Cafe Lovelife

If sunshine was a place, this would be it

On a crisp mid-morning in the arty-industrial Birmingham district of Digbeth, we wandered into a pale-pink-arched oasis just off Floodgate Street.

Stepping in, it’s clear this spot is serious about positive vibes. Inspired by travels across the Med, LoveLife, which opened at the end of 2023, blends exposed brick and bright high ceilings with the energy of an open kitchen, creating an airy, warm, and quietly confident environment before you’ve even looked at the menu.

Decor-wise the place is drenched in a soft colour palette, enhanced by plants, hand-painted signs and natural light bouncing off pale stone. Although everything is attentively curated, pretentious it is not, instead exuding a beautiful, cosy warmth that invites lingering and tells you that laptops and long chats are equally welcome.

The grub

Lovelife’s menu covers a lot of ground. By day it’s plant-based brunch plates and focaccia toasties, by night, elevated Mediterranean small plates like Green bean, radicchio and walnut salad, and Chicken and chorizo with honey and merlot vinegar. Nearly everything is made in-house daily, and the kitchen caters confidently to halal, vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian diets without making a fuss about it.

But as amazing as their savouries sounded, we came, like many do, for their speciality sweet spiral buns. Soft, pillowy and full of character, they’re the kind of pastry that doesn’t try too hard, thriving on a foundation of good ingredients and proper baking. Indeed so understated are they that Lovelife simply refers to them as ‘rolls’. We tried their Black Forest and Biscoff varieties and were not disappointed. Laden with thick fresh buttercream, and generously garnished, these are like cinnamon rolls, if cinnamon rolls were made of joy and happiness.

The glug

But these sweet delights were not the only win of our visit. The espresso we ordered alongside came smooth and rich, a sharp, elegant contrast to the bun’s caramel tones. Everything is clearly made with intention—nothing rushed, nothing careless. The team know what they’re doing and do it with quiet grace.

Would we return?
While the sweet buns are what pulled us in, it’s the feeling of ease, the balance between craft and comfort that will draw us back. Whether it’s brunch, a glass of organic wine, or their alluring evening menu’s small plates, LoveLife feels like somewhere that’s just getting started, yet already knows exactly who it is.

So yes, come for the bun. But stay for the calm, the colour, the care, and the quiet confidence of a café that’s doing things properly.