You’d be hard pressed to find a better location than Manly’s Little Pearl, situated seconds from the sands of one of Sydney’s – if not Australia’s – most-loved golden beaches.
Taking over the former Manly Wine space, the casual bar and restaurant makes the most of its stellar views during the day by opening the glass windows and doors right up, buttercup-yellow and white umbrellas standing tall and proud. Guests can sit back, relax and lap up the surfers riding the waves, tourists feeding seagulls and beach-goers enjoying themselves. C'est la vie so they say – and what a good one at that.
Opening at the start of 2022, Little Pearl promised hawker-style dishes, bold cocktails, easy-drinking wines and prime ocean views. The last one is underlined with a giant tick. So onto the food, with executive chef Jason Roberson steering the ship.
While freshly shucked oysters are enhanced with a lick of nahm jim dressing, the salmon and chicken betel leaves lack crunch and don’t quite deliver on the flavour explosion you’d hope for. Wok-tossed salt and pepper cuttlefish with chilli and tomato sambal, green onion and coriander is oddly sans coriander, but the sweet sambal makes up for it in a tasty dish perfect to share with mates over a cold beer or two.
Things brighten up with chicken and chive gyoza that are plump, juicy and served with a hoisin and black vinegar dressing so delicious we’d happily pick up the bowl and drink it. However, Ora king salmon sashimi is a bit clunky. While the accompanied bursts of salmon roe and native karkalla taste like the sea, the added chunks of lime, avosabi and nahm jim dressing results in a dish with too many competing ingredients to really swim.
A Sri Lankan king prawn curry comes with a generous number of prawns, Thai eggplant, sugar snap peas and crispy shallots, ideal for eating alongside the comforting bowl of egg fried rice. The curry has a nice depth of flavour, and a vibrant colour, so do as we say (and not as we do) and don’t wear white. A slow-cooked sticky Wagyu beef cheek, tender and lavish, is coated in a chilli caramel with sprouts, peanuts and much-needed daikon bringing freshness. The sauce erred on the sweet side for us.
The signature cocktail menu goes down the path of Asian twists with drinks such as a Lychee and Rhubarb Spritz and Smoky Mango Caprioska. While a Strawberry Yuzu Sour is heavy on the sugar and light on the sour, the Kiwi Cucumber Mojito with White Rum, kiwi, cucumber, lime, mint and soda was a nice rendition on the OG – refreshing and not too sweet. An affordable wine list offers fine drops from Australia, New Zealand and Italy.
Bright and airy with high ceilings, wooden features and a coastal palette, Little Pearl offers a relaxed and casual atmosphere, and the service is warm and attentive. To make the most of the views, we’d recommend booking a lunch reservation with a group of friends, or the restaurant and bar could be your next date night spot when you feel like dressing up and enjoying better-than-takeout Thai.
So, no, Little Pearl is not groundbreaking in any sense of the word, and nor does it always get the perfect balance of salty, sweet, spice and sour right that’s so loved (and vital) in Thai and indeed Asian cuisine. A pinch of palm sugar here, a kick of fiery chilli there, an extra dash of fish sauce and a whole lot of freshly squeezed lime juice would do wonders in taking things to the next level. But importantly, everyone here seems to be having a good time. With views that great, why wouldn’t you?
