05 February 2012

The Duck Inn Pub & Kitchen: Beer Garden and Pub Bistro, Chippendale (20 Jan 2012)

74 Rose Street, Chippendale NSW 2008


A chip off the old duck

This trusty Chippendale local has certainly had a face-lift since the days when it used to serve up a pretty decent BBQ Beef Ribs. I like the decor update and the lounge area looks like a nice spot to settle in for a lazy afternoon. The main attraction though on a sunny day is the beer garden surrounded by a fair amount of greenery to make you think you're somewhere a bit more distant from home or work for that matter. The La Vielle Ferme Rosé, Cotes du Ventoux, France ($7.50) and White Rabbit ($6.50) aren't too pricey I guess for a satisfying thirst quencher. The Pan Fried Atlantic Salmon ($24) from the specials menu had a nice salad combination of quinoa, celery, cucumber, lemon and fresh herbs. The fish was well-cooked with a fairly crispy skin as hoped. My Duck Inn Beef Burger ($18) came with crispy fries and salad with a tasty dressing. I enjoyed the addition of the chopped gherkin and wondered if some beetroot would have helped to add some extra juiciness to the meat patty I was hoping to be a bit more moist.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Beer garden, Nice and cosy decor, Interesting pub grub menu, Service seemed friendly enough at the time
CONS: New revamp menu seems more expensive than the original pub, BBQ Beef Ribs no longer on the menu
MUST TRY: Having a drink on a sunny day in the beer garden
BABY ON BOARD: No change table available in toilet, Beer garden casual and noisy enough to feel comfortable with a baby

Nice beer garden setting

La Vielle Ferme Rosé, Cotes du Ventoux, France ($7.50), White Rabbit ($6.50)

Pan Fried Atlantic Salmon with a Salad of Quinoa, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon & Fresh Herbs ($24)



The Duck Inn Beef Burger, Farmhouse Cheese, Crispy Bacon, Relish and Fries ($18)

Menu

Daily specials menu


Baby Isabelle on board — thankfully stay asleep

Beer garden

Casual bench seating

Tropical-style greenery around beer garden

These seats look a little fragile and uncomfortable to me but I didn't sit on them so perhaps they're OK

Inside verandah seating

Bar area


Table setting



Lounge room seating area

Australia Day 2012 Whole Lamb on the Spit


Finally a decent powerful hand dryer that drys hands in seconds

Duck Trivia for the Smarty Pants

11 comments:

msihua said...

This looks like a lovely place to chill out and relax!

Miss Kimbers said...

Good to see somewhere has a working hand dryer. So many of them blow out cold air.

Richard Elliot said...

The Duck Inn certainly has been done out very smartly. I thought it had a bit of a beach house vibe going on in the dining room.

If it was my local I'd be very happy to have a drink there in the back garden.

But (and it's quite a big but) I didn't think too much of the food. A little bit expensive for the quality and the portion sizes. I think they should either aim at hearty, cheaper pub grub. Or if they want to go down the gastro pub route to do that properly.

I'd quite like to try the Rose round the corner for a drink to compare.

Unknown said...

The duck in beef burger looks so delish, baby Isabelle looks sound asleep too! :)

Tina@foodboozeshoes said...

Salmon looks awesome; not sure about the burger bun and empty pub...

Simon Leong said...

hi msihua, the renovations make it looks quite beach house. all they need is perhaps a water feature now :-)

hi miss kimbers, and so many hand dryers actually don't work or just blow pathetically. this one is one of those really powerful ones.

hi richard, i hope to revisit again to try some of the other dishes to see what they're like. as you say the menu doesn't seem to be that cheap compared to say your basic pub expectations. i look forward to seeing what you think of The Rose around the corner.

hi Food is our religion, when baby is asleep it's always a good time :-)

hi tina, the burger bun was probably a bit damper like but filled you up. i took the photos after the lunch crowd during a weekday but it was pretty busy when we first arrived both inside and outside.

Chanel said...

I like the look of the inside areas! I really hate sitting on stools, so those outside ones do look uncomfortable :-p

The food looks nice! Beetroot on a burger is almost always a must ;-D

Simon Leong said...

hi chanel, i tend to be very fussy about my seating and i'm so used to wanting beetroot on my hamburger that if it doesn't come with it i feel like it's missing.

Anonymous said...

Had lunch here yesterday - The beef burger definitely had beetroot on it and the bun has changed from damper to a really soft brioche one. It was delicious! Also tried the lime creme brulee which was amazing... Great vibe, food and service - I'll be back.

Simon Leong said...

hi anonymous, sounds like they might have changed their dish a bit or the better. sounds good. thanks for the update.

milkteaxx said...

the burger does look very nice, so close to usyd i might give it a go soon.

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