Merivale’s new Northern Beaches pub, The Collaroy, is now open, offering casual dining across the two-level beachside venue.
The venue aims for a “relaxed and fuss-free” vibe with its design team, including Justin and Bettina Hemmes, Kelvin Ho of Akin Creative and stylist Amanda Talbot, taking inspiration from the ocean views with a green and blue colour palette.
Executive chef Jordan Toft has also taken inspiration from the coastal location, describing his food as “simple and elegant for a community that loves the sun, surf and sand”.
The ground floor features an evolving offering throughout the day, starting with breakfast, which includes house made pastries, banana bread with honeycomb butter and powdered sugar, bacon and egg rolls and mortadella and buffalo mozzarella melts with fresh focaccia.
The lunch offering includes health-driven bowls and salads such as the “ocean trout bowl” with hot smoked ocean trout, shaved brussel sprouts, boiled egg, sprouted grains and apple cider, the “meatball bowl” with spice pork meatballs, rice noodles, holy basil, cucumber, fermented chilli, pickled carrot and daikon and the “green bowl” with zucchini noodles, avocado, poached egg, charred broccolini, avocado oil dressing and seasoned pepitas.
For dinner, the ground floor offers generous home-style dinners that will change daily alongside a range of snacks including freshly sliced prosciutto and gnocco fritto, ham croquettes with spicy aioli and anchovy toasts with pickled shallot.
Upstairs guests will find a restaurant with an open kitchen and two bars to choose from.
The restaurant highlights fresh seafood such as prawns with cocktail sauce and lemon, kingfish ceviche tostada, charred baby octopus and Tarama fish dip with bagel chips and witlof. Mains include whole 500g snapper with roasted garlic, thyme and lemon zest, grilled spatchcock with rustic potatoes and wild oregano, charred lamb rump with eggplant caponata and Riverina rib eye with BBQ onions, cress and mustard jus.
For a more casual meal, the bar menu offers burgers, snacks and salads. Vinnie’s Pizza, the authentic wood-fired creations by Vincenzo Biondini, can also be enjoyed throughout the day and night.
The wine list focuses on crisp whites and rosés, while the drinks menu is reflective of the seaside spot, created by bartenders from The Newport, Papi Chulo and Coogee Pavilion.
The Collaroy is Merivale’s second Northern Beaches venue, following the launch of The Newport in 2016. Free bus transport between the two venues is available every Friday and Saturday night.
