When I moved to the northern beaches from the inner west I was worried about my distance from…read moreLeichhardt and Haberfield. How was I going to get my quality Italian food fix, I worried? I needn't have, as it turns out. De Vita, right in the heart of Manly, delivered wood-fired Napoli-style pizza that delivered on all counts. There was a wide choice but I settled on the Contadina: pancetta, wood-fire-roasted potatoes, and fior di latte cheese. Very thin and flavourful. My wife had the Regina (cherry tomatoes, fior di latte cheese, prosciutto, rocket, Parmesan, olive oil, basil) and proclaimed it delicious. The calamari starter we shared was large but lightly battered, with fresh, tender squid chunks. The wine list looked good, but we brought our own as they're also BYO. The atmosphere and surroundings are OK; It's quite open to the street (at least during warmer weather) which is good if you like buzzy going-on, not so much if you want quiet romance. Service was quick, friendly, and happy to make recommendations. Pizza fix: acquired.

What. The. [...]. Manly…read more People are queuing 20 minutes for a tiny, average tasting $20 hot dog. Cafes serving glorified couscous salads at four times its market value are at 80% occupancy. Lukewarm, bitter coffee gets top rated and queues round the block. And somehow, I come to De Vita at lunchtime on a weekday and we are the only customers bar another table. This restaurant is fantastic. When the lunch special - all pizze at $15 - is on, it is even more fantastic. This is proper Neapolitan pizza, made to order, with ingredients that aren't bottom shelf Coles. I mean, there is not much else to say - if you know what Neapolitan pizza is, you will know, if you don't, I can't describe it in a way that would bring it across. It bears little resemblance to Domino's. At $15, on the overpriced Sydney market, you are almost robbing them. To be a fair reviewer, I have to add that the spaghetti gamberi were pretty average. Lacking in taste and salt, not the best prawns, small-ish portion. This is most definitely a pizzeria and that's what you should order (and an espresso afterwards). The service is Italian, that means efficient and a little direct, and the smile will be a little dry. This does not mean they do not like you. It's just how things are in Italy and the guys haven't quite adjusted to the matey Australian ways. Perhaps it is that it is on a side street, not on the Corso. Perhaps they need to hang a fixie upside down at the back and buy some tables made of century old wreckage wood fished out by divers wearing copper diving bells ironically. Perhaps what Australians (and the tourists and WHV expats that, to be honest, form 90% of Manly residents) want when they order a pizza is thick undercooked dough covered in low quality fat and protein, and they are surprised not to get that. Perhaps nobody reads TripAdvisor anymore (where they are in the top 10 restaurants for Manly, which is how I found them). I don't know. I don't care. Just go.

A large open air restaurant just across the road from the ferry terminal in Manly. The place has a…read moregreat energy and we stopped in for lunch on New Year's Eve and got seated right away. This place has a huge menu of authentic Italian specialties including about 50 kinds of Neapolitan style pizzas that come in a tradition size (T) for one up to a 3 or even 6 meter size for large groups. It took some time to work our way through the list but we each finally settled on a different pizza: Margherita, pizzicia (Italian sausage +), BBQ chicken and a forth with goat cheese and prosciutto and figs. All of us were more than satisfied with our choices and none of the group was able to completely finish the "T" size. Probably would have best to share 2-3 for our group. Like every restaurant in Australia we have visited this past week, you will find prices significantly higher than in the states. Each pizza was around $25 but you have to keep in mind that already includes tax and tip. Bottom line: high quality and tasty food. Definitely would recommend for lunch.

We had high expectations after hearing good things about it from friends. Unfortunately we were…read moredisappointed. It is a handy location on a busy corner opposite the Manly Ferry wharf and had a good vibe with energy. It also had 2 Ducati motorcycles on display and at times Ferrari and Lamborghini cars. Unfortunately the food was just average. A good selection from antipasto and salads to pasta, pizza and calzone. It seems that the huge range and quick turnover mean not enough care for each dish. Presentation was good but the taste was a let down. My pasta dish labeled as hot had barely any zing at all, it certainly did not rate a chili next to it on the menu. The service by comparison was excellent. Quick and helpful. No issues there at all. Come for the range, location and quick service. Just don't come for the food.

This is certainly not the most glamourous dining destinations in Manly but it may well be one of…read morethe yummiest. With the doors closed out of hours it looks downright dull - the facade dominated by a grubby air-conditioning box. But once the lights go down, the doors are open, the candles are lit on the red-and-white check table cloths, and the doughy pizza smell wafts out from the pizza oven, it's a whole new place. This is authentic, 'just like mama makes' Italian cooking, served in hearty quantities at reasonable prices. Be aware that it is cosy (a complimentary way of saying small), and doesn't take reservations, so view it as a place that you drop into when you can't be bothered to cook rather than plan it for a big occasion. You might have to wait, but as 'mama' knows, good food is worth the wait. And if you're in a desperate hurry, grab your pizza take-away and snare one of the many outdoor eating corners throughout Manly (last resort really, as that rules out the option of a good glass of red wine, which is an integral part of the best Italian meal ...)

Great, quick service. Very straight forward menu. Excellent on a cold night…read more We also know it as "Il Grumpy", as the owner is not always kid friendly. Seems the take up seats and don't eat enough.... Doesn't change anything, but noted.

Holy smokes 50% off pizza EVERY TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, & THURSDAY starting at noon!! Best pizza of…read moreyour life? And the cheapest pizza of your life? I think so! Wowzers was this place totally unexpectedly delicious. I thought the pizza was all time good. Better than pizza in Italy, NYC, or take your pick. Plus you get a view of the harbour. You can watch the boats go in and out. And you are right next to Taronga Zoo. We seriously thought about taking the ferry back here the next night because we thought the pizza was that good. Seriously, come here and get a pizza. Thank me later.

Unexpected excellence! I travel a lot for work and often find restaurants with amazing views…read more(waterfront or otherwise) can lose their way. Hugo's delivered EVERYTHING with the highest quality: Outstanding service from an attentive and hardworking staff and ever-present maitre d'. The best barramundi I have ever eaten in Australia! Well done! Even the salad was perfect--every piece was fresh and manicured. And I cannot fail to mention a PERFECT Aperol Spritz...these are a good judge of a bartender's attention to detail and experience. Especially in a high volume bar, to deliver two perfect Spritzes tells me a lot--not too sweet (too much Prosecco) not too bitter (too much Aperol) not too light (too much soda).

After a two and a half hour scenic walk from spit bridge, the place did the job. We were…read moredesperately hungry and in need for comfort food. Pizzas here are not the best, but they are good. Nice thin crust, generous servings and a friendly service too: the owner is an energetic lady who welcomed us although they were closing in a half hour, and gave us smiles, telling us not to rush and that we had plenty of time.

Reviewing this place purely because of how great the experience my partner and I just had here…read more. This joint is an instant fav. Firstly, after mentioning our fav types of wine, the waitress gave us great tips on which wine we would most likely be into. In turn we ended up with a very inexpensive wine that was at the same time amazing. We ordered the arancini balls chef special to start. Instead of the usual intense deep fried small arancini you would get at most Italian joints in Sydney, we received deliciously large BAKED arancini balls.. They were absolutely to die for. I seriously hope they become a part of the regular menu for next time we come here. Having the word Pizza in the restaurant title made us certain to order pizzas for our first visit. I'm glad we did. First was the pepperoni, which was the first perfectly balanced pepperoni pizza I've had. By simply adding capsicum (red peppers) they made what is regularly known as an intense pizza, something truly delightful and wholesome. Secondly was the extremely fun, 'quattro formaggio' aka the 4 cheese pizza.. No messing around here. A straight up cheesefest on a pizza. Perfect remedy for any mildly hungover couple. Be sure to ask for a side of chili oil as that, drizzled lightly over the Quattro Formaggio is a dangerously tasty combination. Lastly, to feel a touch more human and break up all the fun we thought we oughta grab a side of Italian salad. It had its purpose and most certainly did its job. The tables at this place are dressed in gorgeous checkered Italian tablecloths and from every vibe I got, this is a family owned and operated restaurant. My partner and I are already extremely excited about coming here on a regular basis as it ticks all the boxes.

Was perfect for a casual date night on a Saturday night. The ambiance, the food and the waiters all…read morescreamed casual, yum and happy. We started out with a glass of Rose for me and a Shiraz for him and the salt and pepper squid to share. We gobbled it up, the waitress even commented how fast we were. Hungry and delicious!!! I ordered the Ortolana pasta - vegetarian tomato based. Was tasty and filling. I wanted to eat all of it but I also don't need to expand my stomach even more than what it is. My partner ordered the meatbAlls fettuccini. Was a big serving which suited him completely. He loved every mouthful of it. We finished it off with another glass of wine each. Quick service and friendly. The waitstaff didn't hang around us which suited us and were there when we needed. Perfect way to end an easy going Saturday!!

Continuing our tradition of hitting hearty Italian restaurants after a long day spent drinking and…read moreplaying Two-up at the Harbord Hilton, this year we tottered pie-eyed into Fiasco. We had no booking. Hell, we had no sobriety, but the staff here put us up at the big ol' marquis 10-seater, despite our disheveled appearance and our inability to form complex sentences. Fine, any sentences. Wine, my good fellows, and lots of it. Bam, here it was, chilled and tart and refreshingly alocoholic. And food, my fine chaps, a table full. The more, shall we say, conventional among us (snoring!) got pizza - which I love, btw, don't think I'm anti-'za, I just crave something a little more eclectic when I'm shitfaced, that's all - and here was some penne - good, solid, safe - but then my end of the table (buggered if can remember who was actually at my end) then cranked it up a notch and got the seafood platter, and I ordered something with chili before a wonderful epiphany where my eyes focused just enough to read the Specials Board, and there I saw a classic San Francisco-style Cioppino and hastily change my order, which it turns out I'd given ten minutes prior, having lost all sense of time by this point. But the kitchen were more than happy - ecstatic, even - to switch it up and farrrrrr outttttt the Cioppino was glorious, jammed fulla seafood and thick, rich and spicy dip-your-whole-head-in goodness. Hands, dozens of them, appeared from all over the table and all of a sudden there were 9 people dipping and dunking and spooning and just generally raping and pillaging my innocent meal, defiling it with their lecherous food envy. Off, vile fiends! Away! Leave me to my food and drunken mutterings. Someone jagged an incredible affogato too, creamy strong coffee served in a martini glass with a ton of vanilla bean ice cream, man it looked good. A riotous 4 stars.

Great pizza. Nice people. Open late... On the weekends 3 am. Offers Italian favorites. Clean…read morebathroom.

A family favorite here in Manly, great food,fab prices, dine in or take away , superb atmosphere, a…read moremust if visiting the area

Came here on a recommendation from a friend who lived here while completing her studies. The…read morerestaurant is not too big so service is personalized. It's also busy as more customers after us weren't able to get in. Not knowing what's good on the menu, we took AI's suggestion. And AI matched what the server suggested! We got 3 dishes: *Cantabrian anchovy, sourdough, cultured butter *Spaghetti cacio e pepe *Mafaldine, prawns, tomato, kombu butter I loved the mafaldine the most as it has the added texture of pangrattato. I learned later that Pangrattato, or "poor man's parmesan," is a classic Italian topping made by frying coarse, stale breadcrumbs in olive oil with garlic, herbs, and chili flakes until golden and crunchy. I think it's a bit pricey for a small and simple pasta dish. However, I might be comparing this to North American prices.

There isn't enough praise to describe how much we enjoyed our meal at Ragazzi. We sat at the bar…read moreand I highly recommend that. The staff is friendly and engaging and watching the final prep on the food was great fun. We started with an Australian merlot and two local oysters. Both were so good. I had the pumpkin ravioli and OMG they were exquisite. Caramelized pumpkin seeds? Really? The cacio Pepe was just as good. What a delight this meal was. Wish we had leftovers!!