The details
Southeast Queensland and Northern New South Wales folk first fell in love with Three Blue Ducks back in 2016, when the doors to its now incredibly popular namesake restaurant and produce store opened at The Farm in Byron Bay. While it may not share the Ducks name, Locura (Spanish for ‘madness’) is suffused with the group’s renowned ethos of sustainability and ethically produced fare. The inspiration for Locura came after Three Blue Ducks chefs and co-owners Darren Robertson, Mark LaBrooy, Andy Allen, Chris Sorrell, Sam Reid and Jeff Bennett jetted off to explore the tastes and cultures of Los Angeles and Mexico, dining at street-side taquerias and spending time with local mezcal producers, in order to unearth their own style of Latin American cuisine. The former site of elevated nightclub LaLaLand has been totally transformed under the creative eye of designers Pattern Studios and local architect Dominic Finlay-Jones, resulting in a clean and minimalist take on modern-day Mexico City bars, with capacity for 350 nibblers and sippers.

The food
Locura’s concise food offering focuses on smaller plates, melding flavours from namely Mexican, Costa Rican and Peruvian cuisines. The chefs’ collective flair for experimentation and imaginative use of sustainably farmed regional produce means the bar-style menu is bolstered by daily specials, showcasing a selection of hot and cold dishes that sees local seafood featured heavily across the board. Nibble on fried chickpeas with smoked-chilli salt or tostadas with burnt jalapenos and salsa, before venturing into off-the-boat delights like fresh oysters with lime and hot sauce, and red octopus, prawn and coriander-oil ceviche. In true Mexican style, there’s also a series of tacos in delicious combinations like shredded achiote pork, as well as whole corn on the cob and vibrant salads (think combinations like lima beans, pickles, tostadas, macadamias, avocado, jalapenos and salted ricotta), which are all brought to life by a variety of house-made fermented hot sauces, rubs and salsas.

The bar
The team has enlisted credentialed bartender Tim Phillips (Sydney’s Dead Ringer and Bulletin Place) to curate the drinks offering, which is designed to be a simple and fresh accompaniment to the punchy flavours and authentic tastes of Locura’s food. There’s a fetching cocktail collection that puts a spin on Mexican classics, from mezcal-based mules with kombucha, reimagined versions of authentic beer-based micheladas, as well as house-crafted tepache – a traditional fermented-pineapple concoction, made using leftover pineapple skins from its sibling venue at The Farm. Locura’s wine list gives a solid nod to organic, biodynamic and natural varieties, with a bunch of South American drops also making the cut. The taps will rotate with Australian craft beers and ciders, while international beers are by the bottle.

Locura is located at 6 Lawson Street, Byron Bay – it officially opens to the public at 5:00 pm on Friday October 26. 

Image credit: Three Blue Ducks