“Just like the Mediterranean, but in Manly,” our waitress tells us while dining at Cibaria, and she is right. Located inside the newly renovated Manly Pacific Hotel and boasting beachfront views, Cibaria Manly is the newest waterfront restaurant to open in the 2095 postcode, combining the flavours of Italy with an easy-breezy Northern Beaches vibe. It’s the latest restaurant from star couple and locals Alessandro and Anna Pavoni, who are behind Ormeggio at The Spit, A’Mare, Chiosco and Postino Osteria. Two things they know damn well? Honest and delicious Italian fare, served with warmth and passion.
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Cibaria Manly’s menu features a selection of antipasti, fresh raw seafood, quality cured meats, proteins cooked on the wood-fired grill, house-made pastas, sides and more. Menu highlights include raw scallops brightened with lemon oil, pops of finger lime, chervil and ocean trout roe; creamy Gorgonzola served tableside with caramelised walnuts and honey; wood-fired bread topped with San Marzano tomatoes and oregano; golden and crunchy crab fritters amped up with spicy mayo and fresh herbs; and tagliatelle with slow-cooked veal, beef and pork ragu. We’re not saying you have to end with a scoop or three of silky smooth pistachio gelato, but we’re also not not saying that.
The 130-seat restaurant, which also has a handful of outside tables and chairs, has been designed by award-winning Sydney-based Luchetti Krelle – and it’s bright, fun and beautiful. Think: terracotta-tiled floors, curved archways, pops of ripe-tomato red, spearmint-coloured counter seating, playful patterns and lots of sunshine that pours through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Pavoni said: “We’re excited to have finally opened Cibaria in Manly. When people think of Cibaria, I’d like them to think of the Italian way of eating and socialising around a piazza. An all-day solution to different needs – from your morning espresso at the caffetteria, to an afternoon stop at the gelateria and aperitivo at the champagneria, to the spaghetteria or bisteccheria in the evening.
"The great thing about Cibaria is that you can now create your own Italian experience in one place! And being right on the beach, the view is one of the best in Australia,” he adds. We agree.
Out for a morning swim or surf? Drop into the next-door Cibaria Caffetteria, open Thursday to Sunday, for hot coffee, warm pastries, fresh salads and panini, and creamy gelato.
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