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Sitting lakeside, sipping on a fresh coffee while the ducks waddle past and the morning sun shines like a halo is our idea of a great morning.
This vision is coming to life with a new cafe, Puddle Duck, opening this month, just in time for warmer days and longer evenings.
The cafe is the latest venture from husband-and-wife team James and Emma McIntyre, who also own Peter Rabbit Cafe and McGregors Private Events.
James co-founded Peter Rabbit in 2015, with the couple taking sole ownership in 2023 before expanding with McGregors in 2024 and Puddle Duck in 2026.
“The original inspiration came from a visit to the Central Park Boathouse in New York,” Emma McIntyre said.
“The idea of a hospitality venue sitting within beautiful public parklands, feeling like a natural part of its surroundings rather than separate from them.”
When the City of Adelaide opened expressions of interest for the spot in 2018, they jumped at the opportunity.
Since 2018, the concept has evolved, but the roots have stayed the same, and the team hopes to give Adelaidians another reason to check out Rymill Park beyond Fringe season, which is where they started out as a pop-up.
Unlike the pop-ups, the permanent venue will offer more seating, a full cafe menu, a proper bar and an expanded program throughout the warmer months.
“We want it to feel relaxed and easy, somewhere you can wander into after a walk through the park and end up staying for a few hours,” Emma said.
Surrounded by green lawns, established trees, rose gardens and the lake’s resident ducks, the setting is designed for exactly that. The team recently completed a two-week trial run during Illuminate Adelaide, giving them an opportunity to test the venue and refine the offering ahead of its permanent opening.
Leading the kitchen is executive chef Renee Lind, who previously worked as Head Chef at Peter Rabbit before becoming part-owner of Nauti Buoy and helping establish its kitchen. Her return reunites her with James and Emma, who are delighted to have her leading the food offering at Puddle Duck.
The menu will take inspiration from nostalgic classics, with a slightly more elevated Puddle Duck approach.
Think about the smell of freshly baked scones coming out of the oven, while a family unravels a pack of fish and chips on the park lawns, perhaps a cheeky loaded hot dog and plenty of brekky and lunch favourites.
“It’s been designed with the park in mind, whether you’re sitting down in the café or grabbing something to take out onto the lawns.”
Puddle Duck is fully licensed, with South Australian wines, beers, spritzes and cocktails available for leisurely afternoons by the lake. Its after-hours Lakeside Sessions will also feature a dedicated afternoon and evening nibbles menu, designed for sharing over drinks as the sun goes down.
Opening on Friday September 25, just in time for school holidays and in summer the team will be expanding their trading house so there’s plenty to go around for everyone
“Rymill Park is such a beautiful part of Adelaide and sometimes you forget just how special it is until you’re sitting there by the lake,” Emma said.
“There aren’t many places in the middle of Adelaide where you can grab a coffee beside a lake in the morning, have fish and chips on the lawn with the kids at lunch, then come back for a spritz and watch the sun go down through the trees.”
A little lakeside cafe right in the middle of Rymill Park is just the thing we didn’t know we needed.
Puddle Duck
When: set to open September 25
Where: Rymill Park, Adelaide
For more, click here.
