If you happen to visit Garfish – Manly’s beloved seafood restaurant, located across from the Wharf – you gotta order the fish pie. Crack open the golden, puff pastry top and inside you’ll find just-cooked snapper in a creamy, well-seasoned white sauce, sweetened with onions. After just a few mouthfuls, you’ll understand why the seaside diner can’t take it off the menu. Or, you could go for the vibrant and fragrant Sri Lankan-inspired fish and king prawn curry, served with a cucumber pickle and green pea pilau. If you’re after a taste of home, opt for the fish and chips, featuring market-fresh fish coated in a crunchy, not oily batter, thick, finger-like chips, chunky house-made tartare sauce, and a lemon cheek. In short: if you’re a seafood lover, you gotta come here.
“At Garfish, we want every guest to feel like they’ve stepped into a friend’s home – welcomed, relaxed, and always well-looked after,” says Danen Young, owner of Garfish Manly.
“I’ve been part of Garfish since 2012, and in 2022, I took the opportunity to take over the restaurant, continuing its legacy of quality and hospitality. My focus has always been on making sure every experience is of the highest quality, ensuring our guests return time and time again.”
And this isn’t just talk – when we visited, Garfish was packed with locals, and the team told us they have regulars who have been coming back for years. While it is human nature to be drawn to new openings, delivering a consistent quality offering has kept Garfish swimming happily all these years.
Sustainable and local seafood is the aim of the game here, with the menu changing daily depending on what’s fresh from the market. Think: wood-roasted barramundi, grilled mirror dory, or steamed Atlantic salmon, served with your choice of sides. Add on a crisp white and a golden sunset, and you’ve got yourself a pretty fab night.
There’s a fair bit of fun to be had during the week, too. On the weekends, Garfish has a bottomless lunch offer, with free-flowing prosecco and Aperol Spritzes. On Wednesdays, all seafood platters come with a complimentary bottle of savvy b. And Monday and Tuesday are BYO, so you can bring along a bottle or two of your favourite vino to enjoy with your meal (corkage fees apply).
The views are great, the service is top-notch, and the fish is as fresh as it gets. Live over the bridge? Catch the Manly Ferry and come order the catch of the day (and the fish pie) at Garfish.
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