There aren’t too many times when I write the name of a restaurant or cafe and think - well that’s a little redundant. Good thing the Merivale group like to keep the names simple. Having been to The Newport a few times, I was curious to see what The Collaroy had to offer.
The view from the restaurant level (deck).
A smaller secondary bar, that must be staffed during peak periods.
Menu (as of July 2019);
(Click on image to view larger version)
Rigatoni ($27.00)
Tube pasta, lamb ragu, tomato, rosemary, parmesan
This was one of the dishes I was trying to decide whether to order or not. I’m thankful that my sister in law picked it - she has great taste! It was a delicious ragu and came with copious amounts of fresh parmesan.
Linguine ($28.00)
Narrow flat pasta, bug meat, parsley, lemon, chilli, garlic, breadcrumbs.
My wife is a seafood pasta fan (but must always come with extra chilli). This Linguine was great, I’ve always wanted to try a pasta with Pangrattato (breadcrumbs). I think this might have also been the first time I have eaten Bug meat that I can recall.
Grilled Beef Asado ($34.00)
Chimichurri, beer battered onion rings.
I picked the Beef Asado because it was something unfamilar to me. When I was ordering, the server suggested I should get a side because it’s essentially “just meat”. I was surprised that this was Beef Short Rib - something I’m fairly familiar with from Korean food. It was delicious, though for $34.00 they might have provided a few more pieces of meat (6-7 on the plate?). If you aren’t sure what I mean by ‘short rib’, I took another photo;
Italian Pork Schnitzel ($28.00)
Cabbage slaw, hazelnuts, lemon aioli.
A impressive schnitzel that is definitely not your typical pub special. This bad boy was much bigger than the photo makes it seem. It was also fairly thick and juicy.
Fries ($10.00)
Aioli
A big bowl ‘o fries for the table. Very moreish and enjoyed by all.
Broccoli ($13.00)
Almonds, sheep’s milk feta, confit garlic.
This is the side that I picked to counter my beef dish. It was really tasty and must’ve been a huge piece of broccoli considering how long the stalk was.
Bonus : Bar
I was pleasantly impressed at the range and stock the bar had. I when tasked with picking a beer I had to opt for my favourite (Stone & Wood).
PROS:
Great food, attentive and friendly staff
Well stocked bar
Great view
CONS:
Parking is problematic.
Dinning area is only open from 12pm
Some dishes are pricey for what they are.
OVERALL:
It was nice to say I’ve been there, but I probably wouldn’t go back unless I was showing some people from out of town the area.
Details:
Address: 1064 Pittwater Rd, Collaroy NSW 2097
Hours: Mon/Wed/Thur 07:30-00:00, Fri/Sat 07:30-03:00, Sunday 07:30-23:00
Phone: 02 9114 7366
Site: Merrivale/TheCollaroy
MAP: