A new North Harbour Marina cafe brings holiday-style food to the waterfront, from bacon-and-egg subs to cheesy “mousetraps.”
A waterfront cafe opening is rare enough, but Buoy Kiosk is doing it with the energy of a holiday start, right in North Harbour Marina.
Located in a small weatherboard space at the marina in Balgowlah, the new kiosk leans into that “on the water, by the water” brief, with opening times also coming with a weather-permitting note.. Since late March, locals have been stopping by the wraparound deck, including walkers taking a pit stop on the Spit to Manly route.
In short, Misryoum says the key appeal here is the setting: when the view matches the menu vibe, a simple coffee run turns into an outing.
Buoy Kiosk’s drink list sets the scene with bright smoothies and juices, including banana options tinted with spirulina. There are also thickshakes alongside other fresh pours, and the cafe’s food menus follow a similar pattern: familiar classics treated like something a little special.
The kitchen is led by Emily Jolliffe-Murphy, previously head chef at Effie’s, and the menu reads less like a typical kiosk and more like a proper cafe working through the day.. Avo toast is topped with pickled fennel and a house-made buckwheat dukkah, while a “mousetrap” takes on a New Zealand-style grilled cheese on toast with Vegemite and torched cheese.
That chef-led approach matters because it reframes the idea of a marina stop: it becomes a place to settle in, not just pass through.
For heartier cravings, there are lengthy potato subs loaded with bacon and eggs, Swiss cheese, pickles, and a spicy house-made “overboard” sauce. Later in the morning, the sub options shift to include chicken, with classic baguettes also on the menu.
Salads and protein plates round things out, including a broccoli chop salad dressed with a Green Goddess-style sauce with a tahini twist.. There’s also a Greek-inspired option built around a chickpea and butterbean mix, plus supreme beans serving flatties, caps, or frothy iced long blacks sweetened with vanilla.
Misryoum’s takeaway is that Buoy Kiosk’s “holiday” feel is more than marketing: it’s a mix of waterfront atmosphere, chef-driven cooking, and comfort food that’s designed to be shared.
Set against the bushy Wellings Reserve, Buoy Kiosk is positioned as an on-the-water escape for early mornings and midday breaks. Hours run Monday to Friday from 7am to 2pm, and weekends from 7am to 4pm, with day-to-day timing still subject to the weather.