Byron Bay Guide

BYRON BAY 

I link my Google Maps folder of my saved spots from Byron Bay at the bottom, but here’s an overview of my favorites and must-do restaurants, shops and activities. We stayed in an Airbnb, but in my Google Maps I’ve saved B&B’s and hotels that were recommended to us too.

DINING FAVORITES

• The Farm Byron Bay | Working farm that is open to the public! Live music, great food, and they also do takeaway picnic baskets and you can bring your own blanket and picnic with the food on the property. All their food is grown on their land.

• Light Years | Our favorite, another must, Asian food and such cool nighttime atmosphere.

• Treehouse on Belongil | This one’s a bit off the beaten track. It’s another must! I know I’ve said that about the last three, but this one gets a 10/10 for ambiance. Its a cute treehouse-style restaurant that has live music and dj’s that play while you eat. Take a walk there on Belongil beach for sunset and end there for dinner. Good to have a reservation because the lines get crazy long!

• Raes at Wategos | The place everyone will tell you you have to go. The interiors and architecture here is incredible, and it’s a great lunch or happy hour spot after a day at Wategos beach.

• The Byron Bay General Store | Adorable spot for breakfast/lunch/coffee. Vegan options!

• Bang Bang Byron Bay | Incredible craft cocktails and a great atmosphere. Might need a res if its a weekend depending on your party size

• Bay Leaf Cafe | Great for brunch! Get the falafel breakfast bowl, sounds weird but I still think about it. I noticed there was usually a wait but it was worth it. I got wifi here and worked.

• Japonaise Kitchen | Cheap, delicious hole-in-the-wall eats like ramen, sushi, etc

• The Top Shop | Popular for quick coffee and breakfast, great before walking to the lighthouse.

BARS

• Stone & Wood Brewery | Byron Bay’s official brewery!

• The Bolt Hole | We came back two nights! Such a cute speakeasy-style vintage bar. The guy who we stayed with bartended there. Great cocktails. *Edit this is now called Casa Luna and is totally redone to a restaurant

• Balcony | Fun rooftop with a great location in the middle of town. Perfect for happy hour.

• The Mez Club | Mexican-style trendy bar 

SHOPPING

• Spell Byron Bay

• Arnhem

• Miss Brown Vintage

• Auguste the Label

• Mister Zimi

• Island Luxe Tribe

• Citizen Nomade

• Unplugged (one for the guys - carried great European and Aussie brands)

ACCOM

We stayed in a great Airbnb (there are tons!) but these are some boujee-er (is that a word yet?) places that were recommended to us. We either stopped by to have a look or drink at the ones below, and if you’re willing to spend they all look gorgeous.

• Bask & Stow

• Elements of Byron

• the Lord Byron

• The Bower Byron Bay.

BEACHES

• The Pass | This was my favorite. A great beginner surfing beach. Walk up the little Fishermans Lookout stairs that are there.

• Wategos | Super popular but great. It’s a must to go to Raes if you go, for an alfresco drink and bite during the beach day.

• Main Beach | Funny, more touristy and definitely a scene to check out. Tons of performers, street vendors and travelers. A bit hectic during the day but it’s fun to walk through at night as there’s tons of street performers and great people watching.

• We were recommended to drive to Broken Head Nature Reserve beaches like Brays Beach and White’s Beach but stayed local

ACTIVITIES

• Hike to Cape Byron Lighthouse | Start at Cape Byron Walking Track and walk along the water all the way up!

• Day trip drive to the Hinterlands | These are the towns neighboring Byron Bay. The best ones we visited were Newrybar and Bangalow, pictured below.

  • BANGALOW: Start the day with breakfast and coffee at Woods Cafe Bangalow and exploring Bangalow market, if they have it on the weekend your there! Make sure you go to Bisque Traders and Rowie next to Woods.

  • NEWRYBAR: Next, drive to the neighboring town Newrybar for shopping at Newrybar Merchants (this is best store… it's a dream!) and then walk around Newrybar shops or grab an afternoon coffee. Our other favorites were Harvest Newrybar, Luther & Co and Driftlab.

• The Farm Byron Bay | Mentioned above, large farm where you can walk around, meet their animals in a self-guided tour, hear live music and have an amazing lunch. They also do takeaway picnic baskets and you can bring your own blanket and picnic with the food on the property. A bit of a drive from downtown Byron Bay.

• Cabarita Beach | Nice day trip if you have time or are driving up the coast. Up north a few hours. Halcyon House for lunch or dinner in town.

• Hike/Walk to Minyon Falls (there are tons of others too)

• Beach day at Wategos Beach & Raes

Adventure 4: Mt Lofty Ranges Winery

The Mt. Lofty Ranges Vineyard is a must stop spot for wine lovers, foodies and adventurers alike.

I would venture to say that Mt. Lofty is to Adelaide as Napa is to San Francisco. Just up the hill from the main city is gorgeous views, incredible wines and just the getaway you need into the hills of South Australia. The estate grown range includes vines of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Rose, Pinot Noir and a delish Methode Traditionelle Sparkling. Check it out!

Appetizer: House Baked Oinseed & Chia Sour Dough, with seasonal vegetables, potatoes house butter glaze and sumac. Yum! (Sorry about the angle, all photos from this day were shot on iPhone.)

If you get the opportunity to wander the estate, you will see diverse Australian native wildlife. Something I really appreciated was that Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard adopts a sustainable approach to farming and opens it's home to wild. koalas, kangaroos, echidnas and native birdlife. Over half of the property is retained as a pristine natural "bushland" as the Aussies call it.

Vineyard grounds and quaint back patio with entrance to cellar rooms. 

Onto the mains! 

My order was incredible. I had the braised & charred octopus served with quinoa, olive, prosciutto, sprouts, and smoked mayonnaise $18 and a side of beetroot with Kris Lloyd feta, nasturtium for $8.

Braised & Charred Octopus dish

If you are in for a 5 star meal, colorful decor, gorgeous views and incredible local wines, this is a stop to be made during your trip to Adelaide. Thank's for the gorgeous day, Mt. Lofty Ranges Vineyard!

Adventure 3: Adelaide Central Market

Adelaide Central Market

Christmas Eve morning in the Adelaide Central Market was one of the most amazing things I experienced on my trip. As is in any city, I feel like hitting the local market is where you are in amongst the locals, but this market is one of the best I've ever seen. It is the food hub, with such bright, colorful and fresh goods that are valued so highly you have to get there in the early hours of the morning to get in. Here you get to join in the local hustle and bustle, starting from the 7 a.m. wake up call.

They call it "the heart and soul of Adelaide," and I felt that when I walked through the door. The smells, the colors, the purely good spirits you feel when you walk down the stairs into the grand warehouse room. Did I mention the colors?

Market Entrance

I was told end of the week/weekend mornings are the best days to go because that is when the most venders are open (7am sharp for the best goods) and the market is closed Sunday's and Mondays.

There are a few cafe, dine-in and take out eating options in the market, my favorite being the Plantation Juice Co. in stall R17-18. I also bought from JamFace, House of Organics and Central Market Flowers. Such unique little spots in this melting pot of a market. One taste of the pastry I grabbed from JamFace and I decided there and then, I will be back at this market again one day.

JamFace

Sweet tooth? Check out JamFace for delicious pies, sweets, sandwiches, soups pastries and treats. Adorable spot.

Spice market goals.

Adventure 2: Glenelg Beach

It was time to have a night out with the girls. Will's cousins took me out to their favorite "Taco Tuesday" spot in Glenelg. Just blocks from the beach, Beach Burrito is a well priced and fun spot for a few margaritas and a bite to eat. The decor is very tiki-car but with a bright, modern tasteful flare. It seems every business in this country has this taste. it reminded me of my hometown favorite Smugglers Cove in San Francisco, but as if it had been cleaned twice, vacuumed, repainted and made trendy.

When we first arrived, the restaurant was relatively empty. I was amazed by the design of the new restaurant, so much effort and fun decor put into the new burrito spot. As the night went on, the sun began to set, and our strawberry margaritas (amazing) emptied, the restaurant became more and more packed. Music was thumping in the dimly lit upstairs bar area we were seated at and I was eager to see how the food would be.

Style points: A

Drinks: A

Food: C+ at the very most. This was extremely, extremely average Mexican food. I know I am a little biased coming from California, where we have authentic Mexican coming out of our ears but all I can say is this food was "no bueno." Awesome for happy hour and drinks though!

Great night and great vibes of the place though overall despite the food's lacking! Next stop: ice cream and sunset on the Glenelg Pier.

Adventure 1: Mt. Lofty Summit

After a few days of remarkable restaurants, wineries, cafes and cooking, (a LOT of food and wine) I decided it was time to get Will and I outdoors for some exercise. Hiking Mt. Lofty was just the perfect way to do so. It was a crisp cloudy morning. The river was flowing, animals were out and the greenery was bright as ever.

Mt. Lofty is the highest point in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges, just 15 km east of Adelaide city near Stirling. The summit can be accessed by road from the South Eastern Freeway at Crafers, and from the eastern suburbs via Greenhill Road and the Mount Lofty Scenic Route. We started at the summit and hiked down to the "Waterfall Gully" at the bottom, then back up to the top. The hike is a total of around 6 miles, or 8 km. It is essentially straight down and straight up, a very steep climb and a quality workout.

We stepped in to the Stirling Cellars and Patisserie, our favorite spot to grab an iced coffee and a bite to eat. The Stirling Hotel Cellars and Patisserie combines a place to buy  wines, beers and liquors with a spot for high end local food and great Australian coffee to enjoy in or take to go.