Our October long weekend this year was spent in Byron Bay, and goodness it was blissful! This was our second time there, the first being last year when we hired a campervan and made our way up the coast over Easter. It rained the entire time we were there, and this trip was unfortunately not too dissimilar weather wise.
We had one full day of sun, and the rest of the weekend was pretty wet and windy, but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits (pun intended). We spent our time eating some really good food, drinking cocktails and exploring the area when the weather permitted. We were also lucky to have stayed in a really lovely little villa, which made the days we had to stay in due to the rain more enjoyable.
I’d love to go back again next year during the warmer months (third time lucky perhaps?). There’s still so many restaurants to visit, and walks/trails I’d love to explore. But despite it all, we still had such a great weekend and I’ve listed our highlights below for you!
Where We Stayed in Byron Bay
This is the villa we stayed at, which was in the Hinterland about 10mins drive from Byron Bay town centre. There’s a few villas on the property, as well as the owners home too. But it’s such a large property that we didn’t even really hear anyone else, and it almost felt like you had the property to yourself. (Bonus for dog lovers: The owners also have two super friendly dogs that like to come out and greet the guests and they bring their toys to play with!).
The views were also absolutely incredible, and we spent many hours on the porch eating cheese platters and watching the sunset together. Even when it was bucketing with rain, the view was still beautiful. My favourite part of the place though was the bathtub. It was huge, and the window next to it looked out onto the valley. It also provided a good breeze too when it got too hot in the tub. I think I had 3 baths while I was there, including one at 8am on the morning of our check out! So luxurious!!
Where We Ate/Drank
Daughter in Law
We actually stumbled across Daughter in Law one night when we were actually on the hunt for another restaurant (I can’t for the life of me even remember the name of the place now). We kept walking back and forth through the same streets trying to find this place, it had started bucketing down with rain and both of us were losing patience. We were hangry, tired, cold and wet. We needed food.
Much like The Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, Daughter in Law’s neon lights called out to us and welcomed us in when we needed it. The place was bustling with people, tables filled with families, friends and lovers, all smiling, laughing and having a great time. It was the perfect spot to walk into to dry off and warm up.
The staff were very welcoming and friendly, and we were both surprised and grateful they were able to get us in during dinner peak hour with no booking. We were seated at the bar, but it really didn’t bother us at all. It was a good spot to people watch, and we were a lot closer to the drinks!
The menu at Daughter in Law is made up of Indian dishes, with a playful, modern twist on them. We couldn’t decide what to order, so we got the tasting menu so we could try as many dishes as we could.
We had the Balls of Happiness (Golgappa), Kingfish Ceviche, Colonel’s Tso’s Cauliflower, Tandoori Chicken, and a shared mixed curry platter. We could not fault anything, everything was incredible. So much flavour, and fun textures in the dishes. The Golgappa was one of our favourites, neither of us had ever eaten anything like it before. It had this thin, crispy pastry shell on the outside, and inside the ball there was this cool, creamy, slightly minty yoghurt filling. They were like little flavour bombs, so, so good.
We sat, ate, drank cocktails and watched the people around us. There was a birthday party, where the staff involved and gave the guest of honour a special outfit which included a bubble gun, and we laughed along with them as they cheered him on and sang happy birthday. We watched other couples cozying up together, and enjoying their romantic night out. We spoke with the staff, who were very friendly and welcoming. All in all, it was really just a wonderful place to eat and enjoy our night. Highly recommended!
Light Years
Another place I’d highly recommend is Light Years. While Daughter in Law was our favourite place for its ambience and good vibes, Light Years definitely had some of the best food we tried on our trip. Light Years is an Asian restaurant and bar, tucked away in a laneway just off the main strip in Byron. You’ll know you’ve reached the right place when you see the beautiful, rose patterned wallpaper covered columns.
We were the first people to arrive for the lunch seating, but it wasn’t long at all before the place filled up completely. The staff were friendly and helpful, the cocktails were delicious and the food was to die for. We ordered the Pork Belly Bao Buns, the Mud Crab, Prawn and Scallop Dumplings and the Fire Cracker Chicken. The pork belly was so juicy, tender and flavoursome and was easily my favourite dish of the three. The dumplings were stuffed generously with seafood, and the fire cracker chicken was crunchy, spicy and covered in this delicious mi goreng coating which was so flavoursome!
The Roadhouse
The Roadhouse (or ‘The Roady’) is a cafe/restaurant that’s open for both breakfast and dinner. We tried both options and definitely preferred their wood-fired pizzas and cocktails, to their breakfast menu.
When we went there for breakfast, the coffee was great, but the breakfast options were pretty limited and a little overpriced for what I felt were fairly average meals. It was absolutely packed with locals though when we went there, so they must be doing something right. We just didn’t enjoy it as much!
Dinner was absolutely fantastic though! The pizzas were cooked to perfection, and I know this sounds crazy, but the rocket they used for their salads and pizza toppings completely stole the show for me. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Rocket? That’s what you’re going rave about? Yes, yes I am. The leaves were huge, zesty, peppery and just so fresh and so good!
We ordered two pizzas, but the Purple Haze was definitely the better of the two. It had rosemary mushrooms, parmigiano, taleggio, caramelised onions and rocket on a white sauce base. The rocket added a freshness to the pizza, and it was our favourite by far.
Also, make sure you do yourself a favour and order their spicy marg. It was the best cocktail I had that weekend!
Beach Hotel
I don’t think you can go to Byron Bay without stopping in at the Beach Hotel at least once. It’s huge, located right by the beach and is constantly bustling with people, no matter what time of the day or night it is. We didn’t try any food there, but we did enjoy many a drink there. During the day, it has a very relaxed pub feel (lots of families, tourists and often live music on the weekends), and at night it turns into more of a nightclub, with a DJ, dance floor and a much younger crowd.
Miss Margarita
We didn’t get a chance to eat at Miss Margarita either (though we have heard that the food is great!), but we did stop in one afternoon to enjoy a few happy hour margaritas. I loved the decor, and the drinks were delicious!
Where We Explored
Byron Bay Lighthouse
We were really lucky one more that the rain held off long enough for us to do the ever popular Cape Byron Lighthouse walk! There are so many different routes you can take, depending on how long you want to walk for. We chose a shorter one as we weren’t sure on how long the weather was going to hold up, and it was still full of spectacular views of the coastline.
When you get up to the Lighthouse, you can actually go inside and learn about it’s history, which I absolutely loved! It’s set up like a mini museum, full of stories and historical artefacts. If you’re a bit of a history nerd like me, make sure you stop in and take a little wander!
There’s so many beautiful walking tracks and waterfalls we’d like to see on our next trip! Until next time Byron Bay!
Laura x