Perched at the end the suburb’s sleepy winter esplanade is the Manly Pavilion – a once dormant giant that has recently been reawakened thanks to the arrival of a new chef, menu and look.

Despite the fact that it’s mid-June when we visit, the sun is shining and the water is radiantly turquoise as we take the short walk from the ferry terminal. Attentive staff lead us through the renovated site to The Bistro – the venue’s main dining room. It’s clear from the outset that the new owners clearly have invested heavily (both financially and emotionally) in restoring this majestic waterside palace to its once former glory – the views of Sydney Harbour from North to South Head are hard to miss from any angle. This is a venue that simply screams Sydney weekend dining with a glass of rosé in hand.

Working behind the pans is chef Andrea Corsi of Pilu at Freshwater fame. The Tuscan native, who has spent the better part of a decade working with Giovanni Pulu and Raymond Blanc before that, has designed a seafood- centric menu that will sit comfortably with locals and tourists alike. The seafood antipasto arrives with a delicate salmon tartare, natural oysters, fried calamari and a side of tender octopus that hits all the right notes to kick off an afternoon by the sea. The seared beef with artichoke, parmesan, frisée and balsamic is a triumph of classic Italian cooking.

It’s the mains though where Corsi’s real talent shines through. The housemade potato gnocchi with pork ragu and ricotta is one of the best we’ve tasted this year, and the blue-eyed trevally is beautifully balanced with steamed greens, confit potato with burnt butter and baby caper salsa.

Sweet tooths need not look further than the Manly pav – a decadent meringue with Champagne cream, raspberries and passionfruit curd. It’s welcomingly boozy, and to cap off a perfect afternoon we decide to make it an outdoor affair with a bottle of rosé on the balcony to catch the afternoon rays.

The Bistro at Manly Pavilion is the new venue that Manly deserves, and come summer this is sure to be one of Sydney’s hottest new waterside restaurants.