birdcage cafe.

Birdcage came to my attention about a month ago and I went to try it out with a friend two weeks later.  Situated on Rundle Street, it's a pretty and quaint desserterie which also offers pastries, pies and sandwiches for the lunch-inclined.

Furnishings live up to the name with a flock of birds painted on the walls, white birdcages on tables and other sophisticated-looking decorations adorning the airy interior.  It's similar to the layout of the Aviary but while the Aviary is cozy and rustic, Birdcage comes off as more chic and fresh.

Originally we were there for their lunch items (I was looking forward to a delicious pie) but was told that due to lack of demand, they didn't have any.  Umm...if you don't have any lunch food, then no one will order the lunch food, which means there will be no demand for lunch food?  Vicious cycle really.

Whistling Crepes: mascarpone & macadamia filled crepes with strawberries, mango & icecream ($15.00)

Luckily their dessert options were available so I ordered the whistling crepes.  My first impression was: where are the macadamias? Where is the mascarpone? I found the two items very thinly spread inside the crepes, which was then overwhelmed by the chocolate drizzle.  The strawberries were lovely and fresh but the mango was unfortunately the canned sort.  The chocolate sauce also hardened very quickly inside the pot so I couldn't use most of it.

282 Waffle (one): waffles with mixed berries, bananas, cream & icecream ($12.00)

My friend ordered the waffles for one ($3.00 extra for another waffle) and it came out looking spectacular.  Dusted with icing sugar, it really did look very pretty.  Unfortunately the taste wasn't quite there.  The waffle was slightly soggy and when compared to the ones at Waffles, it just didn't have the same texture.

For such a pretty place it's a shame the desserts don't come up to scratch.  They were pretty pricey for the ingredients they used and it was kind of bland. Their small desserts selection in the counter fridge do look very promising though, so maybe I'll come back and try those.

Service was very good however, with complimentary glasses of water and friendly chatting at the counter.