Pocket Pizza Manly — Restaurant in Sydney

I brought a friend I hadn’t seen in almost three years, hoping for a nice meal and a good time. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from the start. The service felt rushed and pushy from the moment we arrived. When we explained that we wanted to take our time ordering so we could enjoy a drink first, the waiter curtly reminded us that they would need the table back in just over an hour, as stated in the online booking.

When the bill came, the waiter rudely placed it on the table along with the EFTPOS machine, said, “that’s the bill,” and walked off. I asked if we could split the bill, and while she confirmed it was possible, she turned her back and walked away without offering any assistance. I felt embarrassed for bringing my friend here for what was supposed to be a relaxing time. While paying wasn’t difficult, the lack of care made it feel unwelcoming and impersonal.

I raised my concerns with the manager about how rushed and uncomfortable the entire experience was, but they showed no empathy, simply stating it’s normal for customers to use the EFTPOS machine themselves. This dismissive attitude was disappointing.

Throughout the meal, we were repeatedly told to order quickly and felt pressured to finish within an hour. This constant rushing ruined the experience, making it impossible to enjoy our time. We couldn’t order or eat as much as we had planned, and the atmosphere was overshadowed by the staff’s urgency.

The service and overall experience were incredibly...

I am usually an absolute raver for pocket pizza. I love all the locations and their cozy atmosphere. I went out with my friends tonight for a cheeky girls catchup, we sat outside (not our first choice but alas we move on). It took us a while to be served - even a simple water pour took much longer than it should’ve. There wasn’t the usual “hey guys how are you, how’s your night been” yada yada, which I think is simple etiquette as a waitress. I dont know about you guys but I want to feel like I’m being served by someone who wants to be there? Her energy was just so off it felt quite negative and I wasn’t the only person who noticed it on my table which is a little awks. Respectfully if you’re having a bad day I’m sorry, but please try your best to not be rude to your customers? Moving on. We order food, it comes out slowly but PLEASE pocket pizza - the wait for mains after entrees is too long. Sorry not sorry. Another thought - I’ve always thought pocket pizza needs more staff on - I feel like there’s one person looking after all the tables and it’s not fair tbh which is probably why this poor girl looked like she was having a terrible shift. Also the vodka sauce was quite spicy if you could tone it down and maybe offer extra spice for people who want it - my burning mouth couldn’t deal and my empty cup of water didn’t help settle the spice either. I’ll defs be back but maybe...

Pocket Pizza, Manly – Sunday 14th September, about 7:15pm. The pizza was hot, but the service was colder than an Antarctic swim in winter.

First, credit where it’s due: the lovely young girl who took my order was kind, helpful, and gave me the kind of service that makes you want to come back. Spoiler: I won’t.

When I went to collect my pizza, I was greeted by a petite brunette radiating passive-aggressive “girl boss” energy. Asking for the Coke I’d already paid for was treated as though I’d requested a full tax audit. She flicked through dockets with the urgency of someone defusing a bomb, got increasingly frazzled, and flatly insisted it was a “separate order.” Eventually, she rediscovered my docket and realised—shock horror—that I was right.

Instead of a simple apology, she vanished inside, reappeared seconds later, and staged a bizarre pantomime, loudly waving a paper bag and declaring for all to hear: “WOULD YOU LIKE A BAG FOR YOUR COKE?” The fakeness could have won an Oscar.

The pizza? Brilliant. The Coke? Refreshing. The service? A reminder that not everyone is destined for hospitality.

Pocket Pizza: Come for the pizza, witness the theatre, and leave with frostbite from...