hear this is Martineau Place, right opposite House of Fraser and backing onto Union Street and Oasis Market. If any of these eateries were anywhere else, I feel as though people would be excited about them. Pick them up and pop them into the Jewellery Quarter, Brindleyplace or a creative hub like Stirchley or Moseley and I think people would dash over there.
But this prime city centre location feels like a ghost town. Really this place should be buzzing with office workers on a lunchtime, especially as the prices are pretty reasonable, but, when we visited on a wet Tuesday lunchtime, it was desolate. And this is such a shame because it could be amazing. La Vera pizzeria has been there for years and has loads of outdoor seating plus a pretty balcony too. And Lina Coffee gets rave Google reviews as an 'underrated cafe'.
You can pick up a Turkish coffee here for just £3.50. We spoke to the owner Awelkher Atta who told me that the winter months are the hardest time for Martineau Place. He's had the coffee shop for a year and has appealed to Birmingham City Council for helping in making the area more attractive to customers.
"We're not as busy as we'd like to be, we get around 20 to 25 customers a day, mostly buying coffee or dessert," he said. "In the winter months, it's too dark so people just pass through the area, they don't want to stop. We asked the city council for more lighting but that hasn't happened.
"We get a lot of homeless people, asking for free food, and drunk people and groups of young people hanging around. The summer months are better because it is lighter. This area is good for small businesses because the rent is ok and there's a nice community feel with the other shops. We have tables and chairs outside but we don't find many people tend to sit and eat outside.
"It would be good if there could be more done to advertise the businesses in this area."
La Vera pizzeria has been in Martineau Place since 2014. The aroma as you walk into this restaurant is lovely. There's homemade pizza, kofta kebabs and sea bass dishes, priced around £8 to £12. Mahmoud, the manager, said: "The restaurant gets really busy on the weekends, and also in the afternoons on weekdays when office workers come here to eat. A lot of people like sitting on the large balcony upstairs.
"The food is homemade and really well priced. If you ate elsewhere, you'd pay £20 for sea bass whereas it's £12 here. And you can get pizza for around £10. It's more expensive to eat at Bullring. In fact, we have staff who work at Bullring, phoning through their orders and coming to eat here."
Once upon a time, Corporation Street was the hub of Birmingham's shopping district. Think back to when we had Rackhams, C&A, Beatties, the old Lewis's and the time when the Oasis Market was the place to hang out for coffee and clothes.
The launch of Bullring moved the central focus of the city down to St Martin's and the tram seemed to carve up the centre of Corporation Street. It's not all that long ago that H&M and GAP graced this area as did Sainsbury's but they closed to make way for Poundland and Poundstretcher budget stores.
Mahmoud added: "It's a bit sad so many places have closed. There used to be a Pizza Hut and a Starbucks here, also Yum Yum and 3Threes. It would be good if the empty units could be filled as it would bring more people to us, and it would be good to raise more awareness that we're here. We see people walk past on Corporation Street and Union Street but they don't see us, they don't realise what's here. It needs more marketing."
High Street has clung onto its shopping identity for as long as possible with the world's biggest Primark but the relocation of M&S from High Street to Bullring seems to only further downgrade this area just footsteps away from Martineau Place.
It seems a shame when Birmingham is plenty big enough to accommodate a bright and busy shopping centre full of chain stores and an abundance of independents. It would be great to find ways of helping independent restaurants and shops to thrive in and around Martineau Place, in much the same way they do at Great Western Arcade, just a short walk away.
Sadly 3Three's has closed but there's still Shawarma City, Chicken.com, Al Arabi Grill House, Muncheez Peri Peri. There's also Refine Barbers, Top Tailor and Axexperience within the courtyard. Chain brands Argos, Boots, Warren James, Burger King, Baguette World, Pep&CO and Poundland back onto it with CEZ and KFC across Bull Street also forming part of the complex.
And a new place called Merlin's, describing itself as a 'fantasy horror-themed' cafe, restaurant and cocktail bar is also coming here soon.
