GREAT COAST STEAK OFF

STRAIGHT TO THE 'SAUCE' FOR TOP 5

SIP cocktails under the chandeliers or sup in a sumptuous booth – Hope Island’s newest restaurant is reviving the glamour of the Gatsby era. Owner Jo-Anne Taylor opened Manhattan on Hope last month, the latest step in her goal to create a waterfront dining destination for locals.

“We already have a couple of restaurants – New York New York and Tiffanys Cafe,” she says.

“As Paradise Point locals ourselves we didn’t want to drive too far for a lovely dinner or a drink, so we’re bringing that experience to the northern Gold Coast.”

Manhattan on Hope features an opulent fitout and sexy bar perfect for perching with a prosecco, but the site’s natural assets almost steal the show.

“We’ve got the rare waterfront aspect of being west facing, so where we are placed over the marina you get stunning sunsets over the water,” Jo-Anne says.

“The doors open up across the front and all of the tables have a view, but we do get a lot of people requesting to sit along the front.”

Jo-Anne describes the menu as New Yorkstyle Italian, slanted at share plates with a modern spin.

“It’s all very well priced so you can try a lot – we want people to order and share an array of dishes, just like you would at nonna’s table. The essence of Italian dining is the produce. We’ve gone the extra mile to import a lot of Italian produce,” she says.

“We didn’t want just a duplication of something else already out there, so you’ll find dishes like venison carpaccio instead of the usual beef carpaccio. It’s a really beautiful cut of meat, with textures of parsnip and fried capers.

“The veal cutlet parmigiana is another popular one.”

Sample a hand-stretched pizza base topped with buffalo mozzarella, wood-smoked salmon, caramelised onions, fennel, chives and capers, or Italian meatballs. The salted caramel pannacotta is a winner for dessert.

“We’ve been selling a lot of that – and of your more traditional tiramisu and affogato.”

The restaurant reopens bright and early so you can reconvene for breakfast and plates of Barker’s Creek pulled pork with apple cider hollandaise, pork crackle, poached egg and organic Burleigh Baker’s ciabatta.

Jo-Anne also recommends the baked Italian eggs and that old classic, lamb’s fry.

“We encourage people to sit at the espresso bar and have a coffee – we use Bear Bones out of Brisbane and it’s been very well received.”

While it sounds like there’s already plenty on this restaurateur’s plate, she doesn’t rule out further expansion.

Three restaurants may be a charm, but she’s keeping an open mind to opportunity.

“We’re really happy with introducing a waterfront dining scene up here, but you never know,” she says.

Manhattan on Hope: Shop 18 Marina Shopping Village, 10 Santa Barbara Rd, Hope Island. Open daily 7.30am - late