After acquiring the Newport Arms Hotel in May last year, Merivale is launching the venue on Good Friday as The Newport. The Northern Beaches institution, which opened in the 1880s, will have a new look and menu.

The gardens will be revamped to make even more use of the already beautiful waterfront view, and to create an inviting community space. Head chef Sebastian Lutaud has taken this on board with the menu, too. “For the outdoor space and garden, we want to create a food-market feel, where families and friends can sit down and relax over an afternoon. Share an oyster plate, have some sparkling wine, and then stay for dinner.” Attention will be paid to kid-friendly meals and simple, good food. “Burgers, pizzas, fish and chips – these have been served at the Newport Arms for a long time, and we’re focusing on perfecting these traditions.”

Vinnie’s Pizzeria will have an outdoor deck with views over Pittwater, overseen by Coogee Pavilion’s Vincenzo Biondini. The design team is made up of Kelvin Ho and Emilie Delalande of Akin Creative, stylist Amanda Talbot and Justin and Bettina Hemmes.

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Merivale has big plans for The Newport – this is only stage one of its vision for the venue. Later plans include multi-course menus intended for afternoons that turn into evenings. For now, The Newport will feature outdoor petanque, tennis table, a giant magnetic scrabble board, and exercise bikes that charge mobile phones, so you won’t miss that Instagram snap of the waterfront sunset.

Stage one of The Newport is opening on March 25 2016.

merivale.com.au/thenewport

This article was updated on March 15.