a food-led getaway in byron bay: cafes, eats & treats
- Darcie Moore
- Jan 14
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 3
It's no secret that my world revolves around food. So naturally, when we booked a family holiday to Byron Bay, I began my deep-dive on the best places to eat.
I've been to Byron plenty of times, but it looked different back then. Usually it involved Splendour In The Grass: three days of camping, drinking, and dancing to live music. Food was the last thing on our minds.
Since those days, I’ve visited a few times and tried some really good spots. A few of those automatically made my list—because the second-best thing about eating at great restaurants is sharing it with the people you love. There’s nothing quite like taking someone somewhere, watching them finish their plate, and seeing their eyes light up as they say, “Wow, this was so good. Good call!” (My kind of words of affirmation)
Anyway, instead of hoarding the food-itinerary I spent weeks cooking up, I thought I'd share it with you. I've included a few spots we didn't get around to this time, but will definitely try next trip. If you try them before me... don't tell me. I'll be jealous. Oh, and keep in mind: this was a family holiday with twelve of us, including three kids, so most places had to be semi-(feral) kid friendly.
A friend of mine took me here one last year (she's as big of a foodie as me), and I've been back a few times since. It's a little out of the main part of Byron, but it's just a really tasty, quality breakfast. I'm a sucker for good ingredients, simple dishes, and Roadhouse nails it every time.
You can just tell when a cafe uses the best of the best, and the halloumi I had with my bacon & eggs was definitely that. My partner shoved half of his house-made potato rosti on my plate (what a sweetheart) and I immediately regretted not getting one of my own. The coffee is also good which is a bonus. I didn't get a sweet treat this time (very unlike me) but I have had a slice of carrot cake from them before, and dreamt about it for a few weeks after.
Ok, I get it. Brave one to add in cause, Darcie it's a pub?! I know, I know. It's not my usual recommendation. But this one just does the job. Especially with 3 kids that need to run amok. We'd just arrived, and needed food somewhere we didn't have to book. Insert: The Beachy.
Now before you say anything, I know it's a little expensive. But you're literally sitting on the beach of Byron-Fucking-Bay. Of course they're gonna getcha with a few extra dollars stacked on top.
It's actually decent pub food. And because the moment I hear 'pub' I think of a Parmy, I didn't even need to look at the menu. But if I did, and there wasn't a Parmy on there, I probably would've chosen the Chicken Burger, cause a few people got it and it looked LIT. Alas, I did get the Parmy and it was delicious. Traditional. Easy. No notes. The others got pizzas, pastas, ribs, and there were no complaints. It's not often that happens at a pub, ya know?
This was another repeat visit. Last time we couldn't get the name right. We were calling it the Thirsty Camel for so long before realising, no, that's the bottle-shop. Definitely don't want to mix up the two, because this middle-eastern inspired restaurant is a must try.
Must get dishes from the menu:
☆ hummus & pita
☆ saganaki
☆ roasted chicken
☆ lamb kebabs
☆ the turkish delight cocktail* *Happy hour from 4-6pm meant $16 cocktails
Asian Fusion eat your heart out. One of my fav cuisines of all time, so expectations were high. Plus, this was our Valentine's meal, minus the rabble, so of course we wanted it to be special. We drove over to Brunswick, it was a little moody and rainy, and we got sat in the corner of the restaurant near the window. We ordered a cocktail while we waited for our food.
When I took the first sip of my miso soup, I knew. This was about to be goooood.
We got:
☆ miso soup
☆ chilli butter edamame
☆ prawn sando
☆ fried chicken
☆ brussel sprouts
☆ cauliflower
I shall most definitely be back!*
*Next time I'm coming with my girlfriends though cause I want to try the eggplant. Sorry Joshua!
Chose this on a whim when our original plan in Bangalow fell through. So whether it was because I wasn't expecting much or not, it ended up being absolutely delicious. We got the Cacio E Pepe, Fig & Gorgonzola, & the Purple Potato to share. I couldn't get enough of the Cacio E Pepe. Bonus points for the dips—we got the pesto & ricotta.
Well I'm sure you can guess by the name that this is purely a dessert place, but it fills you up just as much as a proper meal. Especially if you go all out like I did and get the soft serve on the side, which by the way, was like Maccas soft serve on heat. I got the nutella flavour, cause nutella is my guilty pleasure and I can't go past it. It was unreal. But I ended up trying just straight choc chip the next day, and I have to say - sometimes simple really is best. And this was definitely one of those times.
If you're craving a sweet treat, hit this place up. Just make sure you have plenty of room.
A few to try for next time
Be back soon Byron, mwah! xo
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