Discover Byron Bay’s hottest restaurants: Ciao Mate, Pixie Italian, Pipit and more
The northern NSW holiday town and its fertile surrounds are a magnet for foodies as well as beach lovers. These are the top restaurants to book for your next visit.
The northern NSW holiday town is a magnet for foodies as well as beach lovers. These are the top restaurants to book for your next visit.
1. Ciao Mate!
A good Italian restaurant is as much about the atmosphere as it is about the food, and Ciao Mate! nails both. Tucked into a former jewellery shop in Bangalow, 20 minutes from Byron Bay, this compact spot hums with energy. Couples sip cocktails at the bar, groups crowd into timber booths and locals linger over a late-night dinner in the cosy courtyard. In the kitchen, lauded chef Matt Stone keeps things deliciously simple, working with local, sustainable ingredients from the Northern Rivers and producing some of the best pizzas in the district. The tight menu changes regularly and there are classics such as margherita as well as more surprising options such as New York vodka pizza (parmigiano, pecorino, mozzarella, vodka sauce, oregano, eschalot) or greens pizza (lemon ricotta, pesto, pine nuts, mozzarella, smoked herb oil). Finger-licking snacks include anchovy toast and creamy stracciatella with broad beans and macadamia, and the wine list leans into natural Australian and Italian drops. Endearingly retro, effortlessly cool, it’s the kind of place you’ll want to return to before you’ve even left.
2. No Bones
Plant-based dining has come a long way since the days of tasteless tofu and pumpkin risotto, and No Bones, just back from Byron’s main beach, proves how delicious vegies can be. The dishes are bold and flavourful, with a menu that celebrates fresh, locally sourced produce while keeping waste to a minimum. The menu shifts with the seasons, but expect to find creative, punchy dishes such as silky eggplant parmigiana with fennel and herb salad or a rich shiitake mushroom pate with truffle, cognac and pickled shallots. Even pub staples get a plant-based twist, such as the popular salt-and-pepper calamari (made from the konjac root vegetable) served with caper mayonnaise and charred lemon. With a warm, welcoming atmosphere and a commitment to conscious dining, No Bones makes a strong case for leaving meat off the plate, for one night at least.
3. Bar Heather
Bar Heather in Jonson Lane takes its cues from the best wine bars in Paris, but the energy is all Byron. Co-owners and wine importers James Audas and Tom Sheer have stocked the cellar with hard- to-find natural wines, focusing heavily on small European producers from France, Italy, Austria and beyond. The menu, crafted by acclaimed chef Ollie Wong-Hee, follows suit. It’s playful, surprising and designed to let the wine shine. The snacks set the tone: potato crisps dusted in manchego and shiitake or braised pork belly wrapped in a golden, flaky curry puff. Larger plates include yellowfin tuna with makrut lime and shallots or duck breast with sugarplum and fenugreek. Don’t miss dessert, with perfectly balanced savoury-sweet options such as the burnt honey and cardamom ice cream sandwich.
4. Pipit
Top-shelf dining doesn’t always mean white tablecloths and hushed tones. At Pipit, the open kitchen is the heart of the experience, with counter seating that puts you right in the action. Located 40km from Byron in the charming coastal town of Pottsville, this award-winning restaurant offers a deep dive into local produce, with a seafood-focused menu that changes regularly. Chef Ben Devlin’s eight-course tasting menu is a showcase of technique and creativity, where native ingredients and sustainable seafood are the heroes. Dishes include steamed sand whiting with lobster mousse and smoked veloute. Pipit also offers a unique experience of gyotaku art, an ancient Japanese fish-printing method originally used by fishmongers. Diners can take home original prints, watch a live demonstration or even try creating their own.
5. Frida’s Field
Set on a 120ha regenerative farm in the Byron hinterland, Frida’s Field is all about slow food and long lunches. Chef Alastair Waddell designs the menu around what’s thriving, and every six weeks the kitchen unveils something new and invariably shaped by the farm’s orchard, garden and paddocks, as well as produce sourced from the region’s fertile volcanic soils and diverse microclimates. Meals unfold slowly across three courses, cooked over ironbark in the open hearth. Depending on the season, you might start with farm vegetables and macadamia pesto, followed by chilled cucumber veloute with barbecued radish, then dry-aged sirloin with charred pumpkin and jalapeno butter. Everything is grown, raised or sourced sustainably, from the grass-fed Angus-Wagyu cattle to the in-house fermentation projects, making every meal a true reflection of time and place.
6. Pixie Italian
Walking into Pixie Italian, on Jonson Street, feels like you’ve time-travelled to Milan, circa 1970. Designed by Flack Studio (Ace Hotel Sydney), the space is a layered mix of caramel- hued ceilings, claret-coloured banquettes, pink marble and terracotta floors, all anchored by a striking zigzag-fronted bar. The irresistible Euro-vibes continue with a coastal Italian menu that balances simplicity and indulgence. Think: thick fingers of golden focaccia slathered with smoked tomato butter draped with an Ortiz anchovy or barbecued diavola chicken with fermented chilli and a rich bullhorne pepper sugo. With a regular menu, as well as gluten-free, vegan and kids’ options, there’s something for anyone keen to soak up the decadent Italian goodness.
7. The Smoking Camel
Step inside The Smoking Camel, tucked behind the Beach Hotel, and you’re instantly transported somewhere far away, where draped fabrics soften the glow of neon, primary colours make bold statements, and golden camels glint playfully against the walls. This Middle Eastern-inspired diner offers a delightful spin on Levantine classics. Start with hummus laced with harissa oil, crisp falafel with green goddess dressing or barbecue king prawns drenched in Cafe de Cairo butter. Then dive into fragrant lamb curry, shawarma-spiced chicken or wagyu beef skewers dusted with sumac. The drinks list is just as daring, with cocktails that embrace spice and smoke. The standout? The Smoking Camel, a mezcal sour-esque cocktail infused with ras el hanout, pear and lemon, delivering a perfect balance of heat and sweetness.
8. Forest, Crystalbrook Byron
Surrounded by 45ha of lush subtropical rainforest, Forest brings a true sense of place to the table. Located at Crystalbrook Byron hotel, this modern Australian restaurant champions sustainability at every turn, with an on-site herb garden, beehives producing honey and a composting system that diverts up to 90kg of waste from landfill each day. The menu celebrates local growers, featuring ethically sourced seafood, whole-animal butchery, and an abundance of native ingredients. Dishes are seasonally inspired, such as pan-fried market fish with saffron escabeche, slow-roasted lamb shoulder with smoked fregola, or a deeply burnished Basque cheesecake with late-season figs and Davidson plum gel. Drinks are just as green, with floral and fruity cocktails and a well-considered selection of organic and biodynamic wines. Sitting on the rainforest-fringed terrace, the dining experience is as immersive as the landscape itself.
9. Raes on Wategos
With its whitewashed walls, lush gardens and uninterrupted ocean views, Raes on Wategos is a Byron Bay institution. Having celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2024, the boutique hotel is still as relevant as ever, pairing a breezy Mediterranean aesthetic with a restaurant menu that highlights the best produce from the surrounds. Executive chef Jason Saxby creates an exciting, extensive menu, shaped by what’s freshest from the land and sea. Expect dishes such as charcoal-grilled wagyu with a beef fat anchovy dressing and warrigal green puree, or dry-aged yellowfin tuna with cucumber, horseradish and Geraldton wax. The desserts are similarly impressive, from a mille-feuille layered with chocolate malt and miso caramel to Saxby’s playful take on an Iced Vovo, served in a bright red Arnott’s tin. It’s a sweet reminder that some things really do get better with age.
10. Three Blue Ducks
A restaurant built around farm-to-table dining is not particularly new, but it feels different when the farm is right in front of you. At Three Blue Ducks, the paddocks, orchards and rolling pastures of The Farm Byron Bay are more than a scenic backdrop; they’re the heart of the operation. The menu champions fresh and hyper-local ingredients, with much of the produce grown on-site or sourced from nearby ethical producers. Dishes are a vibrant reflection of the surroundings and are full of flavour, from the soft stracciatella with peach, zucchini and sorrel, to the charred lamb skewers with green tahini, and the market fish served with pipis, greens and a rich coriander butter sauce. The outdoor terrace makes the most of the rural views or, if you’d rather roam, grab one of their picnic hampers and settle in for a lazy afternoon under the trees.
If you love to travel, sign up to our free weekly Travel + Luxury newsletter here.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout