Fire meets flavour, a restaurant that’s mastered the art of wood-fired cooking.
This one-time pizza shop, with its wood-fired oven as the centrepiece, has spent years honing its craft, delivering dishes that feel both grounded and daring. Flatbread arrives warm, charred just enough to taste the kiss of flame – perfect for swiping through silky babaganoush or hummus speckled with za’atar and pepitas. Roasted olives, slick with their own smoky juices, are dangerously moreish. Vegetables often take centre stage: cauliflower is roasted to a sweet, caramelised finish, its richness offset by a vibrant almond and currant pesto. Meanwhile, wood-roasted potatoes, bolstered by mustard sour cream and smoked butter, demand their own moment of attention. But it’s the Exmouth tiger prawns that truly shine, their sweetness heightened by fermented chilli and lemongrass-spiked remoulade. For meat lovers, pressed Amelia Park Lamb with smoked yogurt and port-and-date puree, is a triumph. Dessert? A halva parfait that teeters between sweet and nutty, topped with salted caramel, chocolate, and sesame crumble, is proof that fire isn’t the only thing Manuka knows how to handle.