“I’m really excited,” Alessandro Pavoni tells Broadsheet. The chef barely finished announcing one new project – Postino Osteria, coming soon to Summer Hill – before delivering the next: Cibaria. “I’ve been wanting to do Manly for a long time,” Pavoni says of the new waterfront spot within the refreshed Manly Pacific Hotel. A northern beaches local, his love for waterfront locations is evidenced throughout his stable: Ormeggio at the Spit, Chiosco and A’Mare. “If you eat by the sea and you have a great experience, it’s even better.”

Aimed at re-creating the casual social atmosphere of an Italian piazza, Cibaria will morph between cafe, wine bar and restaurant. “In Italy, every street food outlet finishes with ‘-ria’,” Pavoni explains. “Trattoria, osteria, pescaria.” Ciba means food, with Cibaria an amalgamation of all the Italian street cooking.

Fitting in with the breeziness of the beachy locale, this won’t be your standard sit-down Italian restaurant. As the dining room plans stand now, the space will be divided between specialised counters. At the braceria, food is grilled over embers; the friggitoria is your stop for fried food; and the spaghetteria is all about, yep, spaghetti. Ormeggio head chef Gianmarco Pardini is on board to lead the kitchen, with executive chef Victor Moya overseeing.

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Pavoni and his team will be serving the house-made gelato too, the very same that’s achieved legendary status at Ormeggio. “One corner is more like a caffe-gelateria,” he says, so you can take your coffee and a scoop to-go – a fine way to level-up your beach stroll.

Beyond the expansive restaurant and bar – designed for friends, families and date-goers to spend a while soaking up the beautiful view – there will be a private dining room and rooftop terrace that can be booked for functions. Cibaria is expected to be up and ready for diners in time for summer.

Cibaria is set to open on the ground floor of the Manly Pacific Hotel in summer 2024.