Manly's dining scene just got more Mediterranean with Cibaria

Manly Pacific’s star is rising after being the only Australian hotel to win a prestigious design award.
The hotel is the result of a $30 refurbishment transforming a long-standing Novotel opposite Manly Beach.
Accor has brought on Alessandro and Anna Pavoni to open the ambitious Cibaria with multiple Italian kitchens.

When only one Australian hotel walked away from the prestigious Prix Versailles World Architecture & Design Awards, no one expected it’d be an under-the-radar, beachfront property in Manly.

Manly Pacific, which was reflagged from a Novotel following a $30 million refurbishment, was only one of 16 hotels around the world recognised for its highly functional design earlier this year. Taking cues from its beachfront location, the property rests on muted, calm interiors and subtle pops of colour.

Yet, despite now being an award-winning property, Manly Pacific is severely lacking when it comes to premium food and beverage options. Accor seems keen on rectifying this issue as soon as possible, bringing on dependable Sydney restaurateurs Alessandro and Anna Pavoni (a’Mare, Ormeggio at the Spit) for two new venues, Cibaria Manly and 55 North Bar, opening just before Christmas.

Both new concepts open on December 16, focusing on Italian hospitality and skewing the hotel’s already Mediterranean look and feel towards something distinctly European to help shape the five star hotel’s identity.

Cibaria will take a more-is-more approach to showcasing Italian techniques, offering an all-day menu that starts as a humble caffetteria before morphing into a trattoria as the day rolls on.

“The great thing about Cibaria is that you can now create your own Italian experience in one place,” said Alessandro.

“When people think of Cibaria, I’d like them to think of the Italian way of eating and socialising around a piazza”.

The split-level, 130-seat restaurant is topped by an outdoor balcony with lounge seating and a private bar, which should make it a popular option for events in Manly. Design heavy-hitters Luchetti Krelle has dressed the space to reflect its multitude of offerings, presenting distinctive areas for different experiences, from counter dining and communal tables to traditional dining tables.

Pavoni, who has a solid track record of producing excellent Italian dining experiences, has shown plenty of ambition with this one. There are no less than six distinctive dining and drinking experiences, best expressed via a quick break-down below:

Forneria – powered by a wood oven, this section produces slow proved pizzetta bianca and simple pizzetta rossa with San Marzano tomatoes and oregano.
Antipasteria – a kitchen dedicated to small plates with highlights including Catalana king prawn salad, salumi and crudo seletions, and a heroic gorgonzola trolley with cheeses and local honey.
Friggitoria – focusing on fried Italian comfort food like fritto miso and cacio e pepe suppli.
Spaghetteria – a small kitchen specialising in handmade pasta like Venetian inspired squid ink tagliolini with crab, and slow cooked ragu alla Bolegnese with green tagliatelle.
Bisteccheria – the station for dishes cooked over coals and embers, showcasing the locked-in flavours of fire cooking with dishes like fresh whole fish and classic bistecca alla Fiorentina.
Pasticceria – the final boss of dining stations, with classic Italian desserts and a signature Victor’s Cheesecake.

Ormeggio’s popular gelateria will also play a part of the hotel’s growing lifestyle scene, with the beachfront cart open from 9am with indoor and outdoor seating.

55 North by Cibaria will be the cocktail-focused extension of the restaurant, conceived as its own beachfront bar, spruced by Italian hospitality to help give the hotel that la dolce vita feel. Here you’ll find bar snacks like lobster rolls and smashed burgers, best paired with a number of classic and signature concoctions that lean heavily on regional Italian flavours.