Marrickville Council has imposed a ban on smoking at footpath tables that will affect west King Street businesses, but the City of Sydney, which controls the east side, has not. It's left some cafe owners worried business will simply drift across the road - and others defiant, saying they'll fight the ban.

But the Heart Foundation has welcomed the move by Marrickville, Leichhardt and six other NSW councils to ban smoking in outdoor areas where food is served from today, bringing to 30 the total with such bans.

Smoking is increasingly restricted, with the Heart Foundation's annual smoke-free survey, due in late July, showing 89 of 152 NSW councils - including all but six Sydney metro councils - ban smoking in some outdoor areas such as playgrounds or sports fields. That is more than three times as many as four years ago.

Gavin Kells, the owner of 2042 Cafe & Deli on King Street, was not aware of the ban when contacted by the Herald yesterday.

''It's all news to me,'' he said. ''We have a handful of seats on the footpath that are mainly for smokers. We haven't been told about it by council and we don't intend on changing anything at the moment.''

Tony Townsend, the owner of the Sandringham Hotel which leases footpath space from Marrickville Council for smokers struck a more defiant tone.

''I'll fight that restriction,'' he said. ''I actually rent the footpath space from council, I'm forced to insure it, that is part of my licensed premises … I would consider my legal stand on that.''

At nearby Barmuda Cafe on Australia Street, the manager, Nick Karatzis, worried the ban might hurt Marrickville businesses, especially on King Street.

''All of the smokers will probably go to the side where you can smoke,'' he said. ''But I'm sure people who don't smoke will be a lot happier. Even smokers don't want to smell smoke when they're eating.''

Like most councils, Marrickville is taking an ''educational'' approach to the new ban, putting up signage rather than imposing fines. Private outdoor areas such as beer gardens are not affected.

Only six Sydney metro councils have not introduced some form of outdoor smoking ban: Botany Bay, Campbelltown, Hunters Hill, North Sydney, Rockdale and Sutherland Shire. North Sydney is considering a ban on smoking within 10 metres of playgrounds, in bus shelters and taxi ranks. If approved, the ban would come into effect from October.