The Duck Inn Pub and Kitchen

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The Duck Inn sold its poker machines to pay for its recent facelift. Nobody seems to miss them. Not the beautiful young things playing UNO at a round table, not the blokes drinking beer at the bar and not the diners chatting over plates of gentrified pub grub.

The ousted pokies are among many changes that transformed the pub from a slightly seedy watering hole into a cosy - not to mention trendy - place to eat and drink. There is a long, light-filled dining room lined with wooden tables topped with candelabra. There are couches and reading lamps nestled beneath a wall papered to resemble a bookshelf. There are Scrabble and Jenga game sets for those who fancy a little competition with their drinks. And there is a revamped menu without a $10 steak in sight.

Traces of the old-school pub remain. The menu's gourmet sausages and fancy burgers pay tribute to the classics of yore. Monday night is trivia night. On the wall in front of the bar is a flatscreen television flickering with the greenish light of a rugby match.

It is beneath this television that the waitress seats my companion and I. ''Just give me a wave when you need me,'' she says as we eye the corner couches and pleasant dining room with envy.

Disappointment abates as we look over the wine list. It's a decent selection of reasonably priced bottles arranged into user-friendly categories, from ''aromatic whites'' to ''warm-hearted reds''. With the barman's advice, we go for a Devil's Corner pinot noir from Tasmania (which is filed under ''smooth traditional reds'').

It's a cold night and the Duck Inn has plenty of offerings to warm the tummy, from mulled cider and winter Pimms to soups and pies. We start with a generous charcuterie board: pancetta, Danish salami, jamon and cornichons heaped on a triangular timber slab with a smear of mustard, a daub of onion jam and neat stack of toasted sourdough. It is a moreish selection - too easy to scoff with the red wine - but light enough to leave room for the hearty mains.

Traditionally, vegetarians struggle at pubs. It's mushroom risotto or nothing - if they're lucky. The Duck Inn's vego offerings look tasty enough to lure this enthusiastic omnivore away from the scotch fillet and American-style barbecue ribs. The roasted beetroot ravioli is irresistible. Tinged magenta, the pasta nestles under a pretty mess of herbs, beetroot cubes and deliciously subtle blue cheese. A scattering of walnut crumbs provides crunch.

A stack of sliced kangaroo fillet with sweet potato and a tangy tomato and ginger chutney satisfies our meat cravings, while a simple plate of green beans with onion jam and flaked almonds makes a fresh and tasty side.

Dessert options are limited: brulee or cheesecake. The cheese board, with Baw Baw blue, Jindi brie, truffle honey, apple chutney and poppy seed lavosh, is tempting but the pub atmosphere is working on our brains and taste buds.

A nightcap is in order, we decide, and order a glass of Scotch each. And then, because the atmosphere is so warm and convivial, another round.

Whatever else the Duck Inn has become, it is still, at heart, a casual place to gather for a drink.

Menu Swanky pub grub.
Value Reasonable. Share plate snacks, $4-$24; mains, $17-$30; desserts, $10.
Recommended dishes Charcuterie board; roasted beetroot ravioli with sage butter, cashel blue and walnut crumbs.

THE DUCK INN PUB AND KITCHEN
74 Rose Street, Chippendale, 9319 4415
Daily, lunch, noon-3pm, dinner, 6-9pm. Licensed

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