4 Pines Brewing Company

Brewery, Bar, Eatery

29/43-45 East Esplanade
Manly, 2095
Australia

+61 2 9976 2300 | map
4pinesbeer.com.au
BEER STATS
Average:
3.41
Beers:
29
Ratings:
315
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.94
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
20
pDev:
9.9%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
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Photo of BillRoth
Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland

4.32/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25
From notes: 2015 Australian trip
We had just taken the ferry from downtown Sydney out to Manly Beach. We walked through town on way to breakfast at beach, but noticed this fairly nice size brew pub right before leaving town center. Decided then to wrap up our day there before ferrying back. Really glad we did.
Stopped back late afternoon. Had the universal good vibe of craft beer people enjoying themselves over talk and brews. Large space inside. Lot of wood …walls, floor, tables etc. Darkish…seem to recall little overhead lighting and few if any windows. Probably more lit up at night for crowds, bands playing, etc. But for a hot summer afternoon it was a nice cool oasis.
Only time for one quick pint, but very tasty/well made. Really fresh.
I mention this place mostly because the people who worked there were great! Loved talking American craft; sharing their ideas on their beers. If we weren’t under the clock to catch ferry we would have stayed a LOT longer.
Highly recommend a stop here if/when going to/through Manly.
Mar 05, 2024
 
Rated: 4.24 by He_was_a_wise_man from California

May 04, 2018
Photo of Fixedodds
Reviewed by Fixedodds from Australia

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Service has always been friendly and helpful. Willing to help on your selection. Well versed in knowledge of their beers. Atmospherere is always very positive encouraging you to stay a little longer Food is always very good.
Surrounds overlooking the harbour makes the stay very enjoyable
Mar 31, 2017
 
Rated: 2.89 by KalbHOMEBREWS from Colorado

Feb 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.58 by snowmageddon from Massachusetts

Jan 02, 2016
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.64/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
Nice small brewery right near the ferry wharf. Five flagship brews and some one offs. Food available, but I did not try. Inside and outside seating available.
Nov 30, 2015
Photo of DoctorZombies
Reviewed by DoctorZombies from Florida

4.46/5  rDev +13.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 5
This is a microbrewery pouring delicious on site made small batch beers that aren't bottled. The 2nd story deck over looks the wharf and harbour. Oh yeah, 4 star quality food...in a brew pub! I can't rave enough about how great this place is...take the Manly ferry from downtown Sydney (1/2 hour), walk across the street after docking, and enjoy!
Oct 26, 2015
Photo of Mosant
Reviewed by Mosant from Australia

3.9/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Love this place. Excellent verandah to sit and watch the view out over the water. Beers on tap are great with a full range of their packaged beers available on tap and some seasonal specials as well. The decor is wooden and rustic. Food was great. We had a family lunch here and found the long tables inside ideal for a large gathering and there was no problem brining the younger child for lunch. Worth a look.
Oct 05, 2015
Photo of Act25
Reviewed by Act25 from New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Just off the Manly Ferry (turn right). A must stop when in Sydney. Great atmosphere and beers. Order the flight. Crowded and good food, a happy place to which I would return. Great original craft in addition to their 5 standards.
Apr 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by SmashPants from Australia

Dec 03, 2014
Photo of drtth
Reviewed by drtth from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
Reviewed from Notes taken during most recent visit.

Short walk from the ferry which cosses the harbour from Sydney and so the place is conveniently located to public transit which means no car needed to get there or back if one is staying in Sydney. In fact the wharf area can be seen from here. While a busy place, the service is fairly good and the food is a cut above average. While I personally wouldn't make a special trip across the harbour from Sydney just for the food and beer this place is definitely worth a visit and I typically stay in lodging closer to here than Circular Quey. While there are not a lot of taps (about 6), there is a reasonable variety on offer so that most folks will be able to find something they'd like to have. Their beers are fresh (as you'd expect) and some are reasonably good. The prices for both beer and food are reasonable for the Sydney area in general.
Oct 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by greg4579 from Pennsylvania

Oct 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Ig0r from Virginia

Oct 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Ant4711 from South Carolina

Jul 08, 2014
Photo of heygeebee
Reviewed by heygeebee from Australia

3.71/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.75 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
Been a fair few times and surprised I had not reviewed.

Day time is buzzy, full of Ordinary People, night time it becomes a very very atmospheric ( and quieter ) true bar. Candles on tables add a very nice touch.

Beers are fresh, and wondrous, although the selection could be wider with more additions to core range. Eg often only 1 beer over and above the small core range available. Have found if I try to talk beer on a special release, I get pointed to tasting notes on blackboard. One step away from rude.

Food is good, and reasonably priced.

Beers still at 6.50 / 9.50 as previous reviewers noted.

Overall, really worth a visit, just cross your fingers for the range on a given night. My preference is late night during the week, truly a great place at that time.
Jun 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Agentveba from North Carolina

May 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by SouthCrescent from Pennsylvania

May 05, 2014
Photo of MrKennedy
Reviewed by MrKennedy from Australia

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Been to this place every 3 months or so since it opened a few years ago. Seen some change in this time with regards to what's inside.

One this that hasn't changed is the atmosphere. Every time i've been there the place is always busy, good bit of seating around, but most of it taken by the large number of patrons. Sometimes bands are playing, others it has a good buzz with the number of people drinking and dining at the tables. Nice view of Manly Wharf and well located opposite the ferry terminal.

Beer has been on the up since it opened. The serving temperatures have increased from near freezing to something more like you'd expect from a brewpub. The regular selection of beers is decent and their seasonals have been quite good, the American IIPA brewed for Independence Day 2010 was something special.

Service is ok for how busy the place is with regards to drinks. Meal service was surprisingly good given the number of people around.

Beer selection is limited to 6 taps, though a sign stated that a handpump was on its way to serve the ESB soon. Wine list is not overly long but seems to cover most bases (this from an irregular wine drinker).

Food was quite good, had Rigatoni Ragout. Nice, fresh, meat was tender and pasta well cooked.

Prices for beer haven't changed since opening a few years ago. Still $6.50 for 365ml and $9.50 for 20oz pints. Given the price of craft in Sydney, this is relatively good. Meals were $20-25 or so with some specials.

Overall a buzzing place, seemingly still looking for ways to improve. Take-away bottles (even by the case) are available, likewise t-shirts and other merchandise. Conditioning tanks have recently been installed behind the bar. Beer is decent, food is good, just don't expect it to be quiet with regard to noise levels or patrons.
Jul 31, 2011
Photo of mulder1010
Reviewed by mulder1010 from Australia

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
Across the street from Manly Wharf

A-- Pretty small place but well designed. Lots of places to sit and get a beer and food. Lots of dark oak and small tables and chairs. Place is covered with chalkboards to let you know what is currently on tap and ongoing promotions for the place.

Q-- Quality of the beer was good. I had the Porter and the Dunkelweiss. Friends had their Kolsch and wheat. Were out of their ESB at the time and that was a drag as the point for me was to try that beer. They had a Porter, Stout and the Dunkel as seasonal/ special beers for the time being. Ret of the lineup was average and typical for a Brewery in Australia.

S-- Very solid service. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Close to a pub but service was over and beyond a pub in the Sydney area.

S-- Good wine list and that always helps with women in Sydney! Beers was just their own with a few others that are at best workable.

F-- Tapas was quite well done. Mains were very ordinary. In this respect much closer to pub style food that is overrun in the Sydney area. Double burger was good but the bun was much bigger than the burger itself. Fish and chips batter was not that great.

V-- Very overpriced beer. $9.5 for a pint is silly, especially for the ABV levels that were being made. $6.5 for a schooner is high as well but that was workable. More than likely paying a higher price because of location. Good for a beer or two here and there but nothing to go to on a regular basis. Especially on a weekend and it is a fight to find a parking spot, or just to get to Manly. Add on a $20 parking spot and maybe worth hitting once every two months or so, or if they have something worthwhile on tap that is worth discovering.
May 03, 2010
Photo of vancurly
Reviewed by vancurly from Australia

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Situated upstairs, opposite Manly Wharf, 4 Pines is a welcome oasis in the desert of quality Northern Sydney Beaches beer.
Open in mid-2008, they are still bedding down recipes, trialing different rotationals, and collecting silvers & bronzes along the way.

It's a tough brewery to work - all the grain has to be carted upstairs, and the spent grist back down again. But the operation is of Chinese design and build, which the owner believes is a good thing.

Upon arrival up the steps, you can choose to sit on the balcony, overlooking East Esplanade and said wharf, with views of the shore & harbour. Otherwise, you can sit in lounged comfort, or on heavy steady stools. A nice contemporary fitout which I sneakily photographed as inspiration for my own bar at home.

And, my wife and I took the kids, 6 & 5 years of age. They were kept busy with tapas-style calamari ($12), olives & feta ($9), and spicy Italian sausage (the best value at $8). The two of them then split an adult's fish & chips ($18), which did them fine. I had a slightly soggy pork belly on mash with cabbage ($24), and my wife had an enjoyable mushroom risotto ($22).

For food, good value.

As for the beer, they are reviewed in another place. All up, they are of a steady, journeyman quality, with the occasional fault. But the brewer is keen to rotate, and while this visit saw IPA on the rotation tap, has also had other varieties, such as winter warmer and saison. I think, however, he should tighten the process for his base beers (particularly the hefe) before widening the repertoire. Redoak this place is not.

But...they charge like Redoak, if not more. $9.50 for a pint ($6.50 for a smaller size, probably schmiddie size) is outrageous. I expect a brass band blasting away while angels pee on my tongue for that price. Maybe it's the rent....

However, what is worth mentioning is the service. The guys behind the bar (one of which is the owner) were keen to engage me on topics beer-related, and once realising they were talking to a geek, were happy to get into greater depth of conversation. And they were great with the kids....

For any visitor to Sydney, it comes on a par with the Lord Nelson Hotel. Reasonable beers, surrounded by pleasant environment and enjoyable transit. You can spend the morning strolling the cobblestoned laneways of the Rocks, having a quick pint of Old Admiral at the Lord. Then hop on the Manly ferry, and knock back a pint (or two) of 4 Pines Pale Ale before heading back.
May 24, 2009
4 Pines Brewing Company in Manly, Australia
Brewery rating: 3.41 out of 5 with 315 ratings