Rude Boy Doughnuts

In a city where new venues seem to pop up on every corner, Rude Boy Doughnuts is posing us a question: can you make a splash in the Sydney food scene, without overcomplicating things?

For founder Ash Straney, the answer starts with the humble doughnut. After years as a cocktail-bar venue manager, he noticed Sydney was craving an exciting third space that wasn’t built around drinking.

He also clocked the rise of food-porn excess—everything loaded, stuffed and garnished within an inch of its life—and wondered whether it was time to bring things back to basics. The result? Rude Boy Doughnuts.

"I hope people have a laugh, a boogie and a great flavour experience", Ash tells Urban List, when asked what he wants guests to experience on the other side of the door.

This ethos of simplicity carries through to the venue's design—neon lights spill onto the street each evening, cast out by the singular disco ball suspended from the ceiling. 

"We are bare bones", says Ash. "We only had the money to get into the space and already owned most of the equipment. We have no counters, a milk crate trash can, and a disco ball. Only the essentials."

While the menu might be pared back, you won't find these doughnuts at your average pie shop. Alongside perfecting a few classic flavours (think custard, chocolate, and OG cinnamon), they've concocted a couple of menu highlights that are worth mentioning.

The Fruity One is made with house rhubarb and strawberry jam—and the Soft Serve Doughnut is filled with a rotating flavour of ice cream. 

Doughnuts may be their pride and joy, but the team isn't in the business of limiting themselves to one avenue. Out the back, you'll find their garden courtyard, The Yaad—cooking up Caribbean-Latin comfort food across an 8-person share-style set menu.

Here, you'll be served a generous spread of roti, chana, coconut rice, gallo pinto, maduros, patacones, yuca fries, breadfruit (if they can find it), greens, and condiments—for only $85pp. 

When asked about Rude Boy's place in the Sydney hospitality scene, Ash was incredibly candid. "The pattern I'm seeing is businesses closing down", he tells us. "There is no room for error these days—we make dope doughnuts out the front, and we make dope Caribbean food out the back. The rest is just good music and vibes."

You can book their Caribbean set menu online, or make a pit-stop any night of the week for a quick sweet treat. 

Image credit: Rude Boy Doughnuts | Supplied