Three Blue Ducks

5.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  5      Value  1     

Expect to pay about $300 for 2 adults and leave hungry. The food was beautiful.
The big problem is the price. The prices are Crazy! The dishes start at $17 and staff recommend that you have 4-5 of them each.

Let me finish by saying that even if you ate 5 dishes you would not be full. The dishes are tiny. i.e. you can not share tiny.

Another thing is that the coffee is always cold. Even after asking repeatedly for about 1 month for a hot coffee rather than bath water temperature. I had to give up eventually and get my coffee elsewhere. Very annoying.

Ambience is great. Staff seemed very nice and friendly. Shame about the cold coffee and ridiculous prices.

May 16, 2012 

6.3 Average

Food  8      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  6     

Hmmmm

After reading the reviews below, I'm thinking the owners of TBD must not give a 'duck' what customers think. Three of us dined here recently on a friday night. The food is sublime if a little expensive. The ambience feels a little 'Packed to the Rafters' with an officious young lady playing Maitre D'. I was asked to confirm my booking 4 days in advance and when chatting to the waitress at the end of our meal, when I commented on how much I loved the dessert, she drily replied "is that so". 4-5 plates are recommended though I believe 3-4 are ample.

Its a shame that the food is let down by the lack of ambience and the ill humoured staff. I don't know about you, but when I walk into a restaurant, especially at more than $120 per head, I'd like a smile.

Apr 24, 2012 

5.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  2      Value  5     

Great food, it's a shame that they're let down by the waiting staff. They're slow, grumpy and look like they'd rather be at the beach.

Apr 05, 2012 

6.3 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  4     

While I had been here before for brunch, I had recently heard that they had started to open for dinner (Thurs-Sat). Bookings are essential given that it's such a small place. One thing that surprised me was the 2 seatings (approx 6 and 8:30pm). If you book for 7, you still have to be out by 8:15pm. There are a few outside tables that cannot be reserved, so you have to make sure to get there early.

Luckily, we had gotten an outside table and because it didn't seem too booked for the 8:30pm seating, we were allowed to continue our dinner later. The restaurant is in a pretty quiet location in Bronte, back a bit from the beach on Macpherson street. It's a pretty decent option for a warm evening in the Clovelly/Bronte/Coogee area. You can request to sit outside if there are tables available. One downside is that it's right next to a bus stop.

The menu was short but looked tasty, with some interesting dishes such as black cake. It's tapas style, so they recommend 4-5 plates per person. The dishes were all $17 each, except for the Iggy's bread which was $8 for 2 per serve (seemed a bit steep for a $4 roll). We started off with oysters and bread, ordered 3 plates/person to share as mains, and then ended with a dessert each. They have a pretty good beer and wine list, and so we had some of both. One of the highlights was the oysters and clam and mussels.

The service was adequate and the ambience was pleasant. Unfortunately, the value was not very good. The total bill came out to about $120/person, which seemed a bit expensive given that we were hungry an hour later. They should either reduce the prices (to $12-$14 a plate) to reflect the small portions, or to increase the portions to be on par with the prices. Don't think I'll be going back anytime soon.

Mar 12, 2012 

2.8 Not Recommended

Food  6      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  1     

Just had coffee here as with a 1 year old but it wasn't a pleasant experience as we were made to feel so unwelcome. I don't care how good the food is, whatever I had wouldn't have tasted nice as the staff left a bad taste in my mouth.

Mar 05, 2012 

7.8 Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  7     

Ate lunch here today, I had the crisy barramundi on asparagus with tomato salsa, it was brilliant. One of the most tastiest meals I have ever had. The place was packed so we sat outside to start but as soon as seats inside became available we were seated inside. Highly recommended.

Mar 02, 2012 

4.5 Below Average

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  3      Value  2     

I'll agree with many reviews here for dinner, the food side of things rocks while the service, ambience and value stink.

We tried five dishes each from the menu, which seems to have got even more expensive in recent weeks. Calamari and smoked corn was a great play on textures, snapper ceviche wowed with its subtlety. Blood cake was lip-smackingly delicious while the scampi, laden with roe, had a playful edge. Pork belly was a little flat, as was the artichoke, honey and parsnip deconstruction, beef was up to the form we've read about and the chocolate fennel dessert is clearly the one to order.

But $4 a bread roll? Glasses sitting empty for 2 dishes progression? Surly service where you feel like you're gatecrashing their night? That part isn't so good. The intimate setting means everyone, cooks and diners, should interact to some extent, so having the boys work silently in the corner came across as cold and unfriendly.

Feb 27, 2012 

4.3 Below Average

Food  8      Ambience  3      Service  1      Value  5     

Came here for breakfast last Sunday after hearing so many great reviews of this place. Left feeling totally disappointed and honestly felt like a burden to the staff. No friendliness at all, this could have improved the ambience. First time I've come across a cafe running out of large coffee cups by 9.30 and had to serve in paper take away cups. The food is delicious and interesting but there are so many other great cafes around that I feel more welcomed in.

Feb 18, 2012 

6.3 Average

Food  6      Ambience  6      Service  8      Value  5     

Went for dinner late sitting,while the food was not bad it was not as good as a few reviews had mentioned,a party of 3 we all ordered 14 dishes in total and really the portion sizes for $17 each a pop were ridiculously small, the desert and cheese plate were very poor one larger cracker for the cheese plate not good enough. I think lunch is the go here as dinner is no value and the ambiance of the "cafe"is not up to the prices charged. Bill came to just under $400 with food costing $255 and we were all hungry an hour later?

Feb 12, 2012 

4.5 Below Average

Food  7      Ambience  3      Service  3      Value  5     

My husband and I ate here for lunch today. We were really let down by the whole experience. Horrible atmosphere, unfriendly arrogant 'macho' staff, not baby friendly at all. No high chairs, this is yummy mummy central, come on! Plus unaccommodating when we wanted to move tables (so we could feed our baby). Unfortunately, the food was great, interesting and tasty. I doubt we would go back unless the attitude goes!

Feb 10, 2012