The waterfront dining scene at Manly Wharf is about to get a significant shake-up, with Stanley — the acclaimed Cantonese restaurant that has been a fixture at Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves since 2019 — confirmed to open at Manly Wharf in September. Bookings are already open.
For many locals, the news will land as welcome relief. Queen Chow, the Cantonese restaurant that had become a Manly waterfront favourite, closed its doors after seven years of service as part of the broader redevelopment of the precinct under new ownership. The closure came amid major changes at Manly Wharf following Brisbane-based Artemus Group’s acquisition of the precinct’s long-term lease in mid-2023. Stanley will now fill that gap — and the group behind it has big ambitions for what they’re bringing to the harbour.
At the helm is chef Louis Tikaram, who grew up on a farm in Mullumbimby, on the north coast of New South Wales, before moving to Sydney to pursue a career in cooking. He served as an apprentice at Longrain under chef Martin Boetz, then worked at Bentley Restaurant + Bar and later Tetsuya’s. He subsequently led the celebrated EP & LP in West Hollywood before returning to Australia to launch Stanley in Brisbane — a restaurant that has become regarded as Brisbane’s top Chinese fine-diner, with the kitchen known for its roasted meats, live seafood and dim sum.
The Manly iteration won’t simply be a carbon copy of its Brisbane sibling, though. One of the standout features of the Sydney venue will be a custom-built woodfired oven specifically designed for roasting Peking duck — a step up from Brisbane’s setup. According to Tikaram, the oven runs at around 500 degrees, is built into the restaurant, and the ducks will have been five days in preparation before they reach the table, where they’ll be carved tableside. It’s a theatrical touch that should make an impression on the harbour.
The kitchen will also feature at least three seafood tanks positioned between the kitchen and the dining room — a nod to classic Cantonese-style restaurants — stocked with pippies, lobster, abalone, blue swimmer crabs and more. Tikaram has spoken publicly about his enthusiasm for getting back into NSW seafood, including South Coast oysters and tuna from Ulladulla, ingredients that aren’t as readily available to him in Queensland.
The broader menu will follow the Stanley formula locals may know from Brisbane: roasted meats, stir-fries, dumplings and noodles, alongside some dishes not previously seen at the original venue. The restaurant takes its name from Hong Kong’s Stanley Bay and draws on Tikaram’s Chinese and Fijian heritage, combining traditional Cantonese-style cooking with locally sourced produce.
Artemus has already begun reshaping Manly Wharf, with the historic Wharf Bar now rebranded as Felons Brewing Co., which arrived here in 2024 — the same brand that operates at Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane. Stanley’s opening will continue that transformation of the precinct.
One thing clearly on Tikaram’s mind is making sure Manly locals feel the love, not just summer tourists. Having grown up in the Northern Rivers, he’s well aware that seasonal visitor traffic alone won’t sustain a restaurant through winter — it’s the regulars who matter. He’s spoken about ideas in the works to ensure that when the wharf is busy over summer, residents will still be able to secure tables.
Stanley opens at Manly Wharf in September. Bookings are open now at stanleyrestaurant.com.au.
Published 21-July-2026
