Fleet is the fine diner that put sleepy Brunswick Heads on the map, and it continues to prove a foodie force to be reckoned with. The intimate restaurant owned by partners in business and life, chef Josh Lewis and front-of-house extraordinaire Astrid McCormack, is considered a must-visit for those trekking through Northern New South Wales. Diminutive Fleet has attracted enormous praise and many accolades since opening. A lot of restaurants now claim to source locally, but here it moves past the food to the Tasmanian oak stools crafted by local maker Martin Johnston, to the plateware by Bangalow’s own Anna-Karina Elias. And then there’s the food. The produce is simple, but damn Lewis can cook. Dry-cured snapper is shaved thinly by hand, accompanied by a tangy tangelo sauce, roasted witlof and confit fennel. Whole roasted baby Jerusalem artichokes are tossed in creamy sesame, which only goes further to enhance their sweet nuttiness. Book far, very far, in advance to ensure a table. 2/16 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads. fleetrestaurant.com.au

Kids can play outside in the on-site playground – you can visit them any time – giving adults the mental space to navigate the extensive cocktail menu – think 1800 Coconut Tequila, Malibu, chilli and lemon margarita. This place is a good night out – a bring all your mates kind of place – and it’s open to all ages without being overrun with children. The restaurants’ several adjoining rooms are an indoor-plant lover’s paradise with colourful Mexican flair. Families tend to come early, then saunter outside for cocktails and sunsets while a more sophisticated and grown-up crowd walks in. Not too sophisticated, though, after all there are cheeseburger chimichangas with pickles and special sauce on the menu. Come for the tacos – there’s crispy cauliflower, smoked brisket or ‘El Pastor’ slow-cooked pork with roast pineapple, coriander and avocado. A barbecue beef brisket to share comes with charred chilli and herb chimichurri, and our tip is to order flour tortillas for a DIY taco situation. 1 Barclay Drive, Casuarina. lolitascantina.com.au

It’s a good thing Jordy’s is a bit outside Byron Bay or the whole town would be there for dinner, searching for that laid back atmosphere Byron slightly lost somewhere along the way and that Jordy’s has at its core. It’s been a long time since a restaurant anywhere has been this relaxing, sophisticated and at the same time delicious. An architectural arch inside frames an enormous wood-fired oven, the hero of the place and the making of almost everything that comes out of the kitchen. This is a pizza place – there are also salads – which are fresh-each-day sourdough bases made inhouse, topped with the likes of smoked provolone and pancetta and topped off with a fresh pineapple cruda. Sit outside in the courtyard out front and try a Ketel One martini – they’re super cold – listen to the Frank Sinatra-esque tunes and order the Brunswick pizza topped with Australian tiger prawns, clams, mascarpone bianco, cherry tomatoes and nduja. Far from being overladen, these pizzas are pitch perfect, with simple local ingredients given a chance to shine. 480 Casuarina Way, Casuarina. jordyscasuarina.com

It is “cafe” by name and vibe but the food at this rural destination lifts Federal Doma – or Doma for Federal locals – up a notch or ten. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner, but don’t just turn up and expect a table. The recent floods, Covid and even heavy rain any week impacts Doma heavily, and it’s worth calling beforehand to check it’s open before you drive all the way there from Byron or any nearby town. There are usually queues at lunch and breakfast, but they move quickly and it gives you time to browse the day’s menu on a big chalkboard upon entry. Order first, and the food is brought to your table. The menu is ever changing, and spans yuzu pork belly with pumpkin, nigiri plates featuring seared scallops, sashimi salmon, aburi scallop, tuna and whatever else is fresh, or a house-made rakkenji charcoal bao with tempura prawns or wagyu beef. The food comes fast, prettily piled high with texture and flavours – grilled eel sushi rolls are topped with edible flowers and miniscule herbs. In true Japanese style, the pastry here is also excellent, as are the breads which are available for takeaway. The worst and the best thing about Federal Doma is that it’s not closer to wherever we happen to be right now. 3/6 Albert Street, Federal. domaandqudocafe.com

Chef Ben Devlin turned his sights to Pottsville after transforming Halycon House’s Paper Daisy into the nationally recognised restaurant it is today. Pipit reveals once again Devlin’s deep connection to the Northern Rivers and its produce. This is a minimalist space, but you can book kitchen stools for front-row seats to a spectacular show. Centrestage is the charcoal fire, where you’ll see Devlin roasting romanesco on the coals and drying squid at the chimney mouth. The menu focuses on local vegetables, foraged ingredients and sustainable seafood. He knows when to keep it simple (hello, raw crunchy wing beans), but can whip salted cobia into a fluffy frenzy and puts pumpkin through a process of nixtamalisation, where it’s cooked in ash to improve flavour and texture. The sugarloaf stuffed with spanner crab mousse is Pipit’s most heavenly masterpiece. 8 Coronation Avenue, Pottsville. Pipitrestaurant.com

Farms and acreage plots pave the way to nearby Newrybar, a stretch of land settled around a main strip of no less than 10 eateries and boutiques. The village blossomed under the addition of Harvest, an eatery passionate about using local and native ingredients, partnered with a wine list as strong as its mains. Housed within an historic Queenslander, Harvest also delights visitors with its kitchen garden (which diners are welcome to wander), and an accompanying deli and bakery that is a must-visit for pastry come weekends. David Moyle is in charge of all things food here, signing up chef Matt Stone (who has since announced he is moving to Ciao, Mate!, and bringing his signature pitch-perfect, ingredient-led food, cooked immaculately, to this extraordinary eatery. A meal at Harvest is like a discovery tour of local Australian ingredients – think paperbark smoked beetroot, kangaroo floss, clam butter and wattleseed custard. A wedge of sugarloaf cabbage is doused with charred kelp vinegar. It’s delicious food, and the tiny nook of a town that is Newrybar is worth exploring too. Village 18, 22 Old Pacific Hwy, Newrybar; harvest.com.au.

Cabarita was a little known surf town before luxe accommodation arrival Halcyon House put it on the map. The boutique hotel arrived with Paper Daisy in tow – a restaurant led by Ben Devlin (formerly of both Noma and Esquire, and now Pipit). Devlin’s passion for local produce and flavours have shaped the restaurant’s dishes to include plenty of locally sourced seafood, as well as garnered plenty of attention within the national dining scene (delicious. 100 included). Open to the public and guests alike, the restaurant is a must-visit if you are within its reach, for both the coastal menu, as well as the Anna Spiro-designed interiors. Paper Daisy Halcyon House, 21 Cypress Crescent, Cabarita Beach Halcyonhouse.com.au

Chef Matt Stone is the latest chef to man the pans at this Bangalow gem. The restaurant is pretty as can be inside and out. Even pre Matt Stone the food here sent shockwaves through foodie Instagram with the likes of “rigatoni alla octopus”, red pepper and nduja soffritto, and gremolata. The menu moves with the usually local produce available and, it seems, the whims of the chef. Cheeky updates on Instagram have us driving north to get back. “On the lunch menu right now till they’re not. Salami, Rocket, macadamia cream, vodka sauce and basil on wood fired flatbread,” one post taunts. The playful, creative menu keeps the locals hungry and the restaurant packed. Insider tip, order “off menu” when possible, it means something truly special is on offer. 33 Byron St, Bangalow; instagram.com/ciao.mate.

Bondi’s Icebergs alumni steer the ship at this newish northern New South Wales eatery that is already booking out each night. Since its opening, a refined take on a classic seaside holiday snack has been garnering attention: No.35’s Local Snapper Fish Finger Sandwich has become a firm favourite since the venue flung open its doors – alongside its too-good-to-share tiramisu. Having earned their respective stripes in Icebergs Group venues across Sydney, Rachel Duffy and Daniel Medcalf teamed up to create their own relaxed restaurant in a location they both feel a solid connection to. Lighter dishes include the likes of Salumi Australia Lonza with sweet and sour melon, a local calamari dish with roast garlic and chilli aioli, and a white bean and miso dip with brown butter and flatbreads. Larger portions see the flavours of fregola, king prawn, saffron and toasted fennel seeds mingle on the plate, a rigatoni with greens, macadamia and buffalo mozzarella warm winter guests, and a hearty fusilli dish with lamb neck ragu, broccoli leaf and pecorino is ideal for unhurried meals enjoyed on a cool day. A focus on local ingredients sees nearby Burringbar and Byron Bay cheeses make the menu, alongside produce from the fruit bowl that is the Tweed. 35 Tweed Coast Road, Cabarita Beach. number35.com.au

La Casita is the Brunswick Heads offspring of Fleet’s Josh Lewis and Astrid McCormack, and it doesn’t disappoint. Dishes are simple in execution, yet complex in flavour and texture thanks to quality ingredients, a custom-made wood fire and Lewis’s vision. The ahogadas de camarones torta with marshmallowy bread and crunch-coated Clarence River school prawns is the ultimate sandwich. The beef taco is smoky, nutty and blanketed with salty, fried kale. The slow-cooked lamb tacos come with crispy skin and a little bowl of lamb juices that you’ll soon be licking off your wrist. There’s brave Mexican food coming out of this little house, and the locals and visitors alike are still filling the tables every single night. 5/3 Fawcett St, Brunswick Heads. Lacasita.com.au

If Greek is your weakness then you’ll find a comrade in Taverna. The Instagram-friendly lair sits serves up a slew of modern Greek dishes, all designed to share and inspired by owner Lia Wilson’s yia yia. Wilson, husband Mark Wilson and friend Lee Middendorf also own neighbouring Osteria in Casuarina, meaning they are a dab hand at knowing what locals want. For the 60-seat Taverna, that’s fresh local produce, feast-friendly dishes (a 48-hour-cooked lamb included) and a rather unrivalled ocean view. On Sunday night’s guests to the restaurant are encouraged to indulge a little more with the $39 chef’s banquet; the menu comes at the whim of the head chef depending on the week’s available produce. Taverna 22 Marine Parade, Kingscliff Taverna.net.au

Technically sitting within Byron’s ranks, Barrio is still a restaurant worthy of a mention. The restaurant means ‘neighbourhood’ in Spanish and (as its title suggests) is a community-centric space to eat all-day (and all night if that takes your fancy). Popping up in the recently revamped industrial estate, Barrio centres around the wood-fired oven and charcoal grill thanks to its head chef Argentinian native Francisco Smoje who is best known for his pop-ups around the district. But now Smoje has found a permanent home with Barrio, a sleek Spanish-inspired venture opened in conjunction with Tristan and Kassia Grier (of Harvest Newrybar, Sparrow Coffee), and Dan Wyllie (Flinders Lane NYC, Saxon + Parole NYC). Habitat, 1 Porter Street, Industrial Estate, Byron Bay; Barriobyronbay.com.au