Manly Pavilion

The verdict

Manly Pavilion is waterfront dining at its best—sitting on the wharf side of one of Australia's most iconic beaches with uninterrupted views all the way to the heads. It's the perfect place for afternoon aperitifs as the sun begins to set, a long Sunday brunch, or your next big event. Oh, and did we mention the view? Because it’s damn good.

In 2016, the venue underwent a substantial revamp, restoring a lot of its original heritage appeal. Boasting a sleek dining space, an open-air balcony, and elegant lounge bar, the venue characterises old-world charm and offers an abundance of choice for diners with their modern Italian fare.

Manly Pavilion's recently revamped menu is the work of executive chef  Alessio Rago. 

Rago has tapped his Florentine heritage and experience at Michelin-starred restaurant Il Mosaico to get the job done. You can expect fluffy house-made focaccia and Tuscan-style French fries served with parmesan, alongside an edit of fresh pastas and lobster mornay.

Standouts on the pasta front include the malloreddus ai gamberi, a baby shell saffron pasta topped with garlic and chilli prawns, and the ravioloni di zucca, a pumpkin and goats cheese ravioli with creamy burnt butter and sage.  

Being a waterfront bistro, you’ll also be able to tuck into crowd-pleasers like fresh oysters, calamari fritti, and buckets of fresh prawns with seafood sauce—but all come with a little more polish than your standard seaside fish and chip spot.

We suggest you head here for an early lunch, ease into things with a coffee before quickly transitioning into an Italian feast, and then top it all off with an espresso martini as the sun sets. 

Image credit: Manly Pavilion