Come to the Northern Rivers for its incredible nature, beautiful waves and beaches, but stay for the food.  

It is not only the pristine beaches, incredible nature, and great surf of the Northern Rivers that make this a very special place to be. Plan your next visit around these exceptional Byron Bay (and beyond) restaurants that showcase some of the region’s finest producers in the most beautiful settings.

1. Pixie Food & Wine, Byron Bay

Best for: Intimate dinner dates 

This sleek Italian trattoria opened to an instant fan base at the tail-end of 2022 in the newly opened Jonson Lane precinct (home to a whole host of other gorgeous new dining and retail venues, including Light Years, Bar Heather, Deiji Studios, Nagnata, and Venroy). 

In a stunning light-filled space by Flack Studios that pays homage to 1970s Italy, Pixie Food & Wine is the brainchild of the team behind Light Years and Moonlight. Executive chef Matteo Tine’s Sicilian roots inspire the menu at this laid-back, coastal Italian diner with a very impressive wine list. We recommend having a drink at the bar first before moving to your table (either inside or in the little laneway outside). Also open for breakfast. 

Address: 139 Jonson Street, Byron Bay

2. Raes Dining Room, Byron Bay

Best for: Special occasion luxe 

Raes Dining Room is without a doubt one of the most impressive dining experiences in Byron and the perfect place for a long lunch or special dinner. 

Tucked away into a pretty corner of Wategos Beach inside Raes on Wategos, you’ll find a light, bright, breezy, coastal dining room offering Modern Australian fare with a Mediterranean influence. Executive Chef Jason Saxby showcases some of the best local seafood and produce from around the region on his carefully curated menu. 

The Cellar Bar & Terrace is a great casual option if you are not feeling like something so fancy (or pricey) – you will find delicious bar snacks and cocktails.
Address: 6-8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay

3. The Hut, Possum Creek

Best for: Curated farm-to-table fare 

Another must if you happen to be in Byron from Thursday to Sunday, The Hut is located in the hills of Possum Creek just 15 minutes outside of Byron. Housed in the former O’ Possum Creek Schoolhouse building (built in 1911), this pretty weatherboard makes for the perfect setting among the trees for an incredibly delicious Italian-style feast. 

Inspired by the Mediterranean and the pleasure of eating together, Chef Bruno and his team work with local farmers and fishermen to create a menu each week based on crop and availability, featuring unbelievably delicious dishes that are created to be shared. We recommend opting for the ‘Premium Chef’s Menu’ to sample the best of the day’s menu. 

Address: 471 Friday Hut Rd, Possum Creek

4. Light Years, Byron Bay

Best for: A good time with the gang 

Light Years opened in Byron Bay in 2017 but has since relocated to a sleek new space in the Jonson Street Precinct. Serving up delicious modern Asian fare and punchy cocktails, you can expect to find a delicious selection of dumplings, bao, and share-style dishes such as five spice duck pancakes, prawn toast donuts, fire cracker chicken and more. 

The music is always good and the vibes are always high. Look out for their sister venue as well, Moonlight. And if you’re travelling along the east coast, swing into their other outposts at Noosa, Burleigh Heads and Newcastle. 

Address: 139 Jonson Street, Byron Bay

5. Roadhouse, Byron Bay

Best for: Casual bites late into the night 

A local favourite, the Roadhouse (or ‘Roady’) is a cafe by day and pizzeria by night. In the evenings, it’s all about wood-fired pizza – and they do it very well, indeed. We recommend trying the Purple Haze or The Layla. 

Using the best of local products throughout their menus, this is the perfect spot for a margarita at sunset or a delicious cosy pizza inside. 

Address: 6/142 Bangalow Rd, Byron Bay

6. Ciao, Mate!, Bangalow

Best for: Romance for two 

Ciao, Mate! is a cosy, intimate neighbourhood diner in Bangalow by the clever and creative team behind The Eltham – one of the region’s best pubs and music venues. Luke Sullivan and Matt Rabbidge from The Eltham joined forces with Melbourne chef Matt Stone. 

This tiny diner has an equally tiny menu, but the Italian-inspired food is big on flavour. There are half a dozen wood-fired pizzas, a pasta or two of the day, a salad, and a couple of other delicious snacks. There are also well-chosen natural wines and good beers to accompany your plates. Grab a spot in the super-cute courtyard out the back with Italian-style red and white checked tablecloths. 

Address: 33 Byron St, Bangalow

7. Shelter, Lennox Head

Best for: Absolute beach vibes 

This is a dearly beloved coastal diner in Lennox Head just 20 minutes south of Byron Bay. A super relaxed, all-day diner right across the road from the beach, it doesn’t get much better than this. The service is always friendly and the coffee is always great. This is a place to relax and enjoy (dogs are welcome as well). 

Shelter is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of the week with a menu that features ethical and sustainable produce wherever possible. 

Address: 41 Pacific Parade, Lennox Hea

8. Kouzina, Byron Bay

Best for: Laidback lunches 

Hidden away in the Byron industrial estate you could easily miss this heavenly little slice of Greece (but you won’t want to). This warm and friendly Greek taverna is a laidback offering that features a daily changing menu of traditional Greek dishes. The $60 three-course banquet menu is the way to go with classics such as slow-cooked lamb shoulder, or souvlaki from the grill (chicken, calamari, pork or halloumi and mushroom), and many other vegetarian options as well. 

There are delicious mezze-style bites available for takeaway, and a charming little courtyard in which to enjoy your meal under hanging lights. It’s BYO as well, which is always a lovely bonus. 

Address: 1/1 Acacia St, Byron Bay

9. Bar Heather, Byron Bay

Best for: Pre- and post-dinner delights 

Bar Heather is a beautifully polished gem set in the Byron bar and dining scene, and the sister venue to the wonderful Luna Wine Store just across the road. 

Housed within the Jonson Street Precinct, Bar Heather is a Parisian-inspired natural wine bar by Tom Sheer and James Audas (of Lo-Fi Wines and Luna Wine Store) and Sommelier Ollie Smith that showcases more than 650 natural and biodynamic wines. Chef Ollie Wong-Hee joins them on the food front to present a delicious offering of fancy bar snacks (but it is way more than just bar snacks). 

Address: 139 Jonson St, Byron Bay

10. Bistro Livi, Murwillumbah

Best for: Fine dining 

This addition to the Northern Rivers dining scene lets everyone know how serious the region is about incredibly well-crafted food. An intimate wine bar and dining room designed by Flack Studio and conceived by three friends – sisters and co-owners Danni and Nikki Wilson from Melbourne’s Carlton Wine Room and MoVida respectively, and Ewen Crawford, ex-head chef of MoVida – Bistro Livi is housed inside an Art Deco building in Murwillumbah’s Art Precinct. The delicious, Spanish-inspired menu features local and seasonal produce paired together with delicious natural wines and well-shaken cocktails. Be sure to designate a driver or book a car if you’re travelling back to Byron – it’s worth lingering here. 

Address: Cnr Brisbane St &, Proudfoots Ln, Murwillumbah

11. Frida’s Field, Nashua

Best for: Rural vibes and elegant plates 

Navigate here for a quintessential Byron Bay hinterland dining experience. Frida’s Field can be found on a stunning 48-hectare farm in Nashua, just 20 minutes outside of Byron. The drive out there is stunning in itself. 

Run by the Rawlings family (who own the farmland) and head chef Alastair Waddell, they are open only for lunches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (and Thursdays through summer) with a seasonally changing set menu that can be enjoyed over a three-to-four-hour sitting. 

The lovely wine list showcases mainly small-batch, minimal-intervention, and local wines. 

Address: 76 Booyong Rd, Nashua 

12. La Casita, Brunswick Heads

Best for: Beachside Mexican done well 

This gorgeous “little house" in Brunswick Heads greets diners with a warm and relaxed Mexican dining experience. Dishes are simple yet complex in flavour, showcasing exceptional produce from local and mindful producers from around the region. La Casita is fully licensed, shaking up cocktails and sourcing a diverse range of agave spirits, natural wines and beer. 

Try specials such as snake beans cooked slowly in guajillo chilli oil, mole verde, salted peanuts and queso fresco, or perhaps the Bull mahi mahi head meat crumbed in corn chips, with tomato and crustacean oil, spiced up with grilled morita chilli. It’s super delicious and fun here.

Address: 5/3 Fawcett Street, Brunswick Heads

13. Saint Maries, Brunswick Heads

Best for: Perfect pizza and a good time 

This gorgeous, local neighbourhood pizza joint in riverside Bruns is cosy and warm in the winters, and with a cute sunny courtyard for the summertime. On Mondays, it’s jazz night (jazz and $12 negronis). Come for the ambience, but also great pizzas, good pasta and quality wine. Their cute courtyard backs onto the Sails Motel next door, so a very easy choice if you’re staying at the motel. 

Address: 26 Tweed St, Brunswick Heads

14. You Beauty, Bangalow

Best for: Nights out with mates 

From the same team behind The Eltham Hotel and Ciao, Mate! just up the road, Chef Matt Stone dishes up super delicious modern Australian fare and other delights at You Beauty in the evenings from Wednesday to Sunday and lunch on weekends. 

They have live Jazz on Thursdays and records with friends on Sunday afternoons. Think delicious Padrón peppers on the grill with housemade burrata and tomato skins, or crumbed prawns with leek and buttermilk, or maybe a kangaroo skewer or two. 

Address: 37/39 Byron St, Bangalow

15. Bang Bang, Byron Bay

Best for: Big flavour and big energy 

Bang Bang is a favourite in Byron for its modern-Asian deliciousness. With another location just up the road in Noosa Heads as well, Bang Bang are masters at creating a fun, buzzy, beachside vibe with hand-crafted cocktails and delicious food. 

Think crunchy salt and pepper squid with Szechuan, nuoc cham sauce, and wasabi mayo; Moreton Bay Bug buns; crispy fried prawn toast and more. We recommend their negroni. You can find them right in the centre of town.

Address: 4/1 Byron St, Byron Bay 

16. Milk and Honey, Mullumbimby

Best for: A good crust and chilled drinks 

A Mullum institution, this lovely little local pizzeria and wine bar in the heart of town serves up delicious wood-fired pizzas and an ever-changing drinks list that features the best of Australia’s smallest, sustainable, and minimal-intervention wines, as well as delicious cocktails and beers. 

Address: 5/59a Station St, Mullumbimby

17. Tweed River House, Murwillumbah

 Best for: Watch the sunset over the water 

Tweed River House makes for a lovely, long lunch outing, this beautiful bar and bistro sit on the lush green banks of the Tweed River with beautiful views over Wollumbin and the hinterland. 

The restaurant is housed in a beautifully restored century-old grand river house, evoking the gentler pace of the Northern Rivers, where you can enjoy your lunch with the panoramic views from the river terrace or inside under the elegant, pressed tin ceilings. 

Their curated seasonal menu is hand-selected by their chef to showcase the very best of the region’s fertile farmlands, riverways and ocean. 

Address: 131 River Street, South Murwillumbah

18. Pipit, Pottsville

Best for: Incredible considered fare in a stylish setting 

A winner of many awards, Pipit was opened by Chef Ben Devlin and his wife Yen Trinh back in 2019. This is modern fine dining at its best, taking inspiration from their coastal sense of place. Pipit’s food expresses the best of Northern Rivers produce in a creative and thoughtful manner, with degustation set menus designed as a sequence of flavours, textures and ideas, sharing the very best of local farmers, unique produce, and sub-tropical climate. 

Major considerations when crafting the menu include maximising ingredients and fermentation and cooking with wood fire and charcoal. 

Address: 8 Coronation Avenue, Pottsville

19. Paper Daisy, Cabarita Beach

Best for: Bright and fresh dining 

Another major award-winning restaurant is Paper Daisy by Executive Chef Jason Barratt, part of the renowned Halcyon House. The menu is considered a celebration of their unique part of the world, and depending on the season might feature dishes such as Yellowfin tuna, shiso, Davidson plum, sapphire grape; shishito peppers, black garlic, macadamia; pearl perch, pomelo, zucchini, wasabi rocket; to name just a few. 

Paper Daisy’s restaurant is currently open to in-house guests exclusively for breakfast and lunch, but group lunch bookings for four–20 adults are welcome. Also, the Paper Daisy bar is open from 3pm and dinner reservations are open to all from 5.30pm daily. 

Address: 21 Cypress Crescent, Cabarita Beach

20. No. 35 Kitchen and Bar, Cabarita Beach

Best for: Outdoor and group dining 

This is a friendly and laidback “Italian-ish" (in their own words) diner in coastal Cabarita by renowned chef Daniel Medcalf and his business partner, Rachel Duffy. The 60-seat all wood and concrete diner is open for dinner Thursday through Sunday and for lunch on weekends. It is a modern but comfortable space and the food is excellent. Don’t leave without trying the local snapper fish finger sandwich! 

Address: No. 35. Tweed Coast Road, Cabarita Beach

21. Taverna, Kingscliff

Best for: Imagining yourself on a Greek island 

Located on the beachfront in Kingscliff, Taverna is a modern Greek-inspired taverna with just 60 seats right across the road from the beach. The perfect spot for a long lunch, quiet dinner or beachside cocktail. Every Sunday night Taverna’s chef takes care of the menu for you with the ‘Chef’s Sustainable Banquet’, a collection of four courses utilising the best local produce they have on hand. This menu changes weekly and is selected by the chef on the day – a chance to sample items from their a la carte menu and/or new menu items soon to be released onto their menu in a banquet style for $45pp. 

Address: 22 Marine Parade, Kingscliff

22. Mavis’s Kitchen, Uki

Best for: Country hospitality 

If you are in the mood for a stunning drive through the hills, look no further than a trip out to Mavis’s Kitchen. Nestled at the base of the majestic Wollumbin (Mt Warning), this 10-hectare former dairy farm is home to a relaxed country-style restaurant, a rich organic kitchen garden, and eco-friendly cabin accommodation. The setting, surrounded by World Heritage rainforest and the fertile farmland of the lush Tweed Valley, is incredibly peaceful and inspiring and it’s no wonder the focus here is all about sustainability. 

The menu at Mavis’s Kitchen features food grown organically (in their very own garden where possible), sourced locally, harvested seasonally and prepared and served with love. If you don’t feel like rushing off, book one of the charming Mavis’s Cabins for the night. Open for breakfast on the weekends, lunch Wednesday through Sunday, and dinner Saturday nights only. 

Address: 64 Mount Warning Rd, Uki

23. No Bones, Byron Bay

Best for: Plant-based eaters 

It’s easy to why Byron and her visitors have big love for the delicious plant-based food that has become so renowned at No Bones. A vegan bar and kitchen in the centre of town featuring plant-based food, creative cocktails, all Australian (natural) wines, Australian beers, good music, and happy hour every day, this stylish eatery is always buzzing with locals and holidaymakers. 

Address: 11 Fletcher St, Byron Bay

24. Moonlight, Byron Bay

Best for: Contemporary and cool Japanese 

Moonlight is an intimate Hibachi grill and wine bar in Byron by the same clever folk behind Light Years. Open seven nights a week, this dark, monochrome space, features delicious offerings over the hibachi grill – one of Japan’s oldest cooking traditions. Highlights include chicken wings with Moonlight togarashi and lemon, and their amazing crab rolls. 

The highball cocktails hold their own against the smoky fare and feature local ingredients foraged from the hinterland. There’s also an impressive list of sake, Japanese whisky, and biodynamic wines. 

Address: Bay Lane, Byron Bay

25. Trouble San, Brunswick Heads

Best for: Riverside eats 

A corner addition to the Bruns dining scene, Trouble San is the realisation of a dream for three local friends – Lachie, Shamani and Marky. They had always had a vision to create their own dining space in which people could kick back and enjoy some amazing food, great music and a few cocktails after going for a swim in the river or beach, or jumping off the bridge (a rite of passage in Bruns). 

Slide into one of the leather seats and enjoy the view across the river. The feeling is relaxed and the food is Japanese-inspired. Great cocktails as well. 

Address: 2 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads

26. Eltham Hotel, Eltham

Best for: Classic country pub vibes with elevated fare 

The best pub in the Northern Rivers, in our humble opinion, for great food and excellent live music. Head chef Alanna Sapwell-Stone serves up not-your-average pub fare with an incredible menu that roams from Italian inspiration through to revived Aussie classics all featuring local produce. 

The beer is cold and the music is always great. They also have some beautiful accommodation and a bottle shop onsite as well. Open 7 days a week, 12pm until late. 

Address: 441 Eltham Rd, Eltham

27. The Salty Mangrove, New Brighton

Best for: Sharing this secret with the locals

This creek-side shack attached to New Brighton’s general store is a hidden treasure tucked far into Byron’s northernmost reaches. Its almost-ramshackle, easy-to-overlook appearance conceals the truth of what goes on in the petite kitchen here. Which is incredible, chef-finessed fare with a hyper-local sensibility. It’s the pet project of renowned chef David Moyle, who has a deft approach to seafood and an eyebrow-raising CV that includes Franklin in Hobart and local Harvest. Every day from 6.30am, this is a post-soccer, post-beach coffee spot, but come evening, the concise but clever wine list and curated cocktails slip down easily with Moyle’s delicious morsels. Sit outside and watch the sun fade as kids swing into the creek on ropes. 

Address: 50 River Street, New Brighton

28. Byron Bay Oyster and Seafood Restaurant, Byron Bay

Best for: Seafood lovers 

It’s been a minute since Byron had a fancied-up dedicated seafood restaurant, but with the newly opened Byron Bay Oyster and Seafood Restaurant sitting below the chic Hotel Marvell fish-fiends can have their fill of the day’s catch. It’s very much about the oyster here, which comes from an offsite, state-of-the-art oyster tank flushed regularly with the tidal waters of Brunswick River. You may elect to have your half-shells dressed hot or cold with Kilpatrick, mignonette, mornay or pomegranate and verjus, or if you’re not a bivalve lover, go for tender swordfish steaks or lobster roll or tuck into a seafood tower. A curated drinks list perfects your selection.

Address: Hotel Marvell, 4 Marvell Street, Byron Bay

29. The Smoking Camel, Byron Bay

Best for: Snacking and sipping until late
An electric-blue haven hidden down a mostly unremarkable arcade, this late-night restaurant and bar has Middle Eastern leanings from the plates to the drinks. Go full-camel with The Sultan’s Feast set menu, which you might enjoy alongside the eponymous Smoking Camel cocktail of mezcal, ras el hanout, spiced pear and foam. You can enjoy the delights of the Levant from the team behind Light Years and Moonlight every night of the week from 5pm.

Address: 3/17 Lawson Street, Byron Bay

30. Three Blue Ducks at The Farm, Ewingsdale

Best for: Families and parents that need a drink 

If you have children in tow, there’s no doubt your Byron sojourn will include a trip to The Farm. But it’s not all pigs and ice cream, although there are those things, too. While here, pull up a table amid the beautifully bucolic surrounds and let a long lunch or dinner unfurl while the kids frolic in the neighbouring fields. Of course, a visit is recommended even without small charges to relish the rustic fare from the beloved Three Blue Ducks. Sundays are for roasts and Thursdays are for locals, but in between the menu features offerings such as slow-cooked pork belly with coconut garlic greens, yellow mussel curry, and potato gnocchi with farm pesto. There’s also a Feed Me menu and Ducklings kids’ menu, which has dishes such as buttered cheesy pasta and chicken rissoles. Open every day from 8am with dinner until 8pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Address: 11 Ewingsdale Road, Ewingsdale

31. Beach, Byron Bay

Best for: Coastal elegance and ocean views
Set, smack-bang on Clarkes Beach, this white-clothed restaurant is quintessentially elevated Byron at its best. A table on the shore-side deck serves up the best view from any restaurant in town, making this a hot venue for weddings and the like. On the plate, the offering is exquisitely considered and chef’s hat-awarded with dishes such as the ravioli of Bay bug, duck breast with hazelnut and muscat grape, and king prawn ceviche. If you’re not in the mood for dressing up, your bare feet and beach attire are welcome at the Kiosk from 7am to 2pm. Dinner and lunch are served in the restaurant daily. 

Address: 2 Massinger Street, Byron Bay

32. Mullumbimby Continental, Mullumbimby

Best for: Sharing a bottle together
Small but incredibly well put-together, this narrow diner slings out a procession of delicious plates amid cool vibes. It buzzes, it pleases and it is a smooth show from start to finish. Bistro classics here err on the Italian side with dishes of pork cottaletta, minute steak with mustard and fries, and fun nibbles of mortadella and pickled pineapple skewers. The drinks are fresh and lively and the times are good and over too quickly. While evenings are great, you can also stop by every day for breakfast. 

Address: 1/53 Stuart Street, Mullumbimby

33. Roco Ramen, Brunswick Heads

Best for: Ramen, ramen, ramen! 

While Fleet in Brunswick Heads has been suspended indefinitely, the light-filled, tiny space has been hosting an extended residency of the much-loved Roco Ramen. It’s simple pleasures at this joint that does ramen exceptionally well. There’s also an astute sake list and other Japanese snacks, but really, you’re here for those rich bowls of broth. There are two sittings from Wednesday to Saturday for which you are allocated 1.5 hours, if you’d like to linger longer, just let the team know when you book. 

Address: 2/16 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads 

Originally written by Georgia Hopkins with updates by Lara Picone