The Manly Greenhouse

It’s had a chequered history, but in 2018 the once notorious Shore Club in Manly was gutted, refurbished and renamed. It’s now The Manly Greenhouse on South Steyne.

As part of the transformation of the three-level venue, owners Greg Anderson (ex-Aria) and Patricia Nunes worked with designers Luchetti Krelle (ACME and Banksii) to create a contemporary, plant-filled pub, restaurant and rooftop bar for 400 people.

An approachable food and drink offering starts with the ground-floor bar and restaurant. Snacks such as wood-fired bread served with various accompaniments, or fried squid with espelette pepper and aioli, join a selection of upmarket burgers and mains.

In 2021, the second floor was transformed to highlight the venue’s 400-strong wine list and offer a more sophisticated, tapas-style offering designed to share. Basque cuisine served as inspiration for the menu – potato cakes with trout roe and almond dip, smoked Spring Bay mussels, and pork meatballs with preserved tomato and green olive are all potential options. A fit-out by Five Foot One Design sees dark banquette seating offset by an orange-and-grey mural by Melbourne artist Kayleigh Heydon. The room is lush with foliage.

Keeping with its approachable and affordable brief, wines are also available on tap. General manager Craig Hemmings, a veteran of the Sydney hospitality scene (he’s worked at Quay, the then-Guillaume at Bennelong, Black by Ezard and more recently at Chin Chin), first spied the tap-wine system in Singapore. With the help of James Audas (co-founder of wine distributor Lo-Fi Wines), they hunted down producers who could make tap-friendly vino.

For an extended list of signature cocktails, head to the open-air rooftop bar. The 100-capacity space has panoramic views of the Manly beachfront and an edited version of the ground-floor food offering.