Looking for a small bar in Manly? Here are three venues to try

Want an after work drink, live music or a small restaurant to enjoy a shared plate with a glass of wine? Foodie Friday focuses on the small bar scene in Manly.

James Ekless at Jamtown makes cocktails with a Caribbean twist. Picture: Braden Fastier

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Looking for a small bar? Foodie Friday showcases a trio of Manly venues.

Turn up the volume and one Manly bar does a mean goat curry with rice and peas, Jamaican beer and 20 different rums.

Colourful Jamtown introduces a little piece of the Caribbean to Manly. Think “beach shack” because Jamtown has been built with recycled timber, oil drums and corrugated iron from Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre and Brookvale Recycled in Oxford Falls.

Jamtown is a Jamcian style bar in Manly. Picture: Braden Fastier

Jamaican beer features on the menu. Local brews include Red Stripe, Earls pale ale and Kingston Town golden lager, as well as Royal Jamaican ginger beer.

Music rounds out a night at Jamtown. From reggae and ska on the mega sound system to live music, the vibe is typically Jamaican.

Jamtown brings Jamaica to Belgrave St. Picture: Braden Fastier

If you like tapas, a glass of wine and the closest thing Manly has to a Melbourne laneway location, then Cured satisfies the demand for charcuterie, pickles and cheese platters matched with a glass of vino.

Husband and wife Jeremy Ricketts and Bridie Gough are the names behind this Market Lane restaurant. The pair tapped into a gap in the market, Mr Ricketts said. “We saw that there was a gap in the hospitality space — we both love cured meats and a nice glass of wine,” he said.

The wine list is boutique and small with a focus on Victorian, Italian and Spanish wines, Mr Ricketts said.

Jeremy Ricketts at Cured. Go for charcuterie and glasses of boutique wine. Picture: Braden Fastier

Aperitivo, or happy hour, runs from 4pm to 6pm from Wednesday to Friday. Live jazz starts on Wednesday, June 29, Mr Ricketts said.

From sticky date espressos to fairy floss martinis, Donny’s Bar, opposite Manly Library, serves cocktails and shared plates in a loft-style New York setting.

Urban chic: Matt Clifton opened Donny’s Bar.

Opened by former Merivale operations manager, Matt Clifton, in late 2013, this small bar showcases urban style with its metal spiral ­staircase, downstairs copper bar, Edison globes, exposed brick and railway sleepers.

Go for live music from Thursday to Sunday. And on Friday and Saturday nights, the adjacent bar, Woolshed is open for craft beer and whiskey.

Jamtown: 32 Belgrave St, Manly 9976 5707

Cured: 42 Market Ln, Manly, 9976 0698

Donny’s Bar: 7 Market Ln, Manly 9977 1887