Birdman Eating

238 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Ph: (03) 9416 4747
Opening Hours: Tues-Sat 8am-10.30pm; Sun and Mon 8am-6pm

DID you know men drop into the barber for a hair cut without an appointment? Simple as that. No waiting three months to get in with Pierre of South Yarra. Blokes walk in and plop down in a chair for a quick lop.

This profound observation was made when sitting at Birdman Eating in Fitzroy's Gertrude St. The funky tapas bar with the unusual name sits next to Dr Follicles - an old school barber shop that offers a free Coopers stubby to its male customers as the barbers clip and crop.

Truck drivers, students, business men and pensioners all popped in for a trim while yours truly wiled away the time enjoying the tasty tapas morsels, quality coffee and friendly service at the unusually named Birdman Eating.

On the former Organic Gertrude site, Birdman Eating is another gem in Gertrude St's very cool crown. And apparently it boasts some of the most expensive cafe chairs in Melbourne. (Two-tone polypropylene Catifa 46s from Stylecraft according to another report.) So comfortable you can sit and observe the blokes in the barber shop for hours.

A simple dish of calamari, rocket, kipfler potato and chorizo salad was delish, as was a grilled haloumi. But the baked eggs ($12) enjoyed on a subsequent visit as part of the stellar all day brekky menu are the stars. Presented in a hot cast iron pan, the eggs come in all sorts of flavours changing daily including smoked trout and fennel, chorizo and mushrooms and fontina cheese.

Old school brekkies include homemade crumpets with leatherwood honey, hot cinnamon donuts with chocolate sauce, and grilled kippers with fried potato and horseradish butter.

Bacon doesn't feature and interestingly when asked, the waitress said a no bacon policy applied unless it was sourced free range.

Definitely recommended for a funky group lunch as sharing tapas is fun. And it's fairly easy on the hip pocket with prices starting at $6 to $26 for shared plates.

8.5/10