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The Best Restaurants in Manly for a Beachside Bite
Discover the best restaurants in Manly from Hugos to Hemingway's.
Manly has many drawcards, but you’ll fast discover that its food scene is well worth sticking around for. The best restaurants in Manly include Hugos on Manly Wharf for long harbourside lunches, Garfish on East Esplanade for woodfired seafood overlooking Manly Cove, and Cibaria for an all-day Italian feast facing the beach.
These are the best restaurants in Manly worth booking a table at.
In This Guide:
Editor’s Pick: Stanley
Stanley Manly Wharf, Manly Sydney (Image Credit: Supplied)
Stanley
There’s been a yum-cha-shaped hole at Manly Wharf for a few years now, and Stanley has most certainly filled it. Award-winning chef Louis Tikaram has really delivered with this gorgeous 248-seat Cantonese spot right on the water, and it’s been buzzing since day one. Inspired by Hong Kong’s seaside Stanley Bay and Tikaram’s own childhood on the NSW North Coast, the menu pairs Cantonese cooking with some seriously good Australian produce, from Moreton Bay bugs and Southern Rock lobster to live coral trout and mud crab selected from the restaurant’s seafood tanks. Of course, there’s a custom-built duck oven dedicated to Peking duck, served either with pancakes or carved tableside ‘imperial style’ before the leftovers return as san choy bao. There’s a lot to choose from, so if you’re overwhelmed we’d suggest going with the banquet menu and letting things come to you.
Sitchu Tip: Don’t skip the sumptuous dim sum platter which comes loaded with prawn hargow, duck mushroom and a scallop shu mai that’s oh so juicy. The raw scallops with yuzu and nasturtium are also beyond fresh. Then, pair your meal with a crisp glass of white wine and you’ve got a perfect afternoon on the water!
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cantonese
Best For: Waterfront, Cocktail lovers, Wine lovers
Best Waterfront and Seafood Restaurants in Manly
Ripples Little Manly
Tucked away on the harbour side of town, Ripples Little Manly is the suburb’s best-kept secret. Positioned on Little Manly beach (Manly’s most underrated watering hole, in our humble option), Ripples is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is all about affordable beachfront dining with contemporary cuisine.
Menu standouts include their cured ocean trout, homemade seafood spaghetti and their Little Manly chicken burger. Another win? It’s BYO! Pack your swimmers because the sparkling water right in front of you will be too hard to resist after a delish feed.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Waterfront, Breakfast, Budget-friendly, Families
Need To Know: BYO. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Felons Seafood
Brisbane-based Artemus Group — the team behind Felons Brewing Co — has reimagined the iconic Manly Wharf, offering a fresh seafood-focused dining experience that harmoniously blends modern Australian cuisine with the relaxed charm of the Northern Beaches.
Helmed by former Rockpool Bar & Grill culinary director Corey Costelloe, Felons Seafood showcases a menu that celebrates locally sourced produce and bold flavours, including some seafood offerings that aren’t widely known.
The venue’s waterfront location provides a picturesque backdrop, making it an ideal spot for both casual gatherings and special occasions.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Seafood, Modern Australian
Best For: Waterfront, Special occasion, Group dining
The Cumberland
If you’re after something a little different, The Cumberland is your spot. Tucked behind a fridge door in an unassuming laneway, this venue brings an underground speakeasy to the heart of Manly – with a Spanish twist!
The stylish basement eatery has a selection of over 250 whiskies, natural wine, craft beer and an extensive cocktail menu, including prohibition classics, tipples inspired by original counties from Sydney as well as a section dedicated to ingredients that have been locally foraged and found. As for bites, you can graze from their tapas menu or their deli and cheese plates.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar, Tapas
Best For: Cocktail lovers, Wine lovers, Date night
Hugos
A Manly icon, a long lunch at Hugos is a must. Situated smack bang on the wharf and overlooking the harbour-side of town, you can watch the sun set as you sip on your margarita and tuck into your pizza. A favourite among local and international celebrities alike, the atmosphere and buzz at Hugos – especially on a stunning summer’s day – is electric. The menu is brimming with fresh, Italian cuisine (Sydney rock oysters, burrata, king prawns) that’s perfect for sharing.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Italian, Pizza
Best For: Long lunch, Waterfront, Cocktail lovers, Group dining
Garfish
For seriously good seafood, head straight to Garfish. Served just the way you want it, grilled, spiced or woodfired, the produce is fresh and dishes are flavoursome. Overlooking Manly Cove, Garfish has a woodfired oven and a cocktail and wine bar, SuGarfish. Another plus, the restaurant is BYO (bottled wine only).
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Seafood
Best For: Waterfront, Cocktail lovers, Wine lovers
Need To Know: BYO, bottled wine only.
Best Italian Restaurants and Pizza in Manly
Cibaria
An all-day Italian dining destination, Cibaria Manly is designed to evoke the lively charm of an Italian piazza—and it delivers. The energy is infectious, and the modern Italian menu takes guests from a morning espresso at the caffetteria to a pasta feast at the spaghetteria, Italian desserts at the pasticceria and finishing with gelato and Champagne at the champagneria. With celebrated restaurateurs Alessandro and Anna Pavoni (of a’Mare and Ormeggio at The Spit) at the helm and the iconic Manly beach as the outlook, it’s no surprise this vibrant hotspot is buzzing, even on weeknights, making it a standout in the Manly dining scene.
The menu offers something for every craving, from fluffy wood-fired pizzas to fresh seafood from the cruderia that sings with bright, clean flavours. Standout dishes include the tableside gorgonzola trolley, where caramelised walnuts and honey are drizzled to perfection, and the squid ink spaghetti aglio e olio, tossed with crab meat, zesty lemon, and a moreish spicy crumble. For something heartier, head to the bisteccheria, where dry-aged swordfish, lamb cutlets, and house dry-aged beef are cooked to perfection over coals and embers.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Italian
Best For: Breakfast, Waterfront, Group dining
Busta
The intimate yet lively eatery is all about authenticity, from the terrazzo flooring and Pugliese ceramics to the vintage Campari posters and retro glassware. The menu is filled with classic dishes that have delightful, modern twists like the kale-infused spaghetti and burrata served with charred mandarin and salmon roe. Working closely with Winona Wine – Manly’s natural wine bottleshop – the drinks list is filled with beautiful organic drops and boasts a delicious sgroppino that is theatrically mixed tableside (check it out on Instagram).
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Italian, Pasta
Best For: Wine lovers, Date night, Group dining
Belgrave Cartel
A long-standing local institution, a meal by the twinkling fairy lights here will never disappoint. A cafe by day and a restaurant by night, Italian joint Belgrave Cartel is well known for its sublime pasta dishes (shoutout to the pork and duck ragu on rigatoni) and famous home-cooked lasagne. Always save room for dessert because their nonna Caterina’s tiramisu with toasted hazelnut is a twelve out of ten.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Italian, Pasta
Best For: Locals, Breakfast, Date night
Pocket Pizza
When it comes to out-of-the-box pizzas that are not only hilariously named but next-level yum, Pocket Pizza know how to deliver on both fronts. The cool and intimate venue on Pittwater Road makes for the ultimate date night location or a catch-up with friends. Be sure to order the Can You Pig It and finish your meal with a serving of their ridiculously good tiramisu.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pizza
Best For: Date night, Group dining, Weekend plans
DeVita Pizza
If you’re looking for the best pizza in Manly, it’s here. DeVita is a charming, family-run restaurant famous among Manly residents for its wood-fired pizzas and classic Italian dishes like lasagne, seafood risotto, and, of course, spaghetti bolognese. It’s unpretentious, wholesome good grub, plus they do an adorable Mickey Mouse-style pizza for kids.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pizza, Italian
Best For: Families, Locals, Budget-friendly
Best Restaurants in Manly for Date Night
Banco
Look for the neon wine bottle… paradise awaits! Banco is a 32-seat venue in Manly specialising in modern British food, low-intervention wine, and inventive cocktails. The food menu is seasonal and British — think ham hock terrine and lamb shoulder croquette.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: British
Best For: Wine lovers, Cocktail lovers, Date night
Hemingway’s
A local favourite from breakfast to dinner, Hemingway’s is a relaxed, old-timey French bistro by the beach offering plenty of snacks and full meals to facilitate any imbibing. This popular waterside hangout takes inspiration from its moniker with book-lined walls and repurposed gin bottles as water jugs. Our recommendations? The goat cheese soufflé is a must as is the beef bourguignon and the steak frites.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: French
Best For: Breakfast, Locals, Waterfront
The Cumberland
If you’re after something a little different, The Cumberland is your spot. Tucked behind a fridge door in an unassuming laneway, this venue brings an underground speakeasy to the heart of Manly – with a Spanish twist!
The stylish basement eatery has a selection of over 250 whiskies, natural wine, craft beer and an extensive cocktail menu, including prohibition classics, tipples inspired by original counties from Sydney as well as a section dedicated to ingredients that have been locally foraged and found. As for bites, you can graze from their tapas menu or their deli and cheese plates.
17/19 Central Avenue, Manly
Best Japanese Restaurants in Manly
Saké Restaurant
With dim lighting, little nooks and breathtaking ocean views, Saké scores top points for its intimate dining setting. The chic designer interior sets the tone for the beautifully presented dishes to come and the Japanese cuisine leaves you feeling satisfied yet light. The signature dishes from the menu, like popcorn shrimp and hiramasa kingfish, are perfect for sharing, and the extensive saké list is way too inviting not to indulge.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Waterfront, Group dining, Date night
Sunset Sabi
A trendy eatery set in a breezy loft-style space, Sunset Sabi dishes up delicious modern Japanese that’s designed to flow, Izakaya style. The team will encourage you to share within your group and sample a little something from every section of the menu – that way, you get to try everything. Order the edamame with truffle or the cheeseburger-inspired gyoza that comes with wagyu beef, cheese, and tangy pickles. For seafood cravings, order the Smoked Trout Taco.
Suburb: Manly
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Japanese
Best For: Group dining, Date night, Weekend plans
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Restaurants in Manly
The best restaurants in Manly span waterfront seafood, Italian and modern Japanese. Hugos on Manly Wharf is the classic choice for a long lunch with harbour views, while Garfish on East Esplanade serves grilled, spiced and woodfired seafood overlooking Manly Cove. Cibaria at the Manly Pacific Hotel is an all-day Italian destination facing Manly Beach, and Sunset Sabi on Pittwater Road offers share-style modern Japanese. For something more intimate, Banco on Whistler Street is a 32-seat venue pairing modern British food with low-intervention wine and inventive cocktails.
Manly has waterfront dining on both its harbour and ocean sides. On the harbour, Hugos sits right on Manly Wharf, where you can watch the sun set over a margarita and pizza, and Felons Seafood occupies the same wharf precinct with a seafood-focused modern Australian menu. Garfish overlooks Manly Cove and includes its own cocktail and wine bar, SuGarfish. For a quieter option, Ripples sits on Little Manly Beach and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the ocean side, Cibaria looks out over Manly Beach, and Hemingway’s is a relaxed French bistro on North Steyne.
Garfish and Felons Seafood are the two standout seafood restaurants in Manly. Garfish, overlooking Manly Cove on East Esplanade, serves fresh produce grilled, spiced or cooked in its woodfired oven, and it is BYO for bottled wine. Felons Seafood on Manly Wharf is helmed by former Rockpool Bar & Grill culinary director Corey Costelloe, with a menu built on locally sourced produce and some lesser-known seafood varieties. Seafood also features strongly elsewhere: Hugos offers Sydney rock oysters and king prawns, and Cibaria has a dedicated cruderia serving fresh seafood alongside its Italian menu.
Yes, a couple of Manly’s best restaurants allow BYO. Ripples on Little Manly Beach is BYO and focuses on affordable beachfront dining, with a menu that includes cured ocean trout, homemade seafood spaghetti and the Little Manly chicken burger. Garfish on East Esplanade is also BYO, though bottled wine only, and has its own cocktail and wine bar, SuGarfish, if you would rather order drinks in house. BYO policies and corkage fees can change, so it is worth checking with each restaurant directly when you book, particularly for weekend dinners and larger groups.
Manly has a strong Italian dining scene. Cibaria at the Manly Pacific Hotel is the standout, an all-day venue from Alessandro and Anna Pavoni of a’Mare and Ormeggio at The Spit, with a tableside gorgonzola trolley and squid ink spaghetti with crab. Belgrave Cartel on Belgrave Street is a long-standing local favourite known for its pork and duck ragu and nonna Caterina’s tiramisu. Busta on Pittwater Road offers classic dishes with modern twists, while DeVita on Darley Road is a family-run spot loved by locals for its wood-fired pizzas.
Finished eating your way through the best restaurants in Manly and after another beach-inspired meal? Have a look at our round-up of the coolest bars in Bondi and our edit of Sydney’s best fish and chip joints.
