Le Kiosk

The great outdoors: Saunter along the shoreline from Manly to Shelly Beach, one of Sydney's safest and prettiest coves, and you'll come to Le Kiosk, a sweet, heritage-listed sandstone cottage with stunning views. It's beach-house casual and white-tablecloth refined at one and the same time, though the prices very much reflect the latter. But what the hell - it's rosé o'clock!
 

What to order: The modern Australian menu is dominated by seafood and the food is of a high standard. We start with grilled prawns and lamb cutlets on a broad bean, pea and mint salad. For a main, it's hard to go past the leather jacket fillets with seared scallops or beer battered flathead and chips. And if you can't decide between the desserts, sharing the assiette means you don't have to.
 

Inside knowledge: At $30-plus for a main, it ain't cheap, so it's more of a special occasion restaurant than a post-swim bite. They do a six-course degustation on a Friday night that is better value - $100 with wine, $70 without. Make sure you call ahead and book an outdoor table. Ours was but a metre from the sand.