Food & Dining
Manly's food scene is two things at once: relaxed beachside eating and seriously good restaurants. Both fuelled by the freshest seafood in Sydney and a generation of chefs who've quietly moved across the harbour.
Manly used to be a fish-and-chips town. It still is, gloriously, but in the last decade it's quietly become one of Sydney's most interesting food neighbourhoods. A tight-knit clutch of independent cafés, a serious wine bar scene, and chefs who properly love the daily catch coming off the wharf.
Below is the shortlist — the places we'd send a friend visiting for the first time. We've left out the chains, the tourist traps, and the Corso pubs you can find on any map. Always double-check hours before you go; Manly half-shuts down between 3 and 5pm on weekdays.
Manly catches its dinner. These three are the picks for a long lunch where the food matches the postcard.
Wood-fired pizzas, Sydney rock oysters and harbourside Aperols on the Wharf. The 5pm sunset bookings disappear three weeks out — set a reminder.
"The Hugos pizza is still the benchmark for a Manly long lunch — get the prosciutto and a magnum of rosé." — Time Out Sydney
Visit websiteBeachfront fine-dining institution since 2007. Modern Australian, fresh sashimi, and the only window in town that puts the surf right under your wine glass.
"One of Sydney's most underrated ocean-front rooms." — Good Food Guide
Visit websiteSnapper crudo, line-caught kingfish, an absurdly good wine list and a deck that catches the breeze. Locals' choice for a long Sunday.
"A clever, confident menu that never tries too hard." — Concrete Playground
Visit websiteManly takes coffee seriously. These are the cafés the locals queue for before the surf.
Tucked off the Corso. Single-origin coffee from Single O, sourdough toasties, queue out the door by 9am on a Saturday — and worth it.
Visit websiteSurfboards leaning out front, cold brew on tap, açaí bowls that the locals actually order. Two-minute walk from the wharf.
Visit websiteAll-day brunch in a converted bank vault on Belgrave Street. The benedict on housemade brioche is the move; corn fritters a close second.
Visit websiteTiny corner café behind North Steyne. Locals' secret. Allpress beans, knockout banana bread, no fuss.
Visit websiteManly's grown up in the last decade — Mexican, Japanese, BBQ, Greek, all done by people who've worked the best kitchens in Sydney.
Mexican done seriously. House-made tortillas, mezcal flights, and the tacos al pastor will ruin you for the rest of Sydney.
Visit websiteSashimi and robata grill with views over Manly Cove. The kingfish jalapeño is non-negotiable, and the omakase is a quiet bargain.
Visit websiteMerivale's BBQ joint on the wharf. Brisket, pork ribs, frozen margaritas, and the best deck in Manly to demolish them on.
Visit websiteHidden Mexican-American below the Hotel Steyne. Booth seating, smoked old fashioneds, late kitchen until midnight.
Visit websiteSand on your feet, food in your hand. The Manly classics.
Pastel-blue pavilion sitting right on Shelly. Coffee, fish & chips, and the slowest morning of your trip. Walk-ins only at breakfast.
Visit websiteSouvlaki the size of your forearm, eaten on the seawall watching the surf. Queue forms about 12.30pm.
Visit websiteVegan since the '90s, before it was a thing. Burgers, smoothies, and a sandy bar to eat them at. The Manly Burger is the legend.
Visit websiteThe proper Aussie classic. Order at the window, take it to the lawn at Manly Cove, fight the seagulls. AUD $18.
Visit websitePastry-quality has crept up sharply on the peninsula. Worth a detour.
Sourdough, sausage rolls, and the cinnamon scrolls everyone Instagrams. Pinetree Lane, behind the Corso.
Visit websiteSydney institution with a Manly outpost. Seeded sourdough, pretzel rolls, and the ham-and-gruyère croissant.
Visit websiteOn the Corso since 1986. Real waffle cones, danish-style ice cream, lines around the block in summer for a reason.
Visit websiteFrom the inbox
The view does half the work, but the kitchen earns the other half. Sunset, oysters, a magnum of rosé — Sydney at its happiest.
We ate here three nights in a row. Pastor tacos, a mezcal flight, and somehow the bill was still reasonable. The room hums.
The walk in along the boardwalk, the breakfast on the deck, the swim after — this is the Manly morning to remember.
