Birdcage Café

Birdcage Café is the new kid on the block when it comes to Rundle Street cafés and dessert houses. I noticed it only last week while walking along Rundle, and took the first chance I had to pay a visit.

Birdcage’s Bird of Paradise dessert, complete with ice cream, wafers, fruit and meringue.

About the Place…

First things first, Birdcage Café is not The Aviary. While they are both trying to entice the same customers, the latter is located on The Parade at Norwood. The name did cause a little confusion among my friends, who thought I’d taken geographically-challenged to new heights (or distances) when saying Birdcage was “only a few doors down” from our dinner on Rundle Street.

With the confusion resolved, we decided to try Birdcage Café in the search for somewhere new to eat. The place itself is pleasant to look at, with traditional-style signs, a number of aviary themed decorations adorning the walls and a generally neutral colour scheme. The décor was minimal without lacking in anything, and the space is used well, with diners not feeling either cramped or isolated.

The Food…

Birdcage’s take on the cappuccino, complete with a little chocolatey treat.

Birdcage Café offers a number of specialty, or signature, dishes including Birds of a Feather and Bird of Paradise. I opted for the latter and found it to be an extremely enjoyable dessert. The base was three scoops of ice cream served with crunchy meringue pieces, chopped fruit and wafers with a side of chocolate sauce. The meringue added just the right amount of crunch, aided by the wafer sticks. I also ordered a cappuccino, which had a strong and full flavour and was a welcome addition to the dessert.

My friends ordered from the menu and the display cabinet, with its selection of cakes, biscuits and chocolates. All were satisfied with their decisions, as each was well presented and had rich flavours. A nice added touch was the sealed old-style bottle of milk that the chocolate milkshake was served within. (However, those wanting tea may want to save that purchase, as the other drinks on offer looked more impressive by comparison.)

The Service…

Birdcage Café really shone through when it came to service. Truly service with a smile, all the staff were generous with their time and happy to help. The best example of this from my visit is the fact my friends and I were brought a bottle of water, without request, after our food was served. It provided a little something extra in terms of service and showed a willingness to look after customers.

Final Word…

All in all, I’d recommend paying a visit to Birdcage Café. With a range of specialty dishes and other sweets on offer along with good coffee it appears set to add to the ever-growing list of city dessert eateries.