Things sure are looking up for Sydney's northern beaches these days, especially when it comes to wining and dining. Merivale has opened its hugely popular venue, The Newport, and this year it renovated and relaunched The Collaroy. Now, Mona Vale has got a slice of the gastropub pie, with the Mona Vale Hotel being reworked as a food and entertainment hot-spot Park House Food & Liquor.

The main attraction is Park House Food Merchants, a multi-faceted venue, complete with restaurant, cocktail lounge and all-weather courtyard. In the kitchen, Head Chef David Clark (ex-Jamie's Italian) is drawing inspiration from Southern California's food scene, for a vibrant, share-focused menu peppered with Mexican, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours. On it, you'll find dishes like baked snapper fillet with tahini dressing, slow-cooked lamb forequarter with herb pilav, and a whole suckling pig that's carved right there at the table. Meanwhile, the bar's slinging an eclectic, well-traveled wine list, alongside a solid range of craft beers and barrel-aged cocktails

Outside, a front yard bar is slinging craft beer and burgers from 10am each day, and had live music every Friday night and DJs on Saturdays. It also boasts a food truck park in pub's car park every Friday to Sunday in summer.