Heartbreak as super popular Sydney restaurant is rumoured to quietly be closing in February: ‘So sad’
Cantonese Chinese restaurant Duk Inn in Sydney’s Newtown has quietly announced it will soon close permanently.
The unexpected news was brought to light by local food content creator @sydneyfoodboy through a series of posts on his Instagram account.
The first of the stories, titled ‘Sad news of 2026’, featured a photo of Duk Inn’s owner, Johnathan Wu, proudly holding a lobster. The accompanying caption read, ‘@duk.inn in Newtown is closing up shop mid-February.’
This was followed by a heartfelt message: ‘About one month left to come and try Cantonese uncle’s wok cooking and Jono’s mum’s roast Peking duck wraps.’ The post was punctuated by a sad face emoji and tagged Duk Inn’s own Instagram page.
A further update by Kev – the man behind @sydneyfoodboy – offered a bit more explanation.
‘Their last day is 18 Feb, but they haven’t announced it yet,’ he wrote, alongside a short video of a diner enjoying a meal in the restaurant.
Kev then urged his followers, ‘Go show Jono and uncle some love but give Jono the rude finger for closing (dw [don’t worry], he likes it like that).’
Daily Mail reached out to Duk Inn for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
A series of Instgaram stories shared by @sydneyfoodboy announced that Newtown Chinese restaurant Duk Inn would be closing, sharing a picture of owner Johnathan Wu (left). The posts suggested the last day of business would be ’18 Feb’
Duk Inn has been open on Newtown’s lively King Street since December 2023
Restaurant owner Johnathan Wu founded the restaurant and several of his family members work in the kitchen
Duk Inn has stood on Newtown’s lively King Street since December 2023, carving out a reputation as a destination for its tasty Cantonese cuisine.
A video introduction by owner Johnathan on the restaurant’s Instagram details the story behind this family-run business. He described the upstairs dining area as ‘very traditional based’, while the neon-lit bar downstairs was a ‘bit of a vibe’.
‘What we’re doing here at Duk Inn is my own personal take on traditional Cantonese food, specialising in zhong san BBQ,’ he explained.
‘So we do Peking duck, we do roast duck, roast pork, char siu – which is BBQ pork -and a bit of chicken here and there.’
Many of Johnathan’s family members like his mum and uncle, work in the kitchen, each contributing years of experience to the menu.
Duk Inn has enjoyed favourable online feedback, and currently enjoys a 4.7-star Google Reviews rating from 344 reviews. In one glowing comment, a recent diner gushed, ‘The food is honestly next level.’
‘Amazing food, great service and such a nice location,’ added another five-star reviewer.
Renowned food blogger Not Quite Nigella also heaped praise on the restaurant in a post on her site, hailing Duk Inn as one of the ‘hidden culinary treasures in Newtown’.
The Cantonese Chinese restaurant has enjoyed stellar online reviews and is renowned for its signature dishes, including mud crab served with traditional sauces
Duk Inn has been open on Newtown’s lively King Street since December 2023. The upstairs area features a more traditional dining room (right)
Patrons have flocked to the restaurant for its signature dishes such as Peking duck pancakes and mud crabs bathed in a selection of traditional sauces.
Although the new year has only just begun, the news of Duk Inn’s impending closure adds to a growing list of small Sydney restaurants that have shuttered in 2026.
On January 5, Sydney’s oldest operating ramen restaurant, Ramen Genki, closed its doors after 28 years trading in Artarmon.
A spokesperson for Ramen Genki attributed the closure to tough economic conditions and a decline in foot traffic.
2026 also saw the end of another Sydney institution, as Italian restaurant Ezzelinos, a fixture in Neutral Bay since 1982, announced its closure.
After more than four decades of operation, the family-run business was taken over by new management on March 1, 2025.
But in early January 2026, the new owners posted an emotional farewell, confirming that Ezzelinos had now closed for good.
