Sails on Lavender Bay team to open Manly venue

One of Manly's most notorious venues is set to be reborn as a food-led operation by the Sails on Lavender Bay team. The oceanfront Shore Club, which found itself on a government hit list for violent venues and attracted the attention of the Public Order Riot Squad after 20 men forced their way into the club and attacked staff, is to be retooled as a three-level mega-eatery.

"Shore Club shut about 18 months ago. The plan is to reopen in September with a bistro on the rooftop, an 'entry level' fine diner on the first floor and a beach bar on the ground floor," says new operator Greg Anderson.

The chef-turned-restaurateur argues his experience running Sails has given him a greater understanding of the lower north shore clientele. "A lot of our customers come from Manly," he says. "There's not a lot happening on that part of the beachfront and what's happened at Shelly Beach [the redevelopment of the Le Kiosk site] is going well."

The multi-level building on South Steyne won't reopen with the Shore Club moniker and the hunt is on for a new name.