Come hungry to this sprawling Southern Highlands farm.
Three Blue Ducks Burradoo has been crowned New Restaurant of the Year at the 42nd Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards, held at Sydney’s Carriageworks on Monday.
Set inside a restored 1823 farmhouse on the sprawling 242-hectare Burradoo Park Farm, the paddock-to-plate restaurant opened in June 2026, with a menu shaped by seasonal produce grown onsite. The multi-venue farm is just a five-minute drive from Bowral – recently named Australia’s best country town.
The win comes after Three Blue Ducks Burradoo earned a preview rating of 16.5/20 and two Chef Hats in the Good Food Guide’s September 2026 edition, marking it as one to watch on the NSW dining scene.
Three Blue Ducks Burradoo has won New Restaurant of the Year. (Credit: Kitti Gould)
Since opening its now-closed Bronte café in 2010, the Three Blue Ducks brand has steadily expanded its footprint across Australia, with outposts stretching from Byron Bay to Bellingen. But despite its established presence on the country’s dining scene, Burradoo marks the brand’s first-ever win at the Good Food Guide awards.
The awards celebrate outstanding dining destinations across NSW, with the Guide’s coveted three-hat rating system widely regarded as a benchmark for excellence in Australian dining.
What makes it a winner?
Head chef Rhys Connell and group executive chef Troy Criante. (Credit: Kitti Gould)
A look inside the main dining room, set in a historic farmhouse. (Credit: Kitti Gould)
Farm-to-table is the ethos here. (Credit: Kitti Gould)
Co-owned by Darren Robertson (former Tetsuya’s head chef) and MasterChef Australia winner Andy Allen, Three Blue Ducks Burradoo champions a hearty, regenerative agricultural philosophy expressed through sophisticated techniques.
Following the awards announcement, the Good Food Guide described the restaurant as “One of the most exciting openings of the past 12 months that also has a fresh point of view and captures the moment in the broader restaurant scene."
Former Quay head chef Troy Crisante runs the kitchen here with Rhys Connell, who held senior roles at three-hatted Sepia. The pair’s set-menu experience is crafted around what grows and grazes on the regenerative onsite farm – a tactic that has clearly impressed in-the-know gourmands and produces plates that are as comforting as they are delicious.
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What’s on the menu?
The Cover Crop salad is a clever smaller course. (Credit: Kitti Gould)
Enjoy Australian white lamb with sheep's yogurt and shiso. (Credit: Kitti Gould)
Lavender, quince and rhubarb is for dessert. (Credit: Kitti Gould)
Guests of Three Blue Ducks Burradoo are treated to an ensemble of elevated farm-to-table dishes.
The $210 Harvest Menu, available for lunch and dinner, is an inventive eight-course journey exploring flavours of the land and sea. Think Australian white lamb flavoured with shiso and sheep’s yogurt, sorrel stem with Sydney rock oysters and native pepper, and a lavender dessert with quince and rhubarb. If you happen to still be hungry (the chances are slim), you can choose to add on the likes of dry aged beef with bone marrow and mustard or a final course of honeycomb, hazelnut and Long Paddock cheeses.
The $175 Field Menu (lunch only) is a smaller iteration of the Harvest Menu, with six courses.
And for non-meat eaters, vegetarian menus are available too, featuring kalibos cabbage sprinkled with macadamia, crème fraîche potato with caramel and an entree of puntarelle, parsnip and chilli.
What else can you do at Burradoo Park Farm?
The Burradoo Park Farm is a 600-acre regenerative farm in the NSW Southern Highlands.
While Three Blue Ducks may be the calling card for foodies, there’s a whole day’s worth of family-friendly things to do at Burradoo Park Farm.
Start your morning with coffee and oven-warm sourdough goods at The Bakehouse, learn about sustainable farm as you walk around the working farm and explore the beautiful cut flower garden. Then say hello to the piglets and highland cows in the paddocks before joining an educational gardening workshop or visiting the Insect Institute to discover the essential yet often-overlooked role insects play in farming.
There’s also a nature-inspired playground where kids can burn energy, small-batch scoops at the Gelato Store and hands-on activities at the Innovation Stables.
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How to get to Three Blue Ducks Burradoo
The restaurant is set on a sprawling working farm near Bowral. (Credit: Kitti Gould)
Three Blue Ducks Burradoo is located at 6 Railway Road, Burradoo NSW, just minutes from Bowral and 1.5 hours’ drive from Sydney. Currently, there is no general pedestrian-only access permitted through the front gates; visitors must park in the main car park or use the designated shuttle that departs from the nearby overflow car park. The farm is conveniently located next to Burradoo Train Station, which offers a direct service from Sydney’s Central Station and Canberra Train Station.
Entry to the farm is free, but general admission tickets are required on selected days and events, so check the website before visiting.
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Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or hunting down Sydney's cosiest cafes.
The Artesian Spa Capital of Australia offers the perfect destination to escape the grind and reset.
The world moves more slowly in Moree, and that’s how it should be. Here, country charm and heritage buildings fill the town’s wide streets. While the surrounding farmland mixes with lush riverways to create a fascinating landscape.
But the biggest pull? Moree is known as the Artesian Spa Capital of Australia. It’s truly a place to slow down and disconnect, all an easy train ride from Sydney.
Soak in Moree’s artesian water
Dive in to Moree’s artesian waters.
Moree is not your typical wellness retreat, replacing pretence with casual and easy. Blessed to be sitting above the Great Artesian Basin, it feeds the town (and surrounding villages) with hot, mineral-rich water. Loaded with minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and sulphur, this water is believed to help with skin health, joint function and tissue repair.
And the town’s crown jewel, Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre, has reopened after extensive upgrades. This state-of-the-art aquatic centre offers accessible facilities with multiple artesian baths of varying temperatures between 38 and 41°C.
Feel like exploring a little further? About an hour’s drive from Moree, the village of Boomi also offers public access to this same artesian water. Pop into Boomi Artesian Pool to make the most of a 25-metre cold pool, a wading pool and a hot artesian spa pool.
Just an hour west of Boomi, you’ll also find Mungindi Hot Artesian Pool, another relaxing place to rejuvenate for the afternoon in the mineral-rich water.
Moree’s best stays
Stay right by Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre.
There are several motels within walking distance of the aquatic centre, so you linger longer in its therapeutic waters. A day pass not enough? Really soak in the benefits of Moree at three local stays with their own artesian baths.
Gwydir Thermal Pools Resort boasts five artesian pools for motel and caravan park guests, ranging in soothing temperatures from 34 to 39 degrees. And that includes a 25-metre lap pool.
The Phoenix, Artesian Spa Resort & Accommodation features outdoor artesian thermal pools and six indoor artesian spas, all 34 to 42°C, plus regular pools for guests staying in their accommodations.
While the Artesian Spa Motel matches 46 comfortable budget rooms set across five acres of landscaped grounds, with direct access (for guests) to its own natural artesian hot thermal pool.
Moree’s location at the crossroads of the Newell and Gwydir Highways makes it the ideal resting place for those road tripping through country NSW. With plenty of accommodation options, including farm stays, quaint bed and breakfasts and affordable motels.
Delving into nature around Moree
Find plenty of natural beauty in and around Moree. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Beyond the baths, find calm in Moree’s nature. Soak up the impressive Gwydir River from the peaceful Tareelaroi Weir Recreation Area. Popular with locals, this scenic spot is perfect for fishing, kayaking and picnics. Delve into local history at the Terry Hie Hie Picnic Area – a significant Gamilaroi cultural site. The picnic area is still used today as a ceremonial gathering ground, with educational signage sharing the history of the Gamilaroi People and the mission which used to reside here in the early 20th Century. Follow the Yana-y Warruwi Walking Track to explore the area’s box pine forest.
Combine nature and culture at the Jellicoe Park Open Spaces Aboriginal Art Trail along the scenic Mehi River Walk. Find artworks from local Indigenous artists across a range of different mediums, like carved logs, engraved and painted sandstone and scar tree paintings.
A taste of Moree
Sit down for a tasty meal after a game of golf. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Taste the best of local cafes as you wander past the Art Deco architecture of Moree’s tree-lined main streets. Join the locals each morning at Brooker Trading Co as they line up for their morning java. Stay for classic breakfast dishes like eggs benedict and Dutch pancakes, or arrive later in the day for a hearty lunch menu. Inside a gorgeous Art Deco building, 61 Balo is another tasty breakfast option, with pet-friendly service. The recently renovated Cafe Omega is another popular stop for fresh, hearty meals – the chicken burger is a particular crowd pleaser – all served with a smile.
Get inspired as you wander the CBD’s Mural Trail, stopping at some of Moree’s six art galleries along the way. Bank Art Museum is a must-see, housed in the town’s heritage bank building and home to a collection of First Nations art, plus a changing calendar of touring exhibitions.
Step inside the gorgeous Bank Art Museum Moree. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Get active with a round on the beautiful riverside course at Moree Golf Club (and refuel afterwards at the delicious onsite restaurant) or a game of bowls at Moree Services Club’s state-of-the-art facility. Visit on the last weekend of September to join (or watch) Run the Plains, Moree’s annual two-day running festival.
Known as ‘white gold’ country, Moree is Australia’s most productive agricultural region. Visit from April to September to join a cotton farm tour and get to know one of Moree’s major exports.
However long you choose to stay, there’s plenty to soak in around Moree.
