Eight Spots for a Sunset Spritz with Your Mates in Sydney

For sunset spritzes in Manly, look no further than the legendary heritage-listed Manly Pavilion. Sitting on its well-known overwater site on the Manly Cove Esplanade, the Pav boasts breezy open spaces, from its casual openair balcony deck and a lounge bar area to its slick dining space and a ballroom. The venue also features an array of refreshed menus, starring elevated Mediterranean dishes — standouts include snapper paired with mussels and lime butter and chilli and lemon-coated calamari with aioli — and a small dessert menu. At the aptly named ‘High Tide’ happy hour and seaside beats, on Fridays, you can snag an Aperol Spritz for $14 from 5–7pm and on Sundays, you can enjoy it paired with acoustic music.

If the Pav is choccas at sunset, head to the other side of Manly to the cafe, bar and events venue, The Boathouse Shelly Beach. The sheltered Shelly Beach spot is only accessible on foot and is the perfect location for sunset sips now that it opens until 9pm from Thursday to Sunday. On the seafood-inspired menu are the standard Boathouse classics like oysters, battered fish and chips and prawn pasta. If you’re in the market for a new brunch spot, the venue will be hosting a Brunch Club event on December 30 with a bottomless Aperol Spritz package. The Boathouse Shelly Beach also offers the same High Tide Happy Hour from the Pav — $14 Aperol Spritz every Friday from 5–7pm — so you can sip on a spritz as the sun sets across the only west-facing beach on the east coast of Australia.

If you love a spritz after a swim at the beach,  a new Italian-inspired venue has popped up for the summer in Palm Beach: CASA by The Boathouse. This new venue is popping up in the Boat House Palm Beach’s existing homewares store. It offers up an all-day Italian-inspired menu and drinks — including the classic Aperol Spritz — available from 11am until late from Thursday to Sunday. Choose between classic Italian antipasto, including arancini al formaggio and calamari fritti with chilli and aioli, pizzas and side dishes.

At Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, blue and white striped umbrellas dotting a sprawling two-level deck and the sparkling sea just beyond set the scene. Chilled-out DJ beats (on weekends), punctuated by the clinking of icy carafes and excited chatter, are the soundtrack. Spend an afternoon here indulging in an Aperol Spritz with your mates, fresh seafood and contemporary Australian fare — buckets of prawns and seafood fish pie — as you watch glamorous clientele come and go from surrounding tables and, further afield, a steady stream of ferries. Stay on for sunset, and you’ll be treated to a spectacular show of the sun slinking behind the CBD skyline, summoning with it a swirling display of pastels.

Icebergs Dining Room and Bar is a standout staple of Sydney’s dining scene. Perched above the crashing waves at the world’s most famous ocean pool and with views of Bondi so jaw-dropping even locals can’t help but still snap them, the sleek eastern suburbs venue is worth visiting for its setting alone. Its dining concept, dreamt up by Melbourne and Sydney hospitality veteran Maurice Terzini, is just icing on the cake. Here, every detail is deliberate, from the attire of the staff (specially made designer wear) to the colour scheme: white and teal. The food is light and fresh — antipasti and seafood — though it’s got pasta and meats, too, all perfect to pair with an Aperol Spritz as the sun starts to go down.

Ormeggio at The Spit in Mosman’s D’Albora Marina is all about Italian cuisine. Everything here is legit, from the stucco walls and aforementioned bar to the menu: meat-free since 2020, featuring instead seafood caught by fishermen who sell it right at the wharf, as well as focaccia made in-house taking no less than 22 hours. Other highlights you can work your way through as you stare over the ocean include squid ink tagliolini with spanner crab, yellowfin tuna crudo and a grilled hiramasa kingfish fillet brought to life with green apple, sundried tomato and herbs. Sip on your spritz as the sun sets and waters gently lap up against the marina.

Though technically taking its inspiration from The Hamptons, The Pines Cronulla, with its chic, neutral palette, pops of greenery and meat-heavy menu (though it’s got a vegan one, too), would fit right in at Côte d’Azur. The beachfront eatery has an extensive and seasonal menu, meaning the team is whipping up something special in time for summer, but you can expect things to cover snacks like fresh oysters, hearty mains, and items from the grill like the four-week dry-aged rib-eye.

Image: Rachel Kara

A round-up on seaside dining in Sydney wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Catalina in Rose Bay. The family-owned, fine dining restaurant is an institution in the eastern suburbs, with past diners including Nicole Kidman, Beyoncé and Zac Efron. Pop by for an afternoon of Aperol Spritzes or cocktails on its terrace. Or, for a more formal affair, book in for a white tablecloth lunch or dinner in its airy, sun-drenched dining room. Spanish, French and Italian feature on the menu, sommelier-picked, always-changing drops on the wine list.