When we think summer, we think sun, sea and all things alfresco. For a city cuddled in coastline, it’s surprisingly challenging to find the trifecta of waterfront views, inspired food and service which challenges the status quo. From the north shore to the city and its beautiful wharves here are three newly launched places for your waterfront dining radar.
Manta Restaurant, Woolloomooloo
It’s Sydney’s most famous catwalk; dogs with bigger personalities than their owners, designer sunglasses, tottering heels and wallets the size of the yachts. At Manta Restaurant, the views are even more striking thanks to a new interior design from S.T.UDIO’s Sally Taylor. Sleek wooden floors, double height ceilings adorned with ocean objet d’art plus a new blackboard wall with its bottles of chalk ‘wine talk’ adds seasonal interest. A committed approach to artisinal and local produce creates a bolder original menu, split into shares, grills and mains.
Bread is a collaboration with Grain Bakery paired with their own McLarenvale olive oil. Starters are a riot of flavour; black garlic aioli with east coast calamari, a supermodel row of goat’s cheese arancini in a puddle of brown butter and a conversation stopping milk bun slider of luscious crispy battered lobster, chipotle mayonnaise which. The swimmer crab lasagne begs to be supersized. Mains of Tasmanian ocean trout on a bed of sea urchin butter risotto are complimented with more than your average sides: asparagus, preserved lemon and buffalo mozzarella followed with Manta ‘angel’ truffle fries. An award winning cheese platter of champions from Locheilan farmhouse to Tasmanian Pyngana is complemented with Sommelier, Christian Denier’s well-chosen with list including by the glass favourites like Cloudy Bay and Hentley Farm. At the end of it, you too will feel like a superstar worthy of a podium.
There are not many restaurateurs in Sydney with a fine food lineage going back 100 years. Manjits in Balmain has delighted diners for decades whilst its catering business has graced Sydney’s finest hotels.
Its new venture opens at King Street Wharf. It’s a stunner. The light bulb studded ceiling will have you at ‘hello’ The menu is low in predictability and high on innovation as Varan Gujral spins out your taste buds like a culinary DJ. Champagne goes remarkably well with crab uttapam, delicate lentil pancakes topped with blue swimmer crab, green chilli and ginger. Scallops arrive seared with a purple hue from beetroot powder and the Mritasi Machhli takes marinated fish to a whole new level with its chickpea batter.
The power of the tandoor provides a umami experience as grain fed chicken melts in the mouth. Butter Chicken is delicious yet no match for the charms of Kochin Balmain bug curry, a south Indian revelation that will have you battling for the last poppadum to the death! For drama order the Baingan Takatak; arriving in a tall smoke filled dome, all eyes are on the dome as it’s lifted and the smoke roasted eggplant dish fills the air.
It maybe Sydney’s oldest boat club but there’s nothing old fashioned here. Two restaurants under one roof create a play pen of options. Who can stop themselves falling in love with Flying Bear, the casual café on the harbour edge?
Mind your head, as sailors enter the alfresco decked area and pull masts from the ceiling. Upstairs the carpet and dance floor have been replaced with a new bar, Nordic tones, palm trees, timber lined ceilings but seductive bay views remain.
Chef Fernando Sanchez (ex Darlinghurst Food Society) delights with soft folds of signature tequila cured tasmanian salmon, creating a fishy silhouette peppered with sourdough wafers. The Squadron seafood platter is a feast of bbq octopus seasoned with thyme, unctuous calamari fritti, local prawns and market fresh seared barramundi. Pair it with a roasted beetroot salad, silky Bulgarian feta, charred pumpkin and either a glass of sangria or ‘Four Wives’ (that’s the pilsner). It’s more than a boat club, this is a top spot for lovers of all things seafaring whether you sail in it, or eat it.
