Bar Heather European-inspired food hub opens in Byron Bay
A new wine-focused restaurant is bringing something a bit different to Byron Bay – and the tale behind each dish is as enchanting as the food itself.
Byron Shire
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In the bustling, new alleyway of Jonson Lane in Byron Bay sits Bar Heather.
It’s a European-inspired restaurant boasting a sophisticated fit out by Miles Thorp Architects, owned by Luna Wine Store and Lo-fi Wines James Audas and Tom Sheer.
From its whip-smart staff to its menus, even down to the font, Bar Heather is a stickler for details and it shows through its hallmark wine list.
Mr Sheer said the team wanted to open a restaurant where wine was front and centre, with a wine list you could drink and travel through geographically.
“(James and I) would go to Europe a few times a year together – Paris, Vienna, Leon – and we would go for wines,” he said.
“We would find nooks and wanted to bring that back under the same roof.”
It shows. A Gut Oggau Masquerade Rot bottle from Austria alongside Poolside, an Australian crowd-pleaser, stood side-by-side on my table after a rough chat with waiter Vincent, who promised he was not yet a sommelier.
Alongside knowledgeable waitstaff and a versatile wine list, Bar Heather’s trifecta lay in its decadent menu created by head chef Ollie Wong-Hee, whose resume includes stints at Sixpenny and Ester.
Mr Audas said: “Ollie’s always thinking ‘How can I match the wine rather than how can the wine match the food?’”
“I think it’s challenging him to look at seasonality with produce, but also making him think about how to interact with the wines,” he said.
“I tip my hat to him,” added Mr Sheer.
The narrative assigned to each dish is as enchanting as the food itself.
A local farmer, 25km north in Tyagarah, had his cherry tomatoes make their way into Mr Wong-Hee’s famous mussel dish.
The wild venison was caught as fair game with a bow and arrow after being tracked for two to three kilometres.
The shishito peppers with malt vinegar and mascarpone had a one-in-six chance of being extra spicy.
Don’t be fooled though – this suave restaurant will not intimidate the humble diner.
As one satisfied customer said: “Bar Heather isn’t wanky – You can walk in from the beach with your thongs on and they’ll still give what you need”.
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