For my most recent visit to the Manly Wharf, I tagged along with the lads of Curry Runners United, a loose agglomeration of 30-something professionals, mostly from the North Shore, with an interest in the high culture of beer and curry. These nights are always, without fail, a blast and tonight is no exception. I have to travel from Pyrmont to Manly, of course, and the ferry trip always puts me in a contemplative mood, from which I'm most jarringly shaken by the sheer energy in the place.

It's a Thursday evening and the Manly Wharf is packed, both inside and out on the waterfront itself. Finding and meeting a group is a tricky proposition, even with the aid of a mobile phone, and we end up resorting to SMS in a rather slow form of echolocation. Send out a ping, wait for the reply, head roughly in that direction, try again.

So finally I locate the group, and it's time to repeat the swim through the crowd to acquire a beer, something which I was surprised to find easy - the staff here are quick, obviously honed by constant practice!

The mixture is a good one, but clearly it's a yuppie bar - the older patrons seem to be seated, some enjoying food, with the younger portion milling round checking out clothes, looks and prospective bank balances - there are clearly a few people 'on the hunt' tonight. Some people dislike it for the yuppie angle - I'm just taking it as-is and blending in (since I had the foresight to dress slightly up for the occasion)

Rated, if you fit the demographic

review by: Jason