Il Gondoliere

Great, quick service. Very straight forward menu. Excellent on a cold night.
We also know it as «Il Grumpy», as the owner is not always kid friendly. Seems the take up seats and don’t eat enough… Doesn’t change anything, but noted.

This is certainly not the most glamourous dining destinations in Manly but it may well be one of the yummiest. With the doors closed out of hours it looks downright dull — the façade dominated by a grubby air-​conditioning box.
But once the lights go down, the doors are open, the candles are lit on the red-​and-​white check table cloths, and the doughy pizza smell wafts out from the pizza oven, it’s a whole new place. This is authentic, ‘just like mama makes’ Italian cooking, served in hearty quantities at reasonable prices.
Be aware that it is cosy (a complimentary way of saying small), and doesn’t take reservations, so view it as a place that you drop into when you can’t be bothered to cook rather than plan it for a big occasion. You might have to wait, but as ‘mama’ knows, good food is worth the wait. And if you’re in a desperate hurry, grab your pizza take-​away and snare one of the many outdoor eating corners throughout Manly (last resort really, as that rules out the option of a good glass of red wine, which is an integral part of the best Italian meal …)