After a day of sun, surf ’n’ sand, the rock ’n’ roll lure of Daniel San’s is hard to resist. The vibes are kicking, the tunes are pumping and there’s nothing like a cold drink – including a wicked sake selection – to soothe that sunburn (you did remember to slip, slop, slap, didn’t you?). Food wise, we can’t go past the skewers flying off the robata grill – one, no two of each please! If you’re feeling more virtuous, the sushi and sashimi and the salads and poké bowls will hit the spot nicely. Still hungry? Hit up the pan-Asian mains, then, appetite satisfied, take it to the rooftop ‘dojo’ bar to keep the good times rolling. 55 N Steyne, Manly; danielsan.com.au.

Get your hygge on amid the cosy Nordic minimalism of Fika Swedish Kitchen, brought to you by Swedish expats Linda, Diana and Sophie. Of course you’ll find meatballs – with mash, gravy, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber – but that’s only the start. From a menu with a strong Swedish bent, star attractions include the Fisk D’lux (sous-vide salmon, kipfler potatoes, brussels sprouts and hollandaise topped with salmon roe, dill and chives), Silly Susan (sour cream and herb herring with smashed eggs, pomegranate, baby radish on rye) and Butcher’s Banger (pork and barley ‘isterband’ sausage, kipfler potatoes, cheesy mustard cream sauce, pickled beetroot and chimichurri). Scandi heaven. 5B Market Place, Manly; fikaswedishkitchen.com.au.

Sure, you could pack a feed for a day at the beach, but who wants sand in their sandwiches? Instead, kick back just steps from Shelly Beach at The Boathouse, open from 7am through to 4pm for all your belly-filling, thirst-quenching requirements. Breakfast encompasses the classics, while lunch takes on a decidedly oceanic turn – cold seafood platter, anyone? – with a couple of meat options for the dedicated carnivore. A concise wine list is complemented by a decent beer selection, cocktails ahoy and plenty of non-alcoholic options (for the driver!). Could there be a better spot on a glorious sunny day? 1 Marine Parade, Manly; theboathousesb.com.au.

Nepalese dumplings and poké bowls in the same spot? Sounds a strange combo, right? Not at Momo Bar. Such is the quality of the momos (the aforementioned Nepalese dumplings) and fish bowls at this little joint in the heart of Manly that, well, it just works. Don’t take our word for it: you just have to take one look at the queue stretching out the door on a regular basis to know you’ve hit the fusion jackpot. 28 Market Pl, Manly; Facebook/MomoBarManly.

For those unwilling to venture south for the crowd-pleasing Cantonese flavours of the original Queen Chow (“Enmore’s just so far, darl!”), the good news is you can find them right on Manly Wharf. Patrick Friesen and Eric Koh are behind the pans, Koh delivering his legendary dim sum. The harbourside location delivers a strong seafood influence to Friesen’s menu, but there’s plenty going on beyond there to keep the meat-eaters happy, while the drinks list is described as “relaxed and approachable”. That could pretty much describe the whole deal, so grab a group and set your built-into-the-table Lazy Susan spinning. 22-23 Manly Wharf, East Esplanade, Manly; merivale.com/venues/queenchowmanly.

Old Papa Hemingway would surely feel right at home in this Manly hotspot: perched by the window overlooking the North Steyne and beach, there’s no better spot to observe your fellow humanity. Oh, and did we mention they do a mean mojito? (And for just 10 bucks during happy hour!) While you do your best impression of a tortured novelist, it’s good to know it’ll be on a full stomach. From brekkie through to dinner, Hemingway’s has been attracting a loyal crowd for years. We particularly love their croque madame with a bowl of parmesan and truffle fries (whiskey chaser optional). 48 North Steyne, Manly; hemingwaysmanly.com.au.

Great beer deserves great pub grub, something the team at 4 Pines Beer know very well. Find this ode to all things ale just steps from the ferry, where your toughest task will be deciding on your first beer (hint: you can’t go wrong with the Indian Summer Ale). That ‘ordeal’ out of the way, settle into choosing from a list of pub classics, including a slow-cooked brisket sandwich, chicken parmy, stout-braised beef pie and the always-a-winner Manly mega burger. You’re probably going to need another beer to wash down whatever you choose. Ah well… 29/43-45 East Esplanade, Manly; 4pinesbeer.com.au.

No one goes to Fishmongers Manly for the décor. Nope, the crowds packing this no-frills joint a block back from the ocean beach are here pretty much for one thing and one thing only: the light-as tempura-battered hoki and outrageously good hand-cut chips it comes with. In a suburb not exactly short on fish and chip joints, Fishmongers is head and shoulders above the comp. And if hoki doesn’t float your boat, well the calamari, prawns and octopus are just as compelling. Shop 4, 11-27 Wentworth Street Rialto Square, Manly; manly.mongers.com.au.

This North Steyne venue takes in Peru by way of Mexico with a hint of SoCal on the way. But fear not. All this fusion doesn’t end in confusion. Loco Madre – it means ‘crazy mother’ in Spanish – delivers as big a fun- and flavour-filled romp through the Americas as the name suggests. It’s all about sharing, so order big and prepare to get your hands dirty. May we suggest you get the ball rolling with Lima kingfish ceviche, some hand-torched scallops tiradito, the twice-cooked pork belly chicharron and a serve of the Mexican fried chicken. That’ll see you through to the tacos and then on to the bigger plates. Here, the Mexican mushroom and eggplant moussaka takes fusion to even greater lengths, while the pollo al carbon and the hanger steak carne asada with jalapeno chimchurri bring it back to more traditional South American stylings. It all adds up to crazy good times, with or without a ‘madre’ in tow. Shop 6/93-95 North Steyne, Manly; locomadremanly.com.

All the way from Little Italy, NYC, is this glorious homage to all things doughy and disc shaped. The menu is concise – just nine pizzas to choose from, but there’s not a wrong ’un among them. Though if we had to choose, it’d be hard to go past a double act of ‘I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butternut’ (gorgonzola, fior di latte, buffalo mozzarella, parmesan, walnuts) and ‘Lamb of God’ (lamb merguez, mint, fior di latte, olives, eggplant, goat’s curd). Almost as legendary a pairing as Frank and Dino! Chuck in a few tinnies, a cocktail or three plus some sides, and maybe a banoffee pie to finish and you’re laughing. This is good times guaranteed. 2A Whistler Street, Sydney; pocketpizza.com.au.