The property housing The Cumberland — the Manly speakeasy bar tucked beneath a European-style deli on Central Avenue — has been listed for sale with a price guide of $1.95 million, offering a rare opportunity to own a piece of the suburb’s after-dark character.
From the street, 1/17-19 Central Ave looks every bit the charming neighbourhood deli. Mosaic tiles, bespoke joinery, antique-style handles and custom European fittings make up the fitout of Cove Deli, which serves light bites for drinkers heading downstairs. But the real draw is what lies beyond an antique fridge door in the corner — a spiral staircase that descends into The Cumberland, a candlelit underground bar that has earned a devoted following since opening.
Time Out Sydney has described the venue as transporting visitors into the atmosphere of New York City in the 1920s, praising its cocktails, bartenders and ambience. The bar was named Australia’s Small Bar of the Year at the Australian Bar Awards in 2021.
Named after the Parish of Manly Cove in the County of Cumberland, the bar serves more than 250 whiskies alongside natural wine, craft beer and a themed cocktail menu that spans prohibition-era classics and locally inspired tipples. The interiors draw on reclaimed timber, antique brass and copper, marble benchtops and hand-carved sandstone — every detail considered, right down to the aged finishes on the render.
Selling agent James Willing of Belle Property Commercial Northern Beaches describes the venue as unlike anything else on the Northern Beaches. Walk in off the street, he says, and you genuinely don’t quite know what you’re looking at — until you step through the fridge door.
What’s actually on offer is a 114 square metre floor space and shopfront, with The Cumberland operating under a five-year lease that includes an option to extend until 2035. The net income is $152,665 plus GST, representing a net return of 7.8 per cent. Willing says the listing would appeal to a private investor or anyone looking for something genuinely out of the ordinary.
The property’s location adds to its appeal. Central Avenue is just steps from Manly Beach and The Corso, with a major car park nearby — handy for anyone running a hospitality venue.
The timing of the listing coincides with significant momentum around Manly’s night-time economy. Northern Beaches Council has proposed amendments to the Manly Local Environmental Plan 2013 to pave the way for an 18-month Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) trial, scheduled to begin in Spring 2026. The proposed trial aims to make Manly a more vibrant destination by encouraging more businesses to stay open after dark and introducing maximum sound controls. Under the proposal, indoor venues could trade until midnight on weeknights and until 2am on weekends.
For a venue like The Cumberland — already thriving in the very heart of what will be the proposed precinct — that broader shift could only mean good things.
A “speakeasy,” for those unfamiliar with the term, is a hidden bar with roots in 1920s America, when Prohibition made alcohol illegal and patrons had to keep their voices down at the door to avoid drawing unwanted attention. The Cumberland has leaned into that history with everything from its entrance to its cocktail list — the themed menus take their cues from the history of the County of Cumberland, with sections dedicated to locally foraged ingredients, pre-Temperance Movement favourites and 19th-century county tipples from Sydney and surrounds.
For locals who’ve spent years guarding this particular secret, the news that the building is for sale may raise questions about what comes next. For now, The Cumberland’s lease remains in place, and the bar — fridge door and all — stays open.
Published 8-July-2026
