Three Blue Ducks, Bronte – Rating: 17/25 (re-review)

Three Blue Ducks

Now that Three Blue Ducks has had some time to stretch its wings since my last review, I was excited to see how it has developed and what it now has to offer.  Somehow they seem to be able to squeeze more tables in but it seems to do little to combat the queues!

Chicken coop and edible garden

While you’re waiting for a table (and you will be waiting for a table), why not take a wander through the alley between the two dining rooms of TBD? You’ll find the well-maintained herb garden and chicken coop which are great distractions for (supervised) children.

Our service was reasonably fast throughout but quite cool and not much interaction from the waitstaff.  Although if that’s your thing, you’ll be quite happy.  There are tables inside and out so whether you want shelter or a dog-friendly spot, you’ll find somewhere suitable.

Cappuccino

Flat white

TBDs uses Single Origin Roasters beans and that’s fine by me!  Our coffees ($3.50) were served quickly and prepared exceptionally well.

The 378 juice

Berry smoothie

There is a plethora of fresh juices ($7) available and while they won’t split them for you, the combinations are delicious.  Once again we had the 378 which throws in pear, apple, pineapple and mint.  Other combos include veggie patch (carrot, celery, beetroot, kale and apple), fruity toots (orange, watermelon and pineapple) and pix’s perk up (apple, carrot and watermelon).

Milkshakes and smoothies are $7 each and available as chocolate, vanilla, berry, banana or iced coffee.  It’s quite obvious which ones are available in which style.  My smoothie was reasonable but didn’t have a strong enough berry flavour unfortunately.

Flaked house smoked salmon

For those looking for a savoury dish with a bit of spice, the flaked house smoked salmon ($22) gets the tick of approval.  The chilli toast really picks this plate up but isn’t too overpowering for the fall-apart salmon.  Kale on the side and dukkah eggs on the top all makes for a great combination but at a price that I wouldn’t want to pay again.  Very rarely do I come across a dish for this amount of Dollars and if I do, I expect to be blown away (or if the quality isn’t there, then at least quantity).

Orange and yoghurt pancakes

My orange and yoghurt pancakes ($18) were slightly on the small side for the price but absolutely delicious.  While the orange wasn’t very discernible, the pancakes had a fantastic flavour.  The yoghurt, fresh berries and toasted nuts on top offered great textures and I would definitely order this again.

Other dishes on offer include tapioca, black rice and quinoa porridge with rhubarb yoghurt, date puree, fresh fruit and candied nuts ($19), scrambled eggs with black sausage, dill cucumber yoghurt salad and red currant jam, $22) and bacon and organic egg roll with pimento salsa and sauce hollandaise ($16).

A lot has been said about Three Blue Ducks and while the menu is inspired, the quality is terrific and you will certainly find some delicious food, it didn’t meet some standards I expect in areas such as service and value for money.  While I don’t mind paying more than average for my breakfast, I would expect it to be a something that I’ll be craving next weekend.

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