Birdhouse is pretty much perfect. It’s an unpretentious but attractively decorated spot, with a soothing colour scheme (grey with touches of yellow), retro furnishings and jolly pictures on the long flank wall. Fanatically skilled but socially casual, the staff in attendance always seem to include at least one of the two owners. They make the place buzz with their evident enthusiasm for coffee, catering and customers.
You’ll almost always find a mixed crowd, right down to babies and toddlers. Outstanding baked goods include a warm banana bread, which regulars reckon is irresistible. Sandwiches are equally good. And the coffee? Well, if you like espresso, you’ll love this place – heaven in a tiny cup, using Climpson & Sons beans. The baristas tend their machines as if they were Maseratis, and that attention to detail pretty much sums up everything that Birdhouse does.