Home » News » Chef Alessandro Pavoni brings piazza-style dining to Laundy-owned Manly Pacific with Cibaria

26 November, 2024

Chef Alessandro Pavoni brings piazza-style dining to Laundy-owned Manly Pacific with Cibaria

By Grant Jones

Sydney restaurateurs Alessandro and Anna Pavoni (a’Mare, Ormeggio at the Spit, Chiosco, Postino Osteria) will open Cibaria Manly and 55 North Bar at the Manly Pacific Hotel from 16 December.

From the word ‘Cibo’ meaning food in Italian, Cibaria will offer diners a variety of Italian dishes from open kitchens dotted throughout the beachfront venue, with a rooftop terrazza events space.

“When people think of Cibaria I’d like them to think of the Italian way of eating and socialising around a piazza,” Pavoni said. “An all-day solution to different needs; from your morning espresso at the caffetteria, to an afternoon stop at the gelateria and aperitivo at the champagneria, to the spaghetteria or bisteccheria in the evening. The great thing about Cibaria is that you can now create your own Italian experience in one place!”

Chef Pavoni has curated a sharing-style menu, across multiple sections. Manly Pacific general manager Dylan Cole said he was thrilled to have the Pavonis take over 55 North and breathe life into the Cibaria space following the renovation of the hotel.

“Alessandro’s knowledge of Italian cuisine and the Sydney dining scene, not to mention being a local to the Northern Beaches himself, will give Manly locals and tourists a truly special destination to stop for anything from a drink and snack, to a long lunch overlooking the water, or an intimate dinner in front of the wood oven,” he said.

Chef Pavoni with Manly Pacific general manager Dylan Cole.

Cibaria Terrazza is an impressive events space on level two with elevated views over the ocean and Manly Beach, featuring an outdoor balcony with lounge seating and a private bar. Available for private hire, there will also be a schedule of Cibaria events throughout the year.

Cibaria will seat 130 indoors, with outside seating also available, with capacity at 55 North sitting at 100 people, and 120 in the Cibaria Terrazza events space. The space has been designed by award winning Luchetti Krelle to suit any type of diner, featuring counter dining, communal and family tables for groups, lounges, and classic dining tables.

The jewel is the private dining room on level 1, and level 2 rooftop terrace available for events and functions. The active pass area, the pizza oven on display and in use, and the open cocktail and gelato bars mean that Cibaria is as enjoyable to watch inside as the waterview is outside.

Cibaria Trattoria will be open seven days from 11.30am until late, and sections include:

A Forneria centred around the wood oven, which will produce slow proved pizzetta bianca; and pizzetta rossa with San Marzano tomatoes and oregano.
An Antipasteria with dishes including a Catalana salad of king prawns; vitello tonnato; a selection of raw dishes in the Cruderia; and a selection of salumi in the Salumeria. The hero of this section is a Gorgonzola trolley, served al cucchiaio, with local honey.
A Friggitoria consisting of Italian fried food like fritto misto; and cacio e pepe suppli.
A Spaghetteria featuring dishes such as Venetian inspired squid ink tagliolini with crab; or slow cooked ragú alla Bolegnese with green tagliatelle .
A Bisteccheria with dishes cooked over coals and embers, offering classic bistecca alla Fiorentina; fresh whole fish; and a range of crustaceans.
A Pasticceria – offering Italian desserts like tiramisu and straccetti – sweet pizza dough with cinnamon, orange, honey, and buffalo ricotta cheese; and the soon-to-be famous Victor’s Cheesecake.

Icecream on the beachfront

There will also be a separate Cibaria Gelateria and Caffetteria open from 9am on the beachfront, with indoor and outdoor seating, and takeaway available.

The Gelateria will be the same as Ormeggio and chef Victor Moya, offering classic flavours like nocciola (piedmont hazelnut), cremino bianco (white chocolate gelato with roasted coconut), and weekly changing specials such as burro bruciatto (burnt butter gelato, coffee cookies, caramelised peanuts) and Italian mojito (rhum, lime, basil sorbet). Plus there’ll be some very special coppa gelato as part of the Cibaria Trattoria menu.

The Caffetteria will offer a separate menu available from 9am-4.30pm daily, for both takeaway and sit-down dining on seating in the front of the venue. This includes breakfast classics, as well as a selection of food from the Cibaria menu available from 11.30am.

55 North by Cibaria will be Manly’s own ‘cocktaileria’, ‘birreria’, ‘champagneria’ – the perfect beachfront cocktail bar with a side of Italian hospitality. Alongside some of the Caffetteria dishes from Cibaria, 55 North will also offer snacks like cacio e pepe fritters, lobster rolls, a smashed burger and their signature Cibaria Club; and sweets like nutella bombolone and a cheese plate.

Classic cocktails on offer include spritzes, as well as a Pavoni’s martini and negroni, and a selection of specialty Italian-inspired cocktails like the paloma Italiano with Espolon Reposado, Campari, agave, aranciata and grapefruit juice; and the ligure with Skyy vodka, limoncello, lemon juice and basil.

There is also a regular DJ schedule as well as daily Aperitivo Hour and Hospitality Sunday Nights.

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Alessandro Pavoni Anna Pavoni Manly Pacific Hotel