Was visiting the beach and needed some grub so I could have energy to dodge all of the bluebottles…read more After looking at Hemingway's menu online, it definitely fit the bill for me. It is literally right across from the beach but still away from the main tourist drag. I took a seat on the beautiful patio and ordered a cider and a salade niçoise and a fondant au chocolat for dessert. The food was fantastic. The salad was great and had that bright, salty bite you expect from salade niçoise. Two complaints though are that the portion was quite small and the pricing was quite high. My dessert was also quite good. Creamy, chocolatey, and just the right amount of sweetness without going overboard. The food paired with the Manly Beach people watching was a great experience and start to a nice beach day.

Yum!!! Four of us stopped in on New Year's Day for brekkie. It really hit the spot…read more We ordered 3 lattes, a Tropical juice, two bacon egg rolls and 2 of the roasted mushroom plates. The servings were generous and we all left very satisfied. The location is perfect, just across the street from Manly Beach. The interior is smartly decorated to reflect Hemingway.

Its like a fabulous Melbourne Wine Bar in the heart of Manly!…read more The wine glasses are the perfect size (none of this ridiculous small stuff here!) for you to smell the wine you are about to taste and the wine list is heaven. The staff are all well trained and willing to offer suggestions or even let you taste if you are unable to decide between wines. We came through on a lazy Sunday afternoon whole family and a plus one so a group of six and they easily fitted us, outside where we could watch the world go by - blankets incase we got cold but this location is out of the wind so we were fine. The bar inside is long and skinny, allows for conversation without becoming deafening. Friendly staff dropped by for a chat, ensuring we were comfortable and happy. We will be back for the cheese and the jazz!

From the owner: cured meat and cheese with an extensive, exiting international wine list to match.read more

I was expecting something different...... something that felt inner west but wasn't ....... But as…read moreit worked out I did enjoy visiting Donny's as a pop in and few drinks sort of pass through. The cocktails were fun and beers were a good change featuring a few local ones but it felt like too many wines bars I had visited over the years ....... I guess half the challenge is looking for that venue that feels like an old shoe, comfortable and somewhere you want to spend a long time in.

Weekend happy hour?! Yes please. EVERYDAY from 5-7. I think the HH was 1/2 price signature…read morecocktails. Great dark space for an intimate feel but roomy enough that our big group was able to wander around and be comfortable. I believe on the Sunday afternoon when I was there, the patio bar was not open. But the crowd was small. I know I tried their espresso martini (without the dates since they had missed a delivery) and the Angry Pirate. I think our group went through all the drinks... and some beers and some ciders. Some folks had snacks but not me. Everything did look delicious. The folks who lived nearby said the food is very good.

Recommended by a colleague who lives in Manly and great experience with the host welcoming us with…read morewine tasting flight to start. We selected a very earthy Shiraz after some NZ bubbles. Atmosphere Is open air with the entire front of the restaurant open to the sounds of a four to six foot south swell hitting the beach right out front. The manager was so accommodating of our mixed group of Americans and Australians and selected a tasting menu brought out family style. We loved the head on rainbow trout, salad, and beef selection. Any place you can go and have the manager select your food and wine, have a great dining experience and reasonable bill for five about $260 AU for five, is a great place. Loved it!

This place was one of my favorite places we went during our trip to Australia!…read more The cocktails were made by a real bartender. The food and portions were top notch. The service was prompt and the view and vibe are worth it alone!

With its lavish, evocative furnishings and sweeping grand views from Shelley Beach to Queenscliff…read morehead it would be hard not to enjoy an evening at Sable which is located on the second level at the Manly Novotel. Attractive floral carpet floors cushion those well heeled and quality tapas can be shared with friends and loved ones on the semi circle seats. You can also enjoy that panoramic view on the wrap around deck. Sable (French for sand) is a sophisticated nightlife option for Manly and the cocktail/drink prices make sure that this environment maintains this elegance. The champagne and wine list is very top shelf as this is one of the few places in Manly where you can purchase a bottle of Krug Vintage. White wines on offer include Brokenwood, Petaluma and Henscke and Reds include Martinborough and Penfolds 707. Tapas are quality as we enjoyed Lamb Kofta in cucumber yoghurt sauce, Mezze plates and Salt cod Fillets. So if you are looking for an evening where you are not bustling in queues with the leggy platforms and micro skirts for the mammoth club complexes in Manly I suggest a visit to Sable (Sah Blay) for a different and enjoyable evening out.

The Charlie Bar is an old friend with a new face having had a complete overhaul in 2009 it is now a…read morepleasant space to have a drink that takes advantage of its location with lots of sunshine, hanging seats and bi-folding doors that can open to take the sea air in. Not that it wasnt before though in this area of beautiful furniture it used to be the tiles that we pounded for live bands. It's a great place to linger and at night it comes alive with music and dancing. The cocktails are great though I advise you get them made at the bar that is near the hotel reception as the young ladies and men in the Charlie Bar can get run off their feet looking for all those numbers on tables who have ordered drinks. Verdict: Sane and classy outfit to enjoy a wonderful afternoon into the evening.

Charlie Bar is a newcomer on the Manly nightlife scene, but has certainly made a place for itself…read morein the hearts of many locals. Located on the bottom floor of the Novotel Hotel Manly, it's what you'd expect in a bar affiliated with a high-end hotel: it's chic and sleek, a definite step up from some of Manly's other night life. The bar is beautiful - white-tiled floors, exposed wood and my favourite, chairs that hang from the ceiling. You've gotta be quick for these bad boys - every person in the bar has a quiet eye on them, looking for an opportunity to pounce! The drinks are pretty standard, and of a pretty normal price. If you're in Manly of an afternoon, head to happy hour for $5 beers, wine and champagne. Charlie Bar attracts a youngish, well dressed and well coiffed crowd who love a drink and a dance - on Saturday nights, what was seating becomes a dancefloor. Unlike the crowded dance floors of elsewhere in Manly, this is the perfect place to have a boogy with your girlfriends!

This is another one of those pubs that aren't the easiest to get to, yet it still had some charm…read moreabout it. I probably shouldn't call it a Manly Pub, or even a beach side pub, though in a way it did have some charm about it that made me think that it was quite okay. Actually, I guess it was the outdoor area that did it to an extent, though it also had a nice feel about it inside. The staff were pretty good, and the place was quite relaxing, though it really isn't one of the best that I've visited.

We ordered the GIANT seafood platter, the 1kg bowl of mussels and a spinach salad with orange,…read morecashews and tomato to share amongst four people. When the platter was served it looked AMAZING!!! There was a mix of fresh seafood - oysters, balmain bugs and prawns, as well as cooked seafood including a mountain of calamari, battered fish, battered prawns and a huge bowl of chips... it was served with a huge amount of fresh fruits including mango, pineapple, watermelon, orange, strawberries, raspberries, passionfruit, blueberries, honeydew melon... basically everything!! The other dish - the mussels - were delicious!! There is a choice of a tomato based sauce or a creamy white wine sauce for them... we chose the tomato - it was great, and served with a baguette for dipping. The salad was the only average dish, as I think it was outshined by the other dishes but all in all the meal was GREAT and I would definitely recommend this place!! I would also like to point out how welcoming and attentive the staff were!!! - GREAT service for us!

This is a comfortable rooftop bar above Hotel Steyne overlooking Manly beach with a fun…read morenautical/pirate theme with swinging lanterns, crate wood furniture, caged glass bottles with fresh dripping candle wax, and ship sails adorning the ceiling with images of bar regulars who resemble sea captians. We were served from the cider-and-rum-only bar by a friendly, helpful bartender who totally looked the part! Delicious drinks, great atmosphere and not too pricey for the location. I highly recommend.

Upstairs at the Hotel Steyne, Moonshine brings its concept alive with murals of vintage…read morephotographs, sea faring craft, steel hanging lanterns and sea bottles strategically laid out in cages as if they have been discarded from a big night before. Big thick rope hangs from ceilings and walls. There a upraised chairs similar to those found on old ships and wooden beaming running throughout. Moonshine specialises in 16 ciders on tap and over 100 rums. It opened on September 1st and we are there on a Sunday evening and its heaving with the summer keen in platforms, denim cutoffs and mini skirts. The night is reggae and the crowd is enjoying the beats. We grab our Batlow Cider's (look out for these folks they are very good Summer beverage) and settle for a wooden crate to enjoy the music. Its a nice and much needed change from the Shore Club, Sugar Reef, Wharf Bar and the likes even if the same demographics grace Moonshine with their presence. Im not sure if this crowd will appreciate the variety of rums but its location is premium on Manly beachfront and Im sure the masses will be rollicking in this bar for summer 2011/2012.