The Northern Rivers homecoming of sisters and co-owners Danni and Nikki Wilson from Melbourne’s Carlton Wine Room and MoVida respectively, alongside ex-MoVida head chef and third amigo Ewen Crawford, brings a city polish to colourful Murwillumbah. The inviting Flack Studio-designed dining room boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, green leather and herringbone terracotta.

An exceptional Spanish-inspired menu changes weekly with local, seasonal produce. On this service, there isn’t a weak dish. Angasi oysters with chardonnay vinegar mignonette are the first sign of tremendous potential. Cantabrian anchovies, Jervis Bay pickled mussels and mouth-watering whipped salt cod are mopped up with excellent house-baked sourdough. Shark Bay blue swimmer crab with curry butter and warm spelt flatbread is so good you may want to weep.

This combined with Nikki’s slick service and a wine list favouring the crafty and natural, Livi is a blueprint for an exemplary neighbourhood restaurant and a beacon of optimism that, after a pandemic and floods, a restaurant and town can bounce back better.

To read our full list of reviews for NSW, head here.