This is the sort of place you wouldn’t feel weird drinking in during the day. In fact, Hemingway’s, the tiny Manly small bar offering the northern beaches a double dose of fun drinks and a whole lot of literature (we’ve never seen so much Bill Cosby in one place), also offers breakfast. Grab some toasted crumpets and honey or an omelette and prop a lean at the bar. Or come back a little later in the day for a serve of chicken nuggets and some pretzels and claim one of the table settings out front looking straight out to sea – perfect for a little naval gazing. Everything about this bar has settled in since it first opened back in 2011 – staff have a better feel for the space and their customers and the drinks are more delicious, but no less fun. We’re not sure there’s a bar in Sydney that’s happier to colour things blue, flavour them with creaming soda or deliberately (and hilariously) screw with a Brandy Alexander by adding Coco Pops and Nesquik. Those super-friendly bar-staff also are happy to crack open a tinny of Reschs or Tecate (or, indeed, knock the top off a long neck of Tsing Tao) and have a big, exciting range of pick’n’mixers. Order a gin and Mountain Dew, Aperol and Fanta or (our personal favourite) tequila and Passiona. Fresh! Hemingway’s gets it spot-on with their fun, irreverent menus and excellent service, with a decent side-order of salt and sass.
