Fresh paninis and coffee at Bird’s Nest Cafe

For those looking for somewhere cozy to eat downtown, Bird’s Nest Cafe offers a little bit of everything. 

“We’re definitely more than just a coffee shop,” said owner Brady Muller. “We have the full array of coffee and espresso drinks. But equally, if not more so, we have food for sit in, and most of our items are available for take out as well.” 

Located at 1547 Barrington St., the cafe serves paninis, baked goods, soups and breakfast items. 

Muller is this week’s midweek mugging recipient. She worked in food service for many years before deciding to open her own place.

“I always wanted my own thing, and this just kind of became what I know best,” she said.

Muller owned Ciboulette Cafe for 10 years, which was located in an upstairs adjoining area to where Bird’s Nest is now. When the downstairs space became available, she knew it was time to expand.

“It was more a necessity than a want. We had outgrown that little space long ago,” she said.

Bird’s Nest has kept many of the same menu items from Ciboulette, including the cafe’s most popular panini, the southwestern chicken club. It features bacon, tomato, mozzarella, avocado and chipotle mayonnaise.   

“We took it off the menu in the early days just to keep things rotating, and it was like riots were going to start,” Muller said. “We just can’t make enough of it.”

The cafe strives to make everything from scratch, and uses Nova Scotian suppliers such as 24 Carrots Bakery and Boulangerie la Vendéenne for its bread. Muller said she also gets meat and cheese from local farmers.

The fresh products make the cafe popular with downtown office workers looking for something quick to eat at their desks that isn’t “fast food or greasy,” Muller said. Bird’s Nest also offers catering for corporate events.

Muller said one of the things she enjoys most about the cafe is how tight-knit her staff and customers are.

“It’s not like, an incognito barista experience here,” Muller said. “We know everybody’s name and they know ours, and it’s just like this feeling of almost familial closeness with people—and even if we don’t know their name, we know their drink.”