Best Restaurants in Manly

Updated 2 days ago

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Before it became the densely populated gateway to the Northern Beaches it is today, Manly was originally conceived as a seaside resort. If you’re not lucky enough to be a local, though, a daytrip still feels like an escape. Maybe it’s how you get there: you could drive, but the easiest (and most pleasurable) way is to take the ferry from Circular Quay.

That resort feel is evident in the layout of the key spots. Walk down the Corso (Manly’s main eating, drinking and shopping hub) and you’ll definitely wonder why pedestrian malls aren’t more common in the rest of Sydney. The promenade is the best way to get from the harbourside wharf to the famous Manly Beach.

There are plenty of restaurants on that walk that are worth your time. The venues in this guide aren’t content to coast on their picturesque setting. Some are local favourites, and many are worth the journey from other parts of Sydney.

  • Natural wine and handmade pasta from the crew behind Chica Bonita and Sunset Sabi.

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  • This rustic little bolthole, hidden in a Manly back alley, is one of the seaside suburb's most popular and enduring eateries. We can see why. The laid-back atmosphere belies just how seriously this team take their food.

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  • Merivale’s waterside Cantonese joint, complete with live seafood tank, oyster bar and dim sum. The views across the water make for an ideal setting year-round.

  • The former Manly Shore Club now offers multiple experiences across three handsome levels. There’s upmarket bistro fare on the ground floor; basque-inspired tapas in the wine room upstairs; and signature cocktails and beachfront vistas on the rooftop.

  • The Ivanhoe Hotel has been stripped back and spruced up by Sibella Court to feel like a nostalgic beach club with classic red and white lifebuoys and squash rackets.

  • Order a single slice and eat it sitting on the sand while the sun sets.

  • Wild cocktails and unique Japanese flavours from the team at Chica Bonita.

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  • Poke and momos all under one roof.

  • It’s all about giant drinks and water views.

  • A Bowie inspired rock and roll bar serving up Japanese food with attitude.

  • A modern Middle Eastern restaurant in Manly.

  • Plenty of seafood and a people-first approach make this a hit with locals.

  • A nostalgic sandwich and cocktail bar with 36-hour Reubens, fried chicken and cheddar-and-chive waffles, and groovy disco-era cocktails.

  • Playful takes on British cuisine are the specialty at this sultry backstreet bar. Think Scotch eggs with curry mayo, madras Wagyu pie with pappadums, and sticky toffee pudding with rum-roasted pineapple. There are also cocktails on tap and around 300 natural wines to try.

  • A wine bar serving up the ultimate antipasto spread courtesy of some of Australia's best cheese makers and meat curers.

  • Just off The Corso, you’ll find a spot deftly melding Mexican and Peruvian classics. Enjoy ceviche, tacos, Margaritas and Pisco Sours in a buzzy whitewashed space with the air of a beachside hotel in Playa del Carmen.

  • The sequel to the Darlinghurst favourite is bringing ceviches, tacos and woodfired plates made with NSW produce to the beaches.