Perfect drinks-only bar with service in double-quack time

City Slukker, with Michael Kimberley

MOUNT Pleasant's small suburban bar, The Duck, is a cool pozzie for a frostie anytime of the day. And with chief City Slukker Brett Adkins busy cosying up with the English, I was forced to duck into my local this week for another pleasant visit.

The bar is relaxed, the staff are friendly and the welcome is always warm. Our regular City Slukker described The Duck last year as ideal for meeting friends for a quick one.

And he is bang on the money!

It's the perfect place if it's been one of those hot and humid days we have had so many of this year.

This spot will cool you off pronto with an ice-cold 500ml Castle draught, which goes for a okayish R19.

An almost perfect price for a mid-week breather or two.

It's also a hot-spot for sport and offers six flatscreen TV's.

The only downside to this bar is that it does not serve food.

Well, that is apart from some rather tasteless and pricey biltong kept behind the counter. The Duck definitely loses points for this. Ok, not that many points though because you can order food from any of the takeaway joints nearby.

This might seem like a hassle but it actually just gives you more of a choice.

This nicely-positioned spot – it's close to home for me – has a spacious interior made even more airy with a ban on smoking inside.

But you can light up on the balcony which often fills up quickly when the sun sets – and sometimes when it rises.

Service is spot-on outside with plenty of charming bar waitresses.

The actual bar inside runs across one side of the pozzie.

There is normally a stool or two empty and the barmen are just as friendly as the waitresses.

There is not really a theme for The Duck apart from getting your drinks quickly.

And this is also true during the bigger sporting matches.

There also never seems to be a delay when ordering up a cold frostie.

What also makes The Duck feel so relaxing, is that it is always brimming with a bunch of loyal patrons.

For some reason, they always seem to be there when I pop in. Owner Bryan McArthur is also always there. And even a local's dog, named Zap, usually makes an appearance.

The ablutions are adequate but more often than not they need a mid-service mop-up on those busy nights.

Otherwise, the super spacious suburban bar is the sort of place to loosen your tie and pretend tomorrow's 8am start is still a long weekend away.

It is really the perfect place to linger with a couple of lagers mid-week.