Pasadena Sydney

A historic 1930s waterfront restaurant has been resurrected thanks to local duo Paul and Sheridan Peterkin. Abandoned back in 2009, Pasadena finally reopened after extensive renovations — as well as many rejected DAs and stoushes with local council and residents — in late 2018 on the northern beaches.

Set on the tip of Pittwater's Church Point, one-hour drive north of the CBD, the venue offers unobstructed views of McCarrs Creek and parts of the Ku-ring-gai National Park. Its facelift includd a restaurant, bar and a 14-room boutique hotel to boot.

To run the joint, the Peterkins signed on two former members of The Boathouse Group — namely General Manager Jordana Shawyer and Head Chef Petr Buchel. Buchel's seafood-heavy menu ranges features starters of cured kingfish with jalapeño and apple foam ($18), duck liver pâté with marsala jelly ($20) and burrata with beetroot puree ($16). For mains, choose from hearty dishes like calamari, fish and prawn linguine ($34), beer-battered fish and chips ($24) and a 200-gram wagyu flank steak with green peppercorn jus ($39).

If you're sitting outside on the deck, we recommend sharing a bucket of fresh prawns ($35) and a side of duck fat potatoes ($9). The pizzas ($17–23) are also ideal for sharing, with toppings including truffle, mushroom and spinach; prawn chilli and parsley; and jamon, fig and rocket. If you're there for a waterside brunch session, however, you'll be able to dig into the likes of smoked salmon bruschetta ($19) and avo smash ($15).

The drinks list features mostly Australian wines, along with a ten-strong cocktail list of that currently includes tommy's margaritas ($18), Aperol spritzes ($16) and piña coladas ($17).