After seven years of planning, a pandemic, a major park redevelopment and plenty of conversations about “the kiosk”, the team behind Peter Rabbit is finally ready to unveil its newest Adelaide venue.

Puddle Duck is opening in the transformed 1960s kiosk overlooking the lake at Rymill Park, bringing coffee, nostalgic eats, fish and chips on the lawn, sunset spritzes and private events to one of Adelaide’s most picturesque parklands.

The new venue comes from husband-and-wife team James and Emma McIntyre, who are also behind Peter Rabbit Cafe and neighbouring McGregors Private Events.

James was one of the original founders of Peter Rabbit when it opened in Adelaide’s West End in 2015 and later helped establish Lockwood General in Burnside, where he remains a partner. James and Emma took sole ownership of Peter Rabbit in 2023, before adding McGregors in 2024.

Now, they’re heading lakeside.

The idea for Puddle Duck can be traced all the way to New York, where a visit to Central Park’s iconic boathouse sparked an idea for a hospitality venue that felt like a natural extension of its parkland surroundings.

When the City of Adelaide sought expressions of interest for the Rymill Park kiosk in 2018, the couple jumped at the opportunity, securing the site the following year.

A lot has happened since.

Plans evolved, COVID changed timelines and Rymill Park’s lake and surrounds underwent a significant renewal. But the fundamental vision remained.

“We’ve always wanted it to still feel like it belongs in the park,” the couple said.

Rather than making the building the hero, Puddle Duck has been designed to let its location do much of the talking.

The result is a venue intended to change personality throughout the day and across Adelaide’s seasons.

Drop by for coffee after a morning walk, settle in for breakfast overlooking the lake, grab takeaway fish and chips for the lawn or return later for a spritz as the sun goes down.

Executive Chef Renee Lind, formerly Head Chef at Peter Rabbit before becoming part-owner of Nauti Buoy, has returned to work with the McIntyres on a menu built around nostalgic favourites with an elevated twist.

Expect freshly baked morning scones, family fish and chips wrapped newspaper-style, elevated hot dogs and plenty of approachable breakfast and lunch dishes.

Puddle Duck will also be fully licensed, pouring South Australian wines, local beers, spritzes and classic cocktails.

During spring, Friday and Sunday Lakeside Sessions will see the daytime cafe roll into afternoon drinks, shared nibbles and music through to sunset. Saturdays will be reserved for private celebrations, while summer will see the cafe expand to seven-day trading.

And there could eventually be another nostalgic addition.

The McIntyres are now custodians of the original rowboats once used on Rymill Park lake and hope to restore them and somehow return them to the Puddle Duck story.

For now, though, their ambitions are considerably simpler.

After talking about Puddle Duck since 2018, they’re finally ready to see people sitting beside the lake enjoying it.

And with fish and chips, cold spritzes and one of the prettiest outlooks in the CBD, we suspect they won’t be waiting long.