Beyond Byron: how NSW northern rivers became Australia’s food capital
No more only tempeh burgers, this area now tastes like sensational seafood, pub food from the heart and clever cocktails to boot.
On the way from Ballina airport to our accommodation in Byron Bay, a swishly repurposed 1970s roadside motel called Swell, our Uber driver insists on a detour. “Let’s take the scenic route,” he enthuses. “Come on, guys. Do you want to take the scenic route?”
It seems easier to accede to his insistence than not, so we find ourselves on this sunny Tuesday being transported through the lush and verdant hills of Byron Shire, up a winding road that has a magnificent view east over the Pacific. Suddenly our driver pulls up and points out a hedge that’s protecting a parcel of land in this wondrous landscape. “That’s where Chris Hemsworth is building his house,” he informs us. “Right there. That’s it.”
I think we’re supposed to be impressed, so we duly stare at the hedge, nodding. And then we’re on the road again, winding past farms, orchards and dairies to Australia’s most fashionable beach village.
It has been frequently observed that Byron Bay isn’t what it used to be. For better or worse, the sleepy town with its glittering beaches, lush hinterland and hippy vibe has changed. These days it’s a place where celebrities hide behind hedges, developers are on the march with the determination of fire ants and property prices are as absurd as Sydney’s.
Apart from all that, another change is taking place: a culinary revolution is sweeping through a town that for decades was fuelled on tempeh burgers and Earth ’n’ Sea Pizza (which, not coincidentally, closed in 2022 after 19 years). Regional dining here is having a moment.
“On the dining front, the quality and diversity of the offerings has exploded over the last few years,” says Kim Stephen, co-owner of Light Years, a modern-Asian diner that has become a much-admired fixture in Byron.
Light Years opened here in 2017, offering a menu of cheery, full-throttle Asian eats (see the breakout box) and in the seven years and one relocation since, Stephen and business partner James Sutherland have expanded their portfolio to include Pixie Food & Wine (contemporary Italian), The Smoking Camel (casual Middle Eastern) and Moonlight (a hibachi grill and wine bar). “Most people move to Byron Bay for the weather and lifestyle,” says Stephen. “But for me it was the opportunity to open a business in an area that had a large amount of popularity, but not a lot in the way of progressive dining venues.”
This success has been noticed by some of the nation’s biggest hospitality players. Last year Sydney hospitality king Justin Hemmes bought two sizeable blocks on Byron’s bustling Jonson Street, while media identity Antony Catalano has also splashed cash around the town. Not only does he own the legendary Wategos Beach hotel and restaurant Raes, Catalano is backing The Bonobo, a glossy timeshare resort development opposite one of the Hemmes properties on Jonson Street. Couple this development with the opening of new resorts including the flashy Hotel Marvell, and the ongoing success of the Three Blue Ducks’ cafe theme park, The Farm, outside Byron in Ewingsdale, and you have an area seriously on the make.
“Byron has seen significant change over the past few years,” says Raes on Wategos’ general manager Marty McCaig, who keeps a watchful eye over the neighbourhood. “Though I would say most of it has been necessary to respond to the increased traffic to the area.”
And while Byron has been a hive of activity, locals attest that much of the culinary action in the region is happening outside the town itself. From Cabarita to Bangalow to Eltham, seriously good restaurants, cafes, bistros, pubs and bakeries are popping up all over the Northern Rivers region, powered by chefs who have escaped the big city in search of a simpler life.
One of the most praised over the past 18 months has been Bistro Livi, a 36-seat diner in Murwillumbah, in the Tweed Shire 45 minutes north of Byron. Run by a trio of hospitality veterans who cut their teeth in the rough and tumble of Melbourne’s restaurant industry, Livi is a surprise package in every way, offering a slick, big-city dining experience in the humblest of small towns. “The idea is to make a neighbourhood restaurant, a place where locals can come,” says executive chef Ewen Crawford (ex-MoVida, Melbourne) modestly.
Crawford agrees Murwillumbah was not noted for its gourmet culture before Livi opened, with the town then offering “a few cafes, cheap eats and takeaways”. These days, though, serious food lovers will drive from the Gold Coast or Byron to try Crawford’s dishes, which include yellowfin tuna with wakame and roasted stuffed quail.
“We have a lot of people who have never heard of Murwillumbah before,” he says. “They come down [from the Gold Coast] to check us out and it works well. There’s accommodation at the pub and people come and stay.” Has it changed perceptions of the town? “I think so.”
Down the road at even tinier Pottsville, husband-and-wife team Yen Trinh and Ben Devlin have been running the much-loved Pipit since 2019. Pipit is a small fine diner that operates on a low-waste, sustainable, local produce-forward ethos; dishes include pickled octopus and fig leaf oil, and crumbed bay lobster tail with samphire butter and finger lime.
Trinh says the couple met and worked in Brisbane but always wanted a place of their own in the Northern Rivers, so when the space in Pottsville came up, it seemed right to take it. Devlin had been head chef at the nearby Paper Daisy, in Cabarita, at the time, so had already found his feet in destination coastal dining.
“The thing about the Northern Rivers is that there are a lot of little towns that happen to have something amazing,” Trinh says. “Pottsville didn’t have anything. We looked at Cabarita but Paper Daisy was there so we had to spread ourselves out.” Trinh says part of the restaurant’s magic is that it works collaboratively with local producers to highlight the wonders that come from the earth and the sea. “We’re very local in what we serve and at the end of the meal we give people a map of producers in the area,” she says. “We really love sending people to explore the region.”
One of those producers is Australian Bay Lobster, a Chinderah-based business that produces a soft-shelled Moreton Bay bug (called a “bay lobster”) that has been embraced by restaurants across the area. Manager James Dalton says both the Byron and Tweed shires are developing a formidable reputation as culinary destinations, not only because of the calibre of chefs who have moved here but because the whole region is fuelled on some of Australia’s best produce, from prawns to avocados to dairy.
“It is exciting to see how agritourism is coming along here, and that will keep on developing,” says Dalton, who works with top restaurants from Raes to Pipit. “A lot of these little towns from Newrybar to Tweed Heads have some great drawcards.”
Raes on Wategos executive chef Jason Saxby, who moved from Sydney in 2017, agrees the arrival of talent in the area has brought huge changes to the way food is considered. “The influx of incredible talent to this region has really been the catalyst for change,” he says, adding that many have moved into the area for a sea-change as well as for a creative challenge. “Affordability is a part of it, I’m sure. But I also feel that people are just wanting space, fresh air and maybe a slightly slower pace to life.
“This was the case for me personally. It has been a dream to own land and build a family home, and this is something we’ve been able to achieve here in the Northern Rivers. And also, it’s not a terrible bit of scenery around here is it?”
Crawford agrees that part of the reason many creatives, including chefs, are attracted to the far north of NSW is to escape the drama of big-city life and to soak up the beauty of the bucolic environment. “We had been living in inner-city Melbourne for a long time and as much as we loved it, we thought we’d bring the kids up this way to give them a different lifestyle,” he says. “And it has been great.”
There is one thing that all the operators agree on, and that is that in regional areas like the Northern Rivers it is not possible to simply rely on the tourist trade – and celebrities – to keep afloat. “We’ve always had a strong emphasis on our connection with the local community,” says Light Years’ Kim Stephen. “At the times when tourists are scarce it’s incredibly humbling to witness the support this small town continues to show our venues.”
That said, the occasional appearance of Chris Hemsworth and pals in the restaurant surely isn’t hurting matters either.
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Pipit
Chef and owner Ben Devlin has a heap of awards and plenty of admirers for his light-flooded corner spot in petite and picturesque Pottsville. Devlin cooks over coals and uses red meat sparingly, preferring a more coastal-leaning menu sourced from the lush Tweed Valley surrounds. Pipit’s five-course $160 set dinner menu (on three nights a week) offers dishes like hot-smoked red dragonfruit with yellowfin tuna, umeboshi, shiso and native pepper, and duck with persimmon, squash and pepitas. Lunch is à la carte and a more laid-back undertaking, which is not to say it aims lower. Go for grilled Spanish mackerel with zucchini, almond and bay leaf butter or Mitoyo eggplant with pickled onion and chestnut mushrooms. Pipit is a distillation of the Northern Rivers on the plate.
Shop 4/8 Coronation Ave, Pottsville NSW
Hours: Set menu dinner Thu – Sat, A la carte lunch Fri – Sun, a la carte dinner Mon.
Price range: $12 – $44. Tasting menu is $160pp
Menu // Book now
pipitrestaurant.com
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Bistro Livi
A 36-seat diner in the expert hands of sisters Danni Wilson (ex-Carlton Wine Room), Nikky Wilson (ex-MoVida), and chef Ewen Crawford (also ex-MoVida). The team has nailed it, from the ambience to the flavours, the sleek interiors of this sunlight-filled Art Deco space, and the well-mixed cocktails. Food-wise, the flavours are unfussy and bright, with ingredients (Ballina squid, Stokers Siding mushrooms) left alone to shine. This is a small-town venue with big-city sensibilities. What a combination.
Cnr Brisbane St &, Proudfoots Ln, Murwillumbah, NSW
Price range: around $45pp
Hours: Wed-Fri: 5:30pm – 8:30pm | Sat: 12pm – 8:30pm
Book now // bistrolivi.com
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Paper Daisy
Halcyon House was a seminal hotel when it opened in 2015, leading a trend of repurposing old beachside motels into something cool and chic, while its restaurant, Paper Daisy, brought seriously good dining to a town that had been not much more than a blip on the map. These days chef Andrew Milford sends out thoughtfully simple dishes that lean into classic Mediterranean flavours. Think barbecued octopus with mozzarella and harissa or steak tartare with anchovy, tarragon and potato chips. Wear your kaftan and begin with oysters and an ink gin cocktail at the bar; the beach is just over the way.
21 Cypress Cres, Cabarita Beach, NSW
Price range: $40 – $100
Hours: Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat: 12pm – 11:30pm | Wed, Thu, Sun: 12pm – 10:30pmMenu // Book now
halcyonhouse.com.au/paper-daisy-restaurant
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Ciao Mate!/You Beauty
Zero-waste chef Matt Stone has gone all Italian cucina at Ciao Mate!, a cheeky but savvy neighbourhood pizzeria. Mostly he plays it straight with excellent pizzas, but he also throws in curveballs to keep things interesting (such as crostoli with mahi mahi, chorizo oil, tomato, saffron sauce and fermented chilli).
The menu changes regularly, so wait to be told what’s on offer once seated. Stone also runs You Beauty, a tapas restaurant, in Bangalow.
Ciao Mate!
33 Byron Street, Bangalow NSW
Price guide: About $40 – $100
Hours: Mon-Sat: 5pm – 10pm
Menu // Book now
ciaomate.com.au
You Beauty
37 Byron Street, Bangalow
Price guide: $9 – $58
Hours: Wed – Fri: 3pm – late; Sat: 12pm – late; Sun: 12pm ‘till 8pmMenu // youbeauty2479.com
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The Hut
A 1911-built weatherboard former schoolhouse (pictured above) in Possum Creek, a short drive from Bangalow, might seem an unlikely place for a Mediterranean-style menu to play out. But the heritage of owners Bruno Conti (head chef), Augusto Pedroso (sommelier) andAchille Martino (floor manager) is written across the menu in bold. Come for dishes like octopus with Ligurian olives and black hummus, or whole snapper with pine nuts and cherry tomatoes, and stay for the goodtime sunny Med vibes.
471 Friday Hut Road, Possum Creek, NSW
Price range: $25-$100
Hours: Thu-Sun: 12pm – 6pm
Menu // Book now
thehutbyronbay.com.au
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Frida’s Field
Chef Alastair Waddell weaves Northern Rivers flavours through a considered ($110) menu that makes use of produce grown onsite at this private ecofarm’s market garden, orchard and paddock. It is deliberate and honest farm-to-table dining with dishes like raw fish with cultured cream, succulents and seaweed jelly, and rib-eye with anchovy butter. Hidden in the hinterland, there is no chance you will simply stumble across Frida’s Field so be sure to book into one of the three lunch services per week.
76 Booyong Road, Nashua, NSW
Price range: $110pp
Hours: Wed: 4pm – 10pm | Thu-Fri: 4pm – 12am | Sat: 3pm – 12am | Sun: 3pm – 9pm
Menu // Book now
fridasfield.com
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Taverna
Beachside Greek-inspired food in a bougainvillea and lavender festooned cottage is all you can possibly need for a laid-back lunch. Of course, good cocktails and wine help the mood along, too. You’ll need to bring a contingent of friends to help you through the menu with generous dishes like slow-roasted lamb shoulder, buttermilk crispy chicken and chargrilled octopus. The Byron Bay haloumi drizzled in honey should not be overlooked, nor should a seat at a whitewashed picnic table outside if the sun is shining.
22 Marine Parade, Kingscliff, NSW
Price range: $10 – $50
Hours: Thu: 5:30pm – late | Fri-Sun: 12pm – 3pm, 5:30pm – lateMenu // Book now
taverna.net.au
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La Casita/Roco Ramen/Birds of Paradise
Astrid McCormack and Josh Lewis created a sensation when they opened fine diner Fleet in rustic Brunswick Heads in 2016. Few could believe a restaurant so small and so off the beaten track could be so great. These days McCormack and Lewis focus on fun-fuelled street food across three venues. La Casita is a refined take on Mexican cuisine – the sort of place where mates share a tableful of tostadas and tacos stuffed with the likes of carnitas (confit pork collar), barbacoa de cordero (slowly coal-roasted lamb) and pescado (battered fish). Then there’s ramen at nearby Roco Ramen, and the new Birds of Paradise, a charcoal chicken rotisserie with the north’s best chook.
La Casita
5/3 Fawcett St, Brunswick Heads, NSW
Hours: Fri – Mon 5pm – 10pm; Sun 12pm – 3pm
Price guide: $10 – $21Menu // Book now
Roco Ramen
2/16 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads NSW
Hours: Wed – Sat 5pm – late
Price guide: $15- $30Menu // Book now
Birds of Paradise
Shop 2, 19 Booyun Street Brunswick Heads NSW
Hours: Thu – Mon 12pm – 8pmPrice guide: $15- $30
lacasita.com.au // rocoramen.com.au // boprotisserie.com.au
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Raes Dining Room
Mykonos vibes permeate this fine-diner at Byron’s most exclusive beachside location inside the famed Raes on Wategos boutique retreat. Look out over the glorious cove of Wategos Beach as you linger over chef Jason Saxby’s sexy, Mediterranean-leaning menu. Go for either the three-course, $115 à la carte menu studded with dishes like tomato tagliolini with seared coral prawns and bush tomato, or opt for the eight-course, $155 tasting menu with gems such as chilled spanner crab with chawanmushi and crab dashi. This is coastal dining at its finest.
6-8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay, NSW
Price Range: $115pp
Hours: 7am – 10pm
Menu // Book now
raes.com.au/diningroom
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Pixie Food & Wine/ Light Years
![]Martini poured by Joe Jones. Photo: Parker Blain](https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/ac90fa077a7b26e8db64904ad8360be1?width=650)
These sister venues bring an urbane sensibility to the Bay. Pixie is a ’70s-leaning trattoria with Italian food by executive chef Matteo Tine – the likes of spaghetti with blue swimmer crab, chilli and garlic, and dry-aged bistecca with pink peppercorn and grappa sauce. Light Years, meanwhile, is one of a number of restaurants of the same name dotted across holiday locations Australia-wide (Noosa, Burleigh Heads, Newcastle and soon, Perth). Pan-Asian flavours include “hot and tingly” barbecue lamb ribs and firecracker chicken. These venues are about big flavours, pretty cocktails and a fair amount of attitude.
Pixie Food & Wine
139 Jonson St, Byron Bay NSW
Hours: Mon – Thurs 5pm – 10pm; Fri – Sun 12pm – 10pm
Price guide: $7 – $52
Menu // Book now
pixiebyronbay.com.au
Light Years
139 Jonson St, Byron Bay
Hours: 12pm – 11pm
Price guide: $8 – $54
Menu // Book now
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Eltham Hotel
This charming country pub is still just that, only now it has gourmet counter meals coming out of the kitchen thanks to chef Alanna Sapwell-Stone, who walks a fine line: at once managing to keep crusty locals happy and well fed, while also attracting destination diners keen to soak up the goodtime vibes and live music. On the menu? Chicken parma, naturally, but also pig’s head sausage with Yorkshire pudding, wild boar ragu and smoked eel dip. The Eltham is co-owned by Sapwell-Stone and husband Matt Stone (whose other venues are You Beauty and Ciao Mate! in Bangalow). It’s quite the culinary package.
441 Eltham Road, Eltham, NSW
Price range: About $50-60
Hours: Lunch 12pm – 3pm | Dinner 5pm – 8pm
Menu // Book now
elthampub.com.au
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