Table Manners

Overview

While there will always be a place for the milestone event restaurant — those peerless (and pricey) palaces of sliver service where the stratospheric calibre of the cuisine is matched only by the equally sky-high bill — the humble neighbourhood diner has come into its own in recent times. These comforting, casual eateries, tucked away in suburban enclaves, offer quality meals at an affordable price point, and in the current economic climate, that's good news for cash-strapped Sydneysiders.

Table Manners, on the other hand, is one of a new breed of neighbourhood restaurant offering a middle way. It delivers stellar service and impressive fare that feels elevated while remaining, if not necessarily cheap, at least not bank-breaking. After all, Head Chef Luke Churchill was formerly on the pots at the eye-wateringly expensive Oncore by Clare Smyth, and a comparable meal at this Bronte newcomer will set you back significantly less.

(L–R) Alex Cameron, John Breen and Luke Churchill

Budgets aside, there's much to love about this Euro-leaning bistro from Alex Cameron, the former manager of Inner East darlings Parla, Franca and Armorica. While the name might suggest a requirement for etiquette — and indeed, there are white linen tablecloths, silver ice buckets and the gentle flicker of candlelight setting the scene — there's also a wink of informality. This high-low, double-hinged personality is perhaps best captured by the livery stamped on all the flatware, featuring a doodle of some greedy-guts customer licking their plate clean, as well as in the playful murals that fill the dining room, irreverently scrawled over the ornate, corniced walls — a wonderfully elegant riot of refinement and rebellion.

While the interiors, conceived by Sydney-based designer Blainey North, resist the low-hanging fruit of seaside tropes found in many coastal eateries, Cameron isn't shunning the chilled-out beach vibes of the area he also calls home.

"You can't have a neighbourhood restaurant in Bronte that feels too flash. People come here mostly for the beach and a coffee and a swim. We wanted Table Manners to be something that matched that relaxed ideal of the perfect Sydney beachside life," Cameron explains. "The dining rooms I like to go back to are comfortable — so we wanted it feel like somewhere you would want to dine with friends, but also something a bit special, like your rich Aunt's house or some Provençale estate while you're on holiday; the decor reads lux, but it's still super relaxed."

Much like the interiors, the menu channels a similar laidback luxury. A TikTok-famous spaghetti all-assassina — with the pasta part blanched, part fried for a curiously crunchy finish — takes the social media trend and lifts it with the addition of three juicy, chargrilled king prawns laying atop the garlic and chilli oil-drizzled nest of pasta strands. The brilliantly named bug club, takes the classic three-layered sandwich and swaps out the usual slices of deli meat for a sweet and tender Moreton Bay bug tail, diced and dressed with mayo, tomato and crisp salad greens. The house martini is served Gidley style: with two servings per order — because one is never enough — and a little side serving of various garnishes so you can pimp your drink to your preferred taste. It's seriously executed dining that simultaneously doesn't take itself too seriously.

The tone of the service follows suit. It's swift and efficient, but also warm and disarming, letting you know you're welcome and in good hands. There's an effortlessness to the experience and this is perhaps the most impressive feat of Table Manners — the confidence with which it has prototyped this new mode of mid-tier, high-low, easy going neighbourhood dining.

Sydney's culinary scene is easily transfixed by the new shiny thing, which is great for venues when they open, but less so when the sheen fades and attentions drift elsewhere. But with its singular blend of polish and scruff, Table Manners somehow manages to leapfrog the fad-ness of it all — an instant classic rather than merely the new hotness.

Images: Jennifer Snoo