There’s a new restaurant landing in Victoria—and it’s arriving with zero interest in restraint.
From the internationally celebrated team behind Wind Cries Mary and Rudi comes Birdman, a Southern-inspired new hotspot built entirely around indulgence, atmosphere, and what founder Jesse Dame calls “Full Permission Hospitality.”
Translation? Order the oysters. Get the mac and cheese. Stay for another cocktail. Use your hands. Don’t overthink it.
Officially opening May 22 at the historic 537 Johnson Street, Birdman evolved from Wind Cries Mary’s wildly popular late-night fried chicken menu into a full-fledged restaurant dedicated to rich, flavour-forward comfort food and unapologetically good times.
The menu, crafted by Executive Chef David Healey, leans hard into Southern-inspired classics: stacked handheld sandwiches, fried chicken, oysters every way imaginable, sticky ribs, hush puppies, soft serve sundaes, house-made pies, and sauces designed to be passed around the table without restraint.
Chef Healey describes the food as “repent or repeat”—which honestly feels like exactly the right energy.
And the design? Equally seductive.
The space blends nostalgic diner references with moody basement-bar vibes: vinyl booths, chrome details, low lighting, curtains, tucked-away corners, and enough atmosphere to encourage lingering long after dinner technically ends.
More broadly, Birdman taps into a larger restaurant shift happening right now: dining experiences that prioritize feeling over formality. Less rigid fine dining. More emotional connection, abundance, and hospitality that actually feels human.
Or as Birdman puts it: Come hungry. Come human. Come undone. —Noa Nichol
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