The Pantry

I celebrated a colleague’s birthday at The Pantry and it was a great place for our large group. We all shared an assortment of appetizers — I would recommend the calamari and whatever seasonal salad is available and started of the evening with a bottle (or two!) of a lovely Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Some of our group ordered martinis, which were honestly some of the best I have had! I like mine extra dirty and was not disappointed. For entrees, I kept mine light with the quinoa and king crab salad; it was incredibly flavorful and went perfectly with the Sauvignon Blanc as both shared the same citrusy notes. The birthday girl also got the salad and we were both very happy! Thankfully we all saved room for dessert– it was amazing! We got a few different ones but I loved the banana bread pudding one-​it was an adorable presentation in a mason jar as well! The one thing I we ordered that I did not care for was the kangaroo appetizer– it was almost like a kangaroo foie gras with an interesting jelly as well. Not our cup of tea but happy we tried it at least!
The Pantry has such a lovely atmosphere as well as delicious food. Nestled directly on Manly Beach, the restaurant looks like an oversized beach hut and upon entering I was surprised how large it actually was. Tables are close together and there is definitely a communal feel. I was there at night after dark but I can only imagine how amazing the view is during the day! I loved the wine bottles lining every wall– it made for a cool 3D «wallpaper» and a good conversation starter for our wino group. The service was excellent– our server was very attentive and helpful when it came to choosing wine and food. Overall a wonderful experience and I would certainly recommend making the ferry trip to Manly from Sydney just to eat here– worth it!

Spectacular views and food. Interesting and innovative dishes (e.g. NZ venison Wellington) served without pretense but with confidence. Perfect execution. A must try.

Great location, view, atmosphere and the service was nice however, the food is mediocre for the price. I would not recommend it if you are looking for a culinary experience.

Great setting, although you miss most of that with tables away from the windows.
Really nice chicken salad, although I’ve never had a chicken salad that wasn’t cut up and mixed with something. Theirs was two small pieces of dark meat, baked in a nice sauce and served hot. It was on top of the other «salad» items: cherry tomatoes, capers, a light sauce, and big chunks of fresh buffalo mozzarella.

Just LOVELY & literally on the beach at Manly!!! Very quaint (yes, small) with original wood floors, brick walls and FAB OCEAN VIEWS!!! On a nice day all the windowed doors are opened so your eating on the beach WITHOUT sand in your food.
My gf and I each ordered the Prawn salad with fried prosciutto, asparagus, goat cheese tossed in a light dressing was terrific. The Hubs had a charcuterie plate with breads, cold cuts, pâté’ and such which he said was VERY good!
We followed up with cappuccinos~ OH LA LA, just a GR8, GR8 meal overall. Not sure if bookings/​reservations are accepted~

Went there for birthday dinner. Special atmosphere, delectable food.
Arrived 15mina earlier than reservation but staff was very accommodating and still got us a really nice table.
Yummy cocktails, delicious fresh seafood as well as steak dishes.
Staff were very friendly and helpful in recommneding choices.
The view overlooks the ocean at night and made our dinner very special.
Price were very reasonable for what we received.

Great wine selection to go with the perfect view of manly beach. I had originally planned to eat at a craft brewery near the ferry, but after walking on the beach I saw this place and couldn’t resist. I was lucky to get a seat only because a small group had canceled at the last moment, opening up six bar stools at the large window, overlooking the beach. That was perfect. I had three glasses of wines and they were all above average. My favorite was probably the Vasse Felix Cab Sauv from Margaret River. Rich and full bodied without being spicy. I ordered roasted mushrooms as an accompaniment and that worked well. The vegetarian options were few, but the view and wine list made up for it.

Great service! Amazing view! And delicious food! What more do you need in life? Had the barramundi for the first time and enjoyed it. My husband had salmon and his co worker had the tuna which they both loved! A very beachy chic place which we needed and loved!

Had a really lovely brunch. With brilliant service.
The foods are well designed when it comes to taste and the portion sizes are good.
Will definitely be back soon.

The food, the view, and the service were incredible! My husband and I are visiting from the states for our honeymoon and have been searching for a romantic and delicious restaurant… and on the last night we finally hit the jackpot! We started with the octopus and baked scallops, which were both incredible! He had the prawn and crab spaghetti and I had the yellowfin tuna. Both dishes were absolutely tasty! The view was perfect! I highly recommend this restaurant!

If you want to be fed a line of crap about table availability come here. The only way to get a table with a view is if you are a local. They had tables available near the rail overlooking the ocean yet they are as they say «booked.» We sat at a non view table and no one even showed to claim the «booked tables» till the end of our meal and ready for a check. So much for them being booked at the quoted 12, 12:30, and 1 pm times. The one group sat at the end was locals and non reservation. Food was just ok, nothing to rave about. Our group had a variety ranging from burgers to fish. I had the Barramundi which was cooked properly and to my liking. They had quite a few different wines by the glass but a very limited beer selection (6 different, only one local, none on tap). Another point to note is we were informed there are no free refills on soda or tea and the glasses are small. I am sure it would have been a more fun meal had we had the ocean to stare at during our meal but alas we apparently didn’t make the cut as tourists. All in all next time we will know to just go to one of the many other restaurants across the street.

Service prompt and we arrived at the end of the lunch run… I was devastated I missed out on the Vension
Wellington as this had already been sold out (so a favorite with a price tag of $ 44)… The venue is right on the beach, high priced meals but beautifully cooked. Just the mains for us but we did leave nicely full.

Just a perfect place!
Me, my wife and toddler son went here for an early dinner and we were really surprised. The service was excellent, food very good, and the view marvelous.
We have now been in Manly for one month and this is the best yet!
The service is absolutely fantastic.
Thanks for a perfect evening!

Great location and very cute décor, almost too many delicious choices on the menu, needed some wine to help choose. I had the barramundi and chips cooked perfectly, wife had the tuna seared to perfection… Service was attentive… We miss Le Kiosk further up on Shelley Beach but this is a good alternate… Knocked a star for high prices (their fault) and a lot of sand flies etc (probably not their fault).

What a phenomenal place. I travel the world and consider myself a foodie. Quality of food, ambiance, service and location are what makes it the quintessential casual yet sophisticated Australian dining experience. Bravo!

Try the plough mans platter! With wine, of course.
Beautiful setting, on the water. We began with tasty glasses of pinot noir, and moved onto a shared luncheon including the ploughman’s platter – a beautiful assortment of charcuterie, sharp cheddar, and a wonderful duck terrine. This was accompanied by a freshly baked mini baguette, which while perfectly delicious, was not quite enough for the amount of platter goodies. In addition, we shared the fried calamari and rocket, with a lemon mayonnaise – again, delicious.
Here, you get what you pay for, in a good way. While The Pantry is not a bargain, they deliver exactly what they should for the price point and the location. Truly worthy of a lingering lunch.

This place is amazing! Delicious scallops, beautiful tuna on rocket salad, charcuterie and bread basket. I cannot wait to go back! Such high quality and such artistic interpretation used in all their dishes. Oh and how can I forget the deep fried squash blossoms? Yum!

Venue has nice view over the ocean.
We were 4 and decided to share some platters. We were not disappointed.
Was looking around the other tables to see what people ordered and all dishes looked yummy and with enough quantity.

You absolutely can’t beat this view, and the food is just as spectacular. The Pantry is the only restaurant that sits on the boardwalk, boasting the best views in Manly. On a warm night, the windows are opened, allowing the salty sea breeze to add to the ambiance.
Dinner here is an absolute treat and definitely on the expensive side. For starters I recommend the scallops and the rocket/​pear/​prosciutto salad, while sipping on one of their delicious cocktails. For the main, my favorite is the gnocci, however I also love the rack of lamb and the fish special.
The only downside is that there is sometimes a lack of quality service. The manager who used to run The Pantry I believe has left, and the service is not as quality without her.

Great location, good service and food. My only complaint was I was dining solo and the server asked me if I could be done in an hour. Maybe it’s uncommon in Australia to eat alone but being from the US it’s a common occurrence and questions like that are never asked.
Other than that, very charming place with excellent ocean views. My salad was delicious.