Cuisine: Italian
Ranked: #1 of 93 restaurants in Sydney
A path from the beach leads through the garden to the beach house.
From the moment you set foot inside Pilu at Freshwater, Giovanni, Marilyn and their team ensure that your experience at Pilu is a memorable one.
Each guest is welcomed like a returning friend. Giovanni’s passion for Sardinian, and regional Italian food, and his acclaimed cooking; is matched by the award-winning service delivered by Pilu’s long-standing front of house, sommeliers and wait staff, renowned across the industry for their warmth, knowledge and experience.
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Pilu at Freshwater
'On the Beach' End of Moore Road
Freshwater, Manly 2096
Open Hours:
Tue-Sat:
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Sun:
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Phone: 02 9938 3331
Website: www.pilu.com.au
Sample Menu *may not be current
Click on menu to enlarge.
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Reviews
Jared Park-Ross - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 26 July 2019
First-timer to Pilu and the experience was superb. Service was exceptional. We opted for the five course degustation and they were divine. Eating the course were like eating works of art. Having the first table offer was a very nice bonus. An experience I'll be remembering for a while.
JJ Black - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 25 June 2019
The dining experience at Pilu was superb. Their starter homemade crisp bread with rosemary and with ricotta, honey and truffle was absolutely divine. The entree was delicious - cured wagyu pieces layed perfectly on the plate and for their main, I had the suckling pig with crackling, which was cooked to perfection. The meat was super tender. My hubby had the vegetable ravioli entree and the chicken for the main. He said the chicken dish was bursting with flavour with each bite. For our desserts we both ordered the chocolate and peanut parfait. That was just heaven served on a plate. It wasn't too sweet and it was the perfect serving size to end your dining experience.
Besides the food, the views of sunset are amazing and the cosy intimate set up of the place is very charming. Perfect experience for our first table booking.
Will be back again that's sure.
Tracey Papa - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 5 April 2019
Amazing food, thoughtful, sufficient, delicious. Service was warm, friendly, above what is normally found in restaurants. I asked about a spice, waitress went to the kitchen and the chef sent out the jar with instructions how to use it. View was wonderful overlooking Freshwater Beach. Would highly recommend this restaurant, Pilu @ Freshwater!
Karen Stockton - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 29 January 2019
P - Paradise location
I - Ingenious delicious menu
L - Lovable professional staff
U - Unique Sardinian experience - will definitely be back
Rebecca George - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 17 January 2019
Had a wonderful time, Giovanni and his team once again impressed with friendly superb service service, amazing food always surprising us with new tastes, great way to celebrate an anniversary. Taste buds are tingling already for our next visit.
Kathy Lougher - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 20 December 2018
My mum and I came to Pilu to celebrate and we had an absolutely wonderful time. The meals are a pure delight to the taste buds as well as your eye. They were complimented with a sparkling from Italy which was simply beautiful. The staff were very attentive and the location cannot be topped as we looked out on the ocean while dining. If in Sydney, this experience should not be missed. <3
Jess Aisha - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 6 December 2018
Thank you for making our night so enjoyable. The service was excellent, the food was delicious and and staff made a fantastic effort to ensure we enjoyed ourselves.
Missy Evelyn - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 30 October 2018
Absolutely wonderful and delicious dining experience as you would expect from the 2 star Michelin rated restaurant. The menu and combinations of ingredients tantalised our taste buds. We loved every part of the package with attentive and friendly service, quality wines and magnificent location. It was a privilege to eat there.
Sherille Sullivan - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 16 October 2018
Such a great experience! We were treated just like any other customer there, and honestly got the best table in the house. Awesome experience and amazing food. Would definitely go there again and would recommend to anyone.
Hannah Roberts - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 9 October 2018
Everything was perfect there. Love the food and staff are all friendly. I had a wonderful time at Pilu at Freshwater. I am so glad I live close by, so I can go back again and again.
Caroline Yang - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 13 September 2018
Had a lovely experience at Pilu enjoying beautiful food with a beautiful view! The service was very attentive and we were really taken care of while we were there. Looking forward to going back.
Susan Lee - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 4 September 2018
Immaculate is the only word to describe this restaurant. Each aspect as good as the next. From the drop dead gorgeous views, pristine table settings, enthusiastic and extremely attentive waiter to the absolutely beautifully crafted menu. Each and every dish - just jaw dropping. My mum thoroughly enjoyed her 50th Birthday lunch. Can’t recommend more.
Remy Leonard - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 7 August 2018
This was a delightful experience. The knowledge of our ‘waiter’ James (he was really a lot more than that) regarding the food and wines to match was so informative, and I love eating food that I’ve never eaten elsewhere, such as pheasant that was so delicate and tasty, and a desert of Sardinian pastry. I could go on, but just go and see and eat for yourselves, you won’t be sorry!
Simon Dodshon - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 26 July 2018
Surf conditions were delightful. 1-2 feet with a slight off shore breeze. We then hit Pilu and began with the rock oysters. They were smoked and someone added thyme - no mistake. Next, she had the mussels and I had braised duck (with truffles - snap). All of our senses were in a state of pure delight that was to be somehow heightened with the main <
Mark Liddell - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 5 July 2018
Wow...what a night! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the 5 course degustation menu with matching wines. Both food and wines were delicious. The service was excellent. We felt very well attended too including the extra little delight of a mini birthday cake for me as a surprise. Would definitely go back again, possibly in the warmer months to appreciate the view.
Suzanne Lucas - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 3 July 2018
We had the best time at Pilu! From the moment we sat down at our table the service was spectacular! We loved chatting with the sommelier when selecting our bottle of wine to share during our 7 course meal. Every course was perfectly presented and the waitstaff were just fantastic the entire night. Attentive, but not disruptive. What a treat to have snagged one of the coveted nights from First Table to dine at Pilu.
Jill Bunting - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 16 May 2018
If Giovanni Pilu brings your Primi to the table himself and stays for a chat - how much better can dinner at Pilu get? The staff are - to a man and woman - consummate professionals, carefully chosen, highly trained and clearly love their job. From the warmest welcome to clear and knowledgeable explanations of menu items or specific wines, we felt it was personal. Our three courses were exquisitely presented, bursting with flair and flavour and delivered with pride. Absolutely top marks for everything, we love you Giovanni and all your team, thank you!
Lindsey Williams - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 4 April 2018
We had a fantastic evening dining at Pilu, the food was amazing! Every single dish we had was delicious and the wine list is very impressive! So it’s the beer menu, we were promptly seated when arriving and were given what I think was the best table in the house. The most amazing view, even with the rain. It was very romantic and the staff were so attentive. Great service, amazing food, stunning views! 10 out of 10.
Yheimy Davison - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 22 March 2018
Hands down, this was the most beautiful meal I've ever had. The service was impeccable, the food to die for, and the wine (2 different bottles) was incredible. We tried each of the main meals, the sides and three of the desserts. I couldn't fault any of it. We took family out to celebrate a recent engagement, and we all left blissed out. Thank you Pilu!
Liv Paris - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 14 March 2018
The food was amazing, so fresh and tasty and also beautiful on the plate. The peach and red wine mousse was standout. Perfect location with beautiful views and attentive staff.
Leanne Tester - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 6 March 2018
One of our favourite restaurants. Our entire evening was impeccable. Every dish was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious in terms of the flavours and textures. Service was perfect and the wine recommendation spot on. Add the beautiful views and lovely cocktails and you end up with an absolutely perfect evening.
Michelle Tsudama - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 27 February 2018
Beautiful view, fantastic food we had five course degustation with wine pairing - perfect pairing of wine with the food, excellent service, made my husbands birthday - thank you Pilu we will be back!
Rebecca Marrable - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 9 August 2019
Gorgeous food and service! Highly recommend!
Carolina Reis - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 7 August 2019
Just incredible. Outstanding service and amazing food. Love the attention to detail
Jared Park-Ross - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 26 July 2019
I went for a lunch with my mother in-law. She can’t hear very well and being at Pilu was just perfect. We were able to have a conversation without raising our voices. We had a lovely time, the view is amazing, staff even better! Thank you.
Ghislaine Park - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 25 July 2019
We had an awesome night at Pilu, It was my mother 70th birthday and I mentioned that on the confirmation email. The restaurant gave us a beautiful table by the window. Up on arrival we were offered some drinks and they gave you a basket of delicious Sardine bread with Ricotta, We decide to have the 3 course menu. The food was amazing! Everything that we had did taste delicious and all the recommendations gave by the waiter were spot on. You must try the Pork and Chicken for mains. The Pineapple merengue for desert it's delicious. The restaurant has a really cool vibe and you can stay there for hours, The service was outstanding. Everyone knew what they doing and always there to help you. I'm looking forward to go back very soon.
Marcelo Moreira - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 25 July 2019
Outstanding food quality and service, must try the 'Threads of God' pasta!
Sam Kovacic - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 19 July 2019
Delicious food, excellent service, lovely ambience. Will be back.
Hayley Keeling - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 17 July 2019
Meal commenced with gusto, levelled off with mains, sides underwhelming but retrieve situation finishing on a high with quality sweets. Service excelled throughout, discrete yet attentive. View never beaten- Wow
Sandy Bellchambers - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 18 July 2019
Fantastic experience as always.
Mark Hayes - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 16 July 2019
Fantastic experience thanks to the team at Pilu. Will definitely be dining here again.
David Hellier - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 2 July 2019
First-timer to Pilu and the experience was superb. Service was exceptional. We opted for the five course degustation and they were divine. Eating the course were like eating works of art. Having the first table offer was a very nice bonus. An experience I'll be remembering for a while.
JJ Black - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 25 June 2019
Beautiful restaurant, we were given the best table by the window and had a stunning view over the beach. The service was great and the food was delicious. Well worth a visit.
Jemma Marshall - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 21 June 2019
Top notch experience from the greeting on arrival to the coats & good byes. Excellent food & class service. Deserves being a hatted restaurant.
Peter Chandran - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 13 June 2019
Food and service were impeccable. We had the 5 course degustation and were educated on each course as part of the 5 star service. Our courses were served over a 2hr period which gave us a chance to take in the ambience and the view. Pilu isn’t just about the delectable food; it’s also about the experience. Tip - free parking is sometimes available opposite the park.
Colin Simms - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 31 May 2019
Excellent service and meal. Love this place.
Alec Badham - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 31 May 2019
Everything was great, the food, the service and the entire experience!!
Sakhi Desai - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 24 May 2019
Fabulous dinner! Highly recommend :-)
Olivia Kirkland - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 15 May 2019
Nice view , friendly staff and great service
Michael Lam - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 30 April 2019
Took friends from Brisbane to Pilu for lunch yesterday what a wonderful time we all had exceptional service, food and view our friends were most impressed. Giovanni and his staff never fail to impress.
Kathy Lougher - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 16 April 2019
Excellent
Marilou David - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 12 April 2019
Perfect in every way.
Lou Lou - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 11 April 2019
Excellent. From the food to the service, we were made to feel extra special the entire time. Pilu is a really special treat!!
Helen Peach - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 9 April 2019
The dining experience at Pilu was superb. Their starter homemade crisp bread with rosemary and with ricotta, honey and truffle was absolutely divine. The entree was delicious - cured wagyu pieces layed perfectly on the plate and for their main, I had the suckling pig with crackling, which was cooked to perfection. The meat was super tender. My hubby had the vegetable ravioli entree and the chicken for the main. He said the chicken dish was bursting with flavour with each bite. For our desserts we both ordered the chocolate and peanut parfait. That was just heaven served on a plate. It wasn't too sweet and it was the perfect serving size to end your dining experience.
Besides the food, the views of sunset are amazing and the cosy intimate set up of the place is very charming. Perfect experience for our first table booking.
Will be back again that's sure.
Tracey Papa - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 5 April 2019
perfect!
cigdem cekici - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 2 April 2019
,5star food 5 star service and a view to die for
Peter Raavel - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 27 March 2019
Excellent. We’ll be back!
Antonella Beconi - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 22 March 2019
Amazing view and amazing food! This is my second time at pilu! I would recommend the 5 course meal instead of the 8 course! Favourite dishes were the snapper, carpaccio, squid ink pasta, venison and rice pudding dessert. Such good value when you book with first table!!
Eilish Kelly - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 20 March 2019
Everything went perfectly. We arrived at 12 noon and were seated in the enclosed veranda at a table with a glorious view of the beach. Service was excellent. A fantastic menu to choose from. The stars for us were the Lamb broth Ravioli and the Suckling Pig and Kingfish. The Mullet- definitely an acquired taste and the Pistachio Semifreddo- well let’s just say, it was interesting!
SUZANNE CALVERT - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 19 March 2019
Excellent food and service- easily one of my favourite restaurants. Will definitely be coming back
Pete Snowdon - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 15 March 2019
Food was fantastic and the service could not be faulted. A lovely dining experience with a sensational view as well. Will definitely come back.
Leanne Moraza - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 12 March 2019
Lovely dinner; a variety of dishes ordered over the 3 courses, and all were amazing. Very knowledgeable and attentive staff; excellent wine list.
David Martyn - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 7 March 2019
Great food Fabulous view
Teresa Lee - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 8 March 2019
Pilu has an old world charm and an amazing view! We had a 3 course meal each and the servings are large. Our entree pasta was a little overpowering in flavour but each of our mains were perfect. A range of creative desserts were all a perfect way to finish off a great meal.
Stu Lloyd - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 5 March 2019
We had an amazing time thank you to the whole team at Pilu ! From the moment you walk in the service, food and view is incredible !
Melissa Dobbs - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 28 February 2019
Great view, excellent food and exceptional service! Highly recommended and definitely coming back.
Jacqueline De Jesus - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 22 February 2019
Great food, great view, great service!
Steph Paige - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 21 February 2019
What an amazing experience! The food was so delicious, fantastic choice of wine and the waiters are so attentive. Will be back!! 5 stars
Claudia Dietz - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 20 February 2019
Celebrated a birthday lunch and the food and service were excellent - highly recommend - Pilu didn't disappoint!
Beverley Hamann - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 20 February 2019
We had an amazing experience at Pilu on Friday for lunch. The service was exceptional and the 8 course degustation meal was to die for. The staff were very attentive - altering the menu for my but allergy without any issue at all. Can’t wait to go back soon!
Loray Tabletop - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 15 February 2019
It was my first time at Pilu and it certainly did not disappoint. The location, food, service and experience was 5 star.
I would definitely recommend Pilu to all.
Stuart Houston - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 13 February 2019
Food was creative, delicious and amazing. Attentive staff and nice drinks. Very enjoyable evening!
Bethany Gibbins - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 8 February 2019
The four of us loved our dining experience. The service was excellent, friendly and helpful. The staff were experienced and at your side when you needed them but definitely not pushy at all.
Food was very well presented and of best quality, we enjoyed the presentation, lots of tasty details. Of course the atmosphere was lovely and we had a perfect blue sky day to look out on.
Fleur Anson - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 7 February 2019
Simply Fabulous
Annie Tufts - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 8 February 2019
Loved lunch. Crab salad followed by the signature snapper. The thinnest crispy oil & salt wafers and housemade ricotta to spread was divine, ate it all and now hate myself. However I didn’t really eat the chocolate dessert. Just a little taste or two. I have no self control in this restaurant.
Kit Meyer - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 31 January 2019
Amazing food, thoughtful, sufficient, delicious. Service was warm, friendly, above what is normally found in restaurants. I asked about a spice, waitress went to the kitchen and the chef sent out the jar with instructions how to use it. View was wonderful overlooking Freshwater Beach. Would highly recommend this restaurant, Pilu @ Freshwater!
Karen Stockton - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 29 January 2019
Lunch at Pilu was such a lovely experience. The food was delicious and the staff were amazing. Loved it and will be back!
Sophie Brandis - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 18 January 2019
Amazing food, every single dish was to die for.
Service great but too old school, love people with passion about wine and food and they interact a little bit more with guest ( I have not found this in pilu)
Consuelo Floris - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 17 January 2019
P - Paradise location
I - Ingenious delicious menu
L - Lovable professional staff
U - Unique Sardinian experience - will definitely be back
Rebecca George - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 17 January 2019
Location superb. Public parking spaces though plentiful are difficult to find and quite expensive. Ambience of the restaurant appeared friendly and relaxing especially during the day. Smart casual look s the way to go.
We chose from the A’ la carte menu. Interesting choices offered. Presentation of meals delightful and tasty. Wide selection of alcoholic beverages.
Friendly and professional service from waiting staff. View looking into the sea and beach from our table was breath taking. Would definitely visit again on special occasions.
Lee McGrath - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 16 January 2019
Great long lunch with beautiful view and attentive and friendly staff.
William Revie - dined at Pilu at Freshwater on 15 January 2019
Overview
267 reviews
Just incredible. Outstanding service and amazing food. Love the attention to detail