It’s 1.45pm when we turn up to Cibaria Manly for our lunch booking, and we’re surprised by how bustling the trattoria is. As we cross the terracotta floor and sit at our table backed by white stucco plaster arches, we know we’ve entered somewhere special. Located at the base of the Manly Pacific Hotel, with views out to Manly Beach, the restaurant has an open kitchen of chefs preparing pizzas, pasta and delicious share plates. We may well have found Italy – right here on the Beaches!
And as we settle in with a cool glass of rosé and an aptly-named cocktail, Spritz me to Venice – complete with St Germain elderflower, lychee cordial and prosecco – we feel a relaxed vibe in the room.
There are a number of ‘rias’ here to suit everyone’s tastes, and we’re encouraged to try a share plate from each. We start with the hiramasa kingfish from the cruderia (raw) section of the menu, delighting in its fresh flavours of spring onion, lime and chilli with baby capers.
Next is the lasagne fritters from the friggitoria (fried dishes menu). My friend is thrilled with these – they are bite-sized lasagne with a fried coating, and it’s like nothing she’s ever had before.
From the antipasteria (deli) comes the poached king prawn salad – and that’s before we even start on the dry-aged swordfish from the wood grill, which is cooked to perfection and served with baby Tuscan cabbage and lemon. The pennette vodka, directly from the spaghetteria where homemade pastas are created, comes with Moreton Bay Bug, topped with a spicy vodka sauce. Exquisite!
Since opening in January, Cibaria has been a hit with locals, with head chef Mario Spanu explaining that ‘Manly has been missing something like Cibaria,’ a place where people can visit any time of the day for an ‘authentic but premium experience.’
“Simplicity is the key: We work with high-quality ingredients, so we don’t need to do much,” Mario explains. “The ingredients speak for themselves. We’re not trying to be anyone but ourselves – just as we are in Italy.”
And so it is. As we polish off a limone e basilico – an Amalfi lemon sorbet with basil and candied lemon, we feel like we really have been to the piazza!
Cibaria Manly
55 North Steyne, Manly
8350 0895 | cibariamanly.au