Brunswick Heads restaurateurs Josh Lewis and Astrid McCormack, of La Casita and currently closed fine diner Fleet, last year welcomed a new spot to their flock: Birds of Paradise. The sunny yellow tiles and spellbinding waft of rotisserie chickens on Booyun Street, two blocks back from the river, say all that needs to be said: this is a friendly spot for a simple meal done well.

Just north of Byron, Brunswick Heads is smaller and infinitely more laid-back than the developed streets of the Bay. You can expect to see bare, sandy feet; fewer cocktail bars; and more totally switched-off holidaying.

“We have an amazing local base – a lot of people who we know through the area and who’ve supported us through Fleet and La Casita,” Lewis tells Broadsheet. “We see those faces two, sometimes three times a week. In holidays, we see a lot of people from out of town.”

Never miss a moment. Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

In-the-know holidaymakers join locals in their quest for charcoal chicken and hefty serves of crinkle-cut chippies, plus classic sides that’ve been given special treatment: a coleslaw that riffs on a favoured Fleet staple, and a potato dish of locally grown golden sebagoes mashed and doused in chicken-bone gravy.

“The offering is familiar but, like what I did with Fleet, a twist on things here and there,” Lewis says. “We wanted it to have that nostalgic feel. There were a few things I was definitely set on: it had to be charcoal, [not the] standard rotisserie route. We’re using a mangrove charcoal for the chickens, from Rod [Duggan] of Ministry of Smoke, [just over the border in Queensland], who specialises in slow-smoking and barbeque. We went through a fair few at the start to get the right one – the mangrove’s been really good, not too much ash at the end and it keeps a nice, consistent heat.”

As well as a flight of rotating chooks, there’s an ever-changing array of veggie-based sides. The mac’n’cheese and chicken-fat potatoes are both standouts, as is a zippy caper-filled potato salad. Risoni salad is laden with fried tomatoes and roasted eggplant, while cauliflower shines in curry butter.

Anywhere from 35 to 60 birds spin over a day, and ingredients are sourced from the farmers market and local producers. “We’ve also hung on to some favourites that bring Fleet into it, to link the two,” Lewis says. “I used to do a sugarloaf cabbage salad with savoury yeast [dressing], but I moved it here and turned it into the coleslaw. People who have done Fleet will recognise that. It’s actually hard to keep up with – I feel like I’m constantly shredding cabbage.”

There’s an unbeatable – and spectacularly simple – chicken and gravy roll (that can be levelled up with chips), and sweet finishers that are worth keeping room for. Old-school single portions of chocolate mousse await in the fridge, while the freezer stocks a single ice-cream flavour that’s there until it’s not. “I do a small run, just a little tub. I pick a flavour for the week and churn a load.” There’s been brown sugar and baked apple, salted peanut praline, passionfruit and honeycomb, and a winning whisky prune. Plus, a festive scoop of eggnog and custard.

“A lot of [locals] are like, ‘Thank you, we missed a nostalgic charcoal chicken shop.’ Everyone’s really embraced it.”

Re. the return of the lauded Fleet, the plan is “definitely to come back”. We’ll keep our eyes peeled.

Birds of Paradise
Unit 2/19 Booyun Street, Brunswick Heads
(02) 6685 1343

Hours:
Thu to Mon midday–8pm

boprotisserie.com.au
@birdsofparadiserotisserie