Ducks Nuts: Dickson’s new gastropub

Posted on 3 March, 2016

It’s been a couple of years since I last visited Dickson, and even longer since I’ve eaten here…and I have to say this former darling of the Canberra restaurant scene is looking a little tired.

While it may be a different story once the sun goes down, during the day the closed doors of Woolley Street’s restaurants are a far cry from the bustling sidewalks of Lonsdale Street.

I’m here to get a sneak peek at the newest kid on the Dickson block—the cheekily named, Ducks Nuts—a bar and grill modelled on a traditional pub, creating a contemporary, modern sports bar.

Ducks Nuts takes over the corner spot previously occupied by O’Neill’s Irish Pub, and it’s had quite the makeover. Some of the original ‘bones’ of O’Neill’s have been modernised, while others elements are completely new: Italian porcelain tiles and black and gold accents now complement the original exposed brick and the vaulted bar has a new slick of black paint. Although it’s still a work in progress with the interior yet to be complete, it’s a large, inviting and light-filled space.

Danny Russo of Russolini Group, who worked on Braddon’s Marble & Grain has been brought in to devise a classic gastropub menu with a twist. Expect to find favourites like various cuts of steak with classic sauces, burgers and dishes for grazing. There will also be inventive sides and desserts, craft beers on tap, and ‘mini mains’ for kids under 12—all at a price point that make Ducks Nuts an inviting and affordable ‘local’.

And it’s this element of ‘neighbourhood’ that’s central to the venture, with live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights, big screen tvs with a premium sports package, and full onsite TAB and Keno facilities all aimed at creating a place where people can eat, drink, and play.

It’s been interesting to watch a return to ‘pub culture’ in Canberra over recent years, where people prize the familiar: they like knowing that Tuesday night is ‘Steak Night’, happy hour is every afternoon, and the weekends are for booking out their favourite booth to watch The Brumbies with friends.

With new residential and commercial dwellings on the horizon, and a government focus on redeveloping the suburb, Ducks Nuts may well be heralding in the ‘new’ Dickson. We can’t wait.

the essentials

What: Ducks Nuts Bar & Grill
Where: 30 Woolley Street, Dickson
When: Open 11am til late seven days. Grand opening Friday 11 March, 2016.
Web: ducksnuts.net.au

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Photography: Ashley St George