'Dude food' death row claims another scalp

One moment you're hotter than the butter in chicken Kiev, the next you're not. There's no greater example in Sydney right now than Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, the death row for ''dude food'' where Duke Bistro has joined Flinders Inn as past-tense players on the strip.

Just a few years back, both venues were lauded as the future of Sydney food and were grassroots turf for the influential TOYS Collective.

A spokesman for the Flinders Hotel confirms there are plans to reboot the Duke space but won't reveal details. Word on the street is it would be more bar-focused and probably carry a new moniker.

Former Duke chef Nicholas Hill won't be involved in the venture. He's about to head to London to rejoin Aussie Brett Graham in the kitchen at the Ledbury.