A restaurant masquerading as a bar is turning heads in the small town of Brunswick Heads, north of Byron Bay. It’s impossible not to feel looked after in this immaculate, Scandi-chic, 14-seater space, where we have arguably one of the best chefs and one of the best Maitre d’s in the business.

Food is highly original and chef Josh Lewis, who hails from Copenhagen’s Noma, reinvents the menu regularly. A rare catch of sardines comes in and Lewis is on the case, celeriac is in season and he turns out one of the best dishes on the beautiful menu; a quarter vegetable given the hasselback treatment, roasted and glazed, sitting atop a puddle of perfect, slightly sour house-made cultured cream. Graced with shaved bottarga, it’s remarkable, textured, sweet and slightly sour, with a creamy bite that leaves us rolling our eyes in joy.

The sugarloaf cabbage side can never come off the menu, so persistent is the demand for it. The local cabbage is thinly sliced with kale and served with a dressing packed with savoury yeast. The umami and tartness, the sheer deliciousness; it’s a most perfect plate. Spanner crab is tossed with ribbons of zucchini and dried shrimp butter, fresh chestnuts shaved on top (so this is what Lewis did with those enormous crabs he held up on Instagram a day before – bravo chef).

Throughout the meal, Astrid McCormack shifts her Maitre d’ position to be waiter and all-knowing wine expert. All wines from the mostly non-intervention menu are available by the glass and McCormack finds the right fit for each meal. There are also house-sodas for the non-drinkers.

Lewis chimes in on the food at the kitchen end of the long cement bench from which most dine. He’ll explain why they warm the oysters slightly before serving, or divulge where he found certain produce. It’s a remarkable dining experience, and a destination in itself for all discerning epicureans.

Must eat dish: Celeriac with cultured cream and bottarga