For all the world-class produce grown and caught in the Northern Rivers, there has never been a great restaurant in the middle of Byron Bay to show it off. Now there is.

Bar Heather opened in late 2022 under the stewardship of wine importers James Audas and Tom Sheer with chef Ollie Wong-Hee. It’s a dark and timber-heavy room which could almost pass as a New York-style steakhouse, but a young floor team keeps things bright and fun – as does Tweed Coast tuna with curls of nutty celtuce, shiso and mandarin kosho.

Wong-Hee says he keeps off social media because he doesn’t want to be influenced by what his peers are cooking. This means the standards of other wine bars – kingfish crudo, tiramisu, focaccia – are mostly absent. Instead, expect spring onion-laced bread that’s part flaky Chinese pancake and part crispy Jewish malawach. Meanwhile, the cellar is deep, and the martinis, ice-cold. A stirring combination of clever and comfort.