Pilu by Freshwater's Kiosk Will Soon Also Be a Beach Bar

For eight years, Pilu Kiosk — the café-shack at Freshwater attached to the eponymous double-hatted restaurant — has been a Northern Beaches go-to for coffee and panini. Now, it's closing its doors for a revamp, before reopening in March as Pilu Bar and Kiosk.

For you, that'll mean Italian wines, cocktails and just-cooked, Sardinian dishes within view of beautiful Freshwater Beach.

"We've been thinking for a while about how cool it'd be for people to come straight off the beach and sit down to Negronis, spritzers, oysters and salumi," says Marilyn Annecchini, who operates Pilu alongside her husband and business partner, Giovanni Pilu. "It's the perfect location and we've been working on it for a couple of years."

Pilu Bar and Kiosk will continue to serve the café-style fare for which it's so popular – takeaway included – but will be redesigned to offer a "more extensive menu". Most importantly, the shack will score an onsite kitchen.

"In the morning, it'll still be an espresso bar, serving coffee and muffins and the like, but we'll have cooked breakfast options, too," Marilyn says. "For example, we already have egg and pancetta rolls on the menu, but they'll be made to order." At lunch and dinner, you can expect oysters, salumi and traditional Italian dishes with a twist, as well as fresher, fancier panini. Match your choices with Italian wines by the glass, craft beers and creative takes on classic cocktails.

Design-wise, the kiosk will keep its beach shack look and feel, with the addition of a copper-topped bar, timber surfaces, greenery and seating along the existent hedge, overlooking the water. There'll be room for about 35 people.

What's more, hours will be extended. Pilu Bar and Kiosk will open from 7am seven days a week all year round. During daylight savings time, and between Thursday and Monday outside of daylight savings, it'll stay open till 9pm.

Image: Pilu at Freshwater.