Birmingham has been named as one of the top value-for-money destinations in the UK for food in the latest edition of a major international travel guide.

Travellers’ bible the Lonely Planet guide said a £5 curry in Birmingham’s Balti belt was better than designer dishes served in gourmet restaurants in London, while its nightlife was among the best in the Midlands.

It stated: “You’re better spending £5 on a top-notch curry in Birmingham or a homemade steak-and-ale pie in a country pub than forking out £30 in a restaurant for a ‘modern European’ concoction that tastes like it came from a can.”

The guide went on: “With its industrial legacy and chaotic road network, Birmingham might not leap out as a tourist attraction, but there’s a lot to see, including some fine museums and galleries, while the nightlife and food are the best in the Midlands.”

And Cadbury World, in Bournville, was described as “the next best thing to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory”.

But the guide was less than complimentary about attractions in Warwickshire.