Three Blue Ducks at Nimbo Fork — Restaurant in New South Wales

For clarity, my scoring is as follows: three is as expected based on reviews, price, and recommendation. Two is below expectations and 4 is obviously above expectations.

Overall, I would give a score of 2 1/2 for three blue ducks at Nimbo. This is not to say that any of it was bad, but did not live up to my expectation based upon my criteria. We had the five course detestation meal.

It is fair to say, that three blue ducks in Nimbo is a true destination restaurant. The track there is unsealed, through farmland, and through windy switchback roads. This makes it an exciting place to get to and a commitment. Going at night, in the dark, made it more so. Arrival at the venue, the chalets and restaurant building, looked amazing. Standing out in the stark blackness with lights twinkling. We were greeted by very very friendly staff, and made to feel most welcome. The building itself inside, is perhaps best described as a hunting lodge style. Fly rods on the wall a centrepiece two facing stone fireplace and deer antlers on the wall. It is very tasteful and a beautiful space.

In choosing the chef’s selection, the menu had changed from the one we looked at on the website, and our wait staff sought to accommodate us by changing the menu from Lamb to local trout. This we appreciate. The wait person attending us was attentive, but neither sure of the menu, wines, nor particularly confident. in fact, we received our first glass of wine after the first course meal had been served. Which is not our preference.

The first course was a really posh “sloppy Joe“. And it was amazing; wonderful toasted brioche and savoury, flavourful mince. (3 if not 4 on its own). The second course was pickled zucchini filled with mascarpone and topped off with red berries. Again, this was a delicious item (3). The third course was a marvellous sausage on a bed of potato (4). This was probably the best course of the meal and was truly wonderful with great flavours and textures. I would think the sausage was certainly home-made from local produce, topped off with a really tasty jus and micro herbs. Next came the star of the meal, a full deboned trout. This was served with a miso dressing. Personally, I found that the trout whilst perfectly cooked, had little flavour, and the miso dressing (which I love) was a little overpowering for the subtle taste of the fish. The trout was served with a warm beetroot and leaf salad, which was very nice, but again the beetroot did not have the Zing, flavour or impact that I personally prefer. There were no potatoes served with the trout, which I think would have been a very good compliment. Whilst the staff offered to provide some potatoes, the time of doing so, clearly as these had to be cooked, did not allow for that addition. Again, the head maître was seeking to be extremely accommodating in this regard. The last course was a cheesecake, with some crème fraîche and a berry sauce. I admit to not being a major fan of desert, but this cheesecake did not come across as delicate, tasty, or extraordinary. I would not have been able to tell the difference between it and a store bought commercial item. It was disappointing.

Whilst this experience did not live up to my expectations, I recognise that this is an extraordinary destination restaurant in an amazing part of the world, and it’s probably worth visiting. However, for me, once is enough and...

We recently dined at what’s considered an established restaurant — and while there were some high points, the overall experience felt more like a sales pitch than a relaxing night out.

Let’s start with the food: it was tasty, no doubt. Flavors were well-balanced, and dishes were clearly made with some thought. However, presentation left a lot to be desired. The risotto, for example, was just… spread flat on the plate like it had given up. The cauliflower came with a red sauce oddly painted on it — the effect was more “cafeteria chic” than fine dining.

The service is where things got especially strange. The hostess greeted us with a kind of passive-aggressive detachment that made us wonder if this was part of the restaurant’s character — some kind of edgy, unwelcoming charm? If so, it didn’t quite land.

Our waitress was clearly under pressure — she was sweet and tried to be funny, but the constant interruptions with, “Sorry to interrupt…” every five minutes to push another special or add-on wore thin quickly. We get that staff have KPIs to hit, but when the entire evening feels like a scripted upselling session, it really takes away from the atmosphere.

In short: the food was good enough, the vibe confusing, and the push to upsell relentless. A potentially great experience dragged down by the pressure to hit targets and a few too many awkward interactions. Proceed with tempered expectations — and a firm “no, thank you”...

Sunday night at Three Blue Ducks, 2 pax. Our lovely waiter for the evening was Rachel. The 5 stars could solely be for her because she was so helpful, attentive, charming and just very great at her job.

Now onto the food. Never dined at any of the Three Blue Ducks venue before but had high expectations and they were met and some.

For entrees we shared the burnt orange gin cured Snowy Mountain trout and Confit duck leg, Thai red curry. The trout worked extremely well with the quinoa cracker, lemon myrtle aioli, brook trout caviar! the curry flavour was strong but not overpowering.

For mains we enjoyed Gundagai lamb rump which was cooked to absolute perfection while I honestly could've had the capsicum jam, spiced chickpeas, yoghurt sauce as a side on its own! The quiet achiever was actually the pumpkin gnocchi. very unassuming dish but a definite hit!

Unfortunately we were too stuffed for dessert but was jealous of other diners who were leaving nothing on the plate while enjoying the...