Not our first visit to the North Coast, but another chance to eat all the food, explore the beaches and go back to some of our favourite spots we’ve been to before. This time, we threw in some new places too…otherwise, life would be a little less well travelled. Bangalow, Byron and Ballina are the three beautiful B’s we like to visit when we visit our magical family in Lismore. While here, this is where we ate. This was first published August 2017 with updates made from our last visit April 2018. Because, there was even more food to eat.
Flock
Rehoused after the whopper flood in 2017, this place now rightfully takes up a bigger footprint than it used too. It’s hands down the best spot in Lismore town for food and drink, just take a peak in their full cabinets to see what I mean.. plus their busy walls keep you busy while you wait with paintings, collectibles and indoor plants to look at. They’ve done a good job.
facebook.com/flockespressoandeats 49 Woodlark St, Lismore NSW 2480
Butcher Baker
Brand new and ready to go, this fresh new-comer to Bangalow’s main street has all the things that suggest it will get the punters coming and enjoying the tasty food, sweet drinks and easy sounds playing through the speakers. We stopped here for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon. The kitchen takes a break from serving at 2.30pm between lunch and dinner service. But some tasty beef and cheese pies and a glass of Blanc-de-Blanc filled the void nicely. Oh and the Coffee Eclair also went down quite nicely. The owner is a baker by trade, paying service to his butcher father through the other half of the eatery’s name. I like the name and I like this place. I’ll probably be back next time, hopefully for the full experience.
www.butcherbaker.com.au 13 Byron Street, Bangalow, New South Wales
The Farm
My bro-in-law who has grown up on the coast reluctantly let us stop for morning tea at the Farm. He says it’s full of instagrammers and man-buns. I say ’nothing wrong with that’. Plus, I only counted one man-bun and it was probably only me that could be seen actively instagramming while we drank our flat-whites, ate jam donuts and discussed the interior. The Farm is home to the famed Three Ducks Eatery but it’s the cafe, florist, deli and lawns that I liked. This place is perfect. Next time you’re headed to Byron, I reckon you could stop for a coffee here on your way.
www.thefarmbyronbay.com.au 11 Ewingsdale Road, Ewingsdale, NSW Australia
Bella Rosa Gelato
It’s winter, it’s 23 degrees, you’ve been to the beach and laid in the sun, it’s probably now time for an ice-cream. Byron has ice-cream shops on every one of their 10 or so streets, but it was this place we stopped for the most important meal of the day, Gelato. I opted for espresso, it truly was. Creamy, delicious and it didn’t break the bank at $3.50 a scoop. Not sure if it’s the most trendy of all the gelato shops, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the best.
1/11 Jonson St, Byron Bay NSW 2481, Australia
Orgasmic
If you’re into hummus and you like a little falafel on your pita, you should probably head here for lunch. Nestled down an alley a block back from the Byron Hotel, Orgasmic has been cooking up delightful Middle-Eastern tasty morsels for a while now. The Falafels are that perfect crunchy on the outside and an awesome shade of green on the inside. The pita is soft and moorish and perfect for sopping up the hummus and tahini that’s been piled on your plate. They have delicious home-made lemonade on the bench for sale too. I reckon it’s probably worth your while.
www.facebook.com/Orgasmic-Food-Byron-bay-230102323714306/ 11 Bay Ln, Byron Bay NSW 2481, Australia
The Mez Club
Whitewashed walls, hummus and mocktails that tasted better than the real thing. This place needs to be on your list. They’re a Mediterranean style restaurant, but not as you know it. with no need for a face lift or paint job in the slightest (often they do)… the food was only as stunning as the interiors, with a beetroot dip to die for. The salt and pepper squid was also insanely tender and dare I say it, the best I’ve had. Oh Byron.
mezclub.com.au 4/85-87 Jonson St, Byron Bay NSW 2481, Australia
Belle General
There’s something about this place at Shelley Beach which makes me want to go back every time I’m on the Northern Coast. They set their own standards in good food, have huge amounts of style and reinvent breakfast food in new ways for the casual diner. I had ordered the granola, as sometimes I like to keep brunch simple, but the lovely lady at the counter pointed me in the direction of the granola special – laced with seasonal fruit, custard, rhubarb, roasted macadamias and all things yum. The food is always so beautifully presented here and the drinks are inspiring and a little out of the ordinary (thank you very much for being so enjoyable Blueberry Kombucha). When you’re done eating and taking all the food photos, the beach is just across the road. Just make sure you stop and say hi to Bobby, the resident French Bulldog. It seems he quite likes this place too.
www.bellegeneral.com 12 Shelly Beach Rd, East Ballina NSW 2478, Australia
Belle Central
We’ve made the Belle General a regular on our visits, but this time tried Belle Central for the first time. Despite turning up after the kitchen had closed they fed us with the cabinet food and that was more than good enough for us. I love that this place has so much gf, df and vegan, but it all still tastes so delish. If I could bottle the salmon cakes and take them home, I probably would. The best cafe to eat in Ballina if you’re visiting or passing through.
bellecentral.com Wigmore Arcade 141 River Street, Ballina NSW 2478, Australia
For more decent eats, kind of nearby, check out Burleigh Heads just up the road in the GC.
Great post!!