Manly Pavilion, Manly

With summer well and truly here in Sydney, it's time to hit the beach! And as much as I love the surf and the sand, sometimes I like to just enjoy a nice meal and enjoy the fantastic views of the beach without having to get my legs sandy or my toes wet.

The view from the outdoor dining area at Manly Pavilion is stunning and the perfect way to enjoy a relaxed Sunday lunch by the beach. Though we're not seated outside this time, we're still able to see a gorgeous view of the water and the coastline through the large glass windows and doors around the room. While the restaurant is situated right next to the beach, it's quite an upmarket place with no shorts or thongs in sight.

We start with some complimentary bread with some olive oil while we peruse the menu. While the menu fits on a single page, there are so many dishes that we want to try that we take forever to decide. There is also the option of having a 5 course tasting menu for $98pp, but in the end we settle on selecting our own dishes from the a la carte menu.

Scampi, celery ragu and bagna cauda - $29

Pilu Kiosk, Freshwater

It's Springtime! And although the weather lately hasn't always been reflective of that, we have had a few beautiful sunny days in Sydney that remind us to pack away the heaters and big heavy coats and trade them in for air conditioners and pretty summer dresses.

The beautiful Freshwater Beach

On one of these days Sir D and I decided to go to Freshwater beach to check out Pilu Kiosk, a little cafe offshoot of the restaurant Pilu at Freshwater that serves panini, coffee and pastries.

It seemed like every man, woman and dog had ventured out today to enjoy the weather so when we entered the kiosk all the seats were taken! We headed over to the counter to place our orders while keeping our eyes peeled for anyone leaving.

Suckling pig panini - $9.50