Making a Splash in Sydney: Three Blue Ducks

When it comes to new restaurants, the Sydney market can be brutal. And while many sink, others appear to float along effortlessly. Enter Three Blue Ducks.

Opened by a group of local surfers in 2010, this humble beachside cafe has gone on to become one of Sydney’s hottest places to eat. In just two years, it’s received glowing reviews, been featured on television series, taken over the pizza place next door, extended its trading hours into the evening, and even opened a spin-off in Falls Creek, Victoria. These days, you’ll probably need to queue for a table on weekends, and dinner is also almost always a full house.

Presenting itself as ‘honest, innovative and local’, Three Blue Ducks sources ingredients from local suppliers, and uses organic produce as much as possible. The experience is relaxed and rustic – and there’s even a small garden plot out the back, where they recycle restaurant waste, keep a few chooks, and grow seasonal crops for use in the kitchen.

Impressively, this very local, organic vibe isn’t at odds with the sophisticated menu, or the fine-dining credentials of their team, which includes former Tetsuya’s chef Mark LaBrooy, and former Tetsuya’s head chef Darren Robertson. The menu features everything from snapper ceviche to mussels with lemongrass, and duck, rhubarb and licorice to wagyu, bone marrow and kale.

Coupled with their beachside location, good-looking crew, and seasonal produce, it’s a formula that works beautifully. Well, in between surfs, of course.