Three Blue Ducks

A waddle uphill from the Bronte waves, the boys at Three Blue Ducks have created a stylish, comfortable space, warmed up with beachy blues and browns. Cafe by day (one of Sydney's best), at night it's transformed into a bustling yet civilised dining space with serious pulling power. Tetsuya-trained head chefs Mark LaBrooy and Darren Robertson have created an exciting menu of small, designed-to-share dishes including an oceanic tangle of smoked calamari, corn puree and wakame (gathered from the shores nearby) with dashi jelly and soft, smoky chawan-mushi. Then there's snapper ceviche marinated in young-coconut juice, fish sauce, kaffir lime and chilli; a more earthy pickled ox tongue with salty kimchi; and a mellow but aromatic dish of mussels and fleshy clams in coconut, lemongrass and chilli broth. Strawberries, goat's milk ice-cream and meringue gets revved up with basil and a pastry and caramelised walnut crumb.