The Best of Byron’s Bohemian Cafes

/ Yale Wanders

No one, it seems, is immune to the magic of Byron Bay.

With a town slogan of: Cheer up, slow down, chill out- Byron has a reputation completely unique to anywhere else in Australia.

With beautiful coastline, perfect weather, close proximity to the hinterland, and a distinct boho vibe, there’s no arguing Byron is a special place.

It could be the free spirited energy- the feeling you can do whatever you want, and be whoever you please- but, whatever it is, you’ll sense it the moment you arrive.

Our decision to visit Byron couldn’t have been more last minute.

Originally, I was slated to fly from Sydney to Bali, but held off on booking flights until we came back to Oz for the second time from New Zealand.

Holding off on flights was one of the best choices I could have made.

We ended up extending our stay in Sydney by a week, and then decided to head north for my last week in ‘Straya.

My partner ended up staying, moving back to Melbourne and accepting a job offer that would see him relocate to the land down under for several months.

And, while I wanted to get back to Bali, I wanted to do so as affordably as possible. This meant searching several of Oz’s airports for the best flight deals.

As luck would have it, I found a one-way for less than £90 from the Gold Coast to Singapore, and then a one-way from Sing to Denpasar for under £40.

Sold on the deal, we decided to head north after Sydney 1) because I’d need to be up in that area to fly out of the Gold Coast, and 2) we’d had so many recommendations to visit Byron Bay, it just felt like the best way to wrap up our time together in Australia.

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You know what they say: Save the best for last.

Even though we loved every stop on our Oz road trip, Byron Bay felt like the cherry on the top.

We spent four days in this chilled out, beach paradise and could have easily stayed in the land of laid back for another week.

Part of the reason we loved Byron? So many chill cafes to sip great coffee at, watch waves break, or just read.

While I’ll have recommendations for what to do in Byron, part of the reason we loved our time there so much is because we mostly just hung out.

Laughter and conversations over tropical smoothies at brightly decorated cafes; slow mornings sipping coconut cold brew at a folksy coffee shop; avo toast topped with vegemite-infused salt for brekkie- it was all so perfectly relaxed.

If you’re heading to Byron Bay, these cafes are great places to get your caffeine fix on, or simply slow down and chill out.

5 Boho Cafes You Can’t Miss in Byron Bay

Folk: We hit up this Byron institution for coconut cold brew on a lazy morning, and loved that we pretty much had an entire corner of the space to ourselves. We’d eaten previously at The Farm, but their brunch menu looked great, as well

Bayleaf Cafe: Just about everyone told us to visit Bayleaf for brunch, and advised us to expect a long line. To beat the brekkie crowd, we came near the end of brunch after working up an appetite on a hike. Let’s just say people aren’t wrong about Bayleaf- the interiors are beautifully decorated with patterned tiles, vibrant art and hanging plants. And, the avo toast we had, which came with herbed feta and vegemite infused salt, was one of our favourite takes on the Aussie classic we had in Oz

Espressohead: A fab place to stop for takeaway coffee service- their iced mochas are a fantastic treat after a hot, early afternoon hike up to the lighthouse

The Farm: A working farm with a cafe and garden shed, The Farm has two great ‘cafe’ options- its bakery, which turns out surprisingly great Portuguese egg tarts and presses cloudy apple juice, or Three Blue Ducks- a more refined dining option, but still one with a bangin’ brunch menu. We loved The Farm- it was lovely wandering the actual farmland, and seeing where some of the ingredients they use are sourced from. It does feel like a bit more of a visitor, than local, experience, but a nice one nonetheless

Combi: Is there anything more ‘on brand’ for downtown Byron than this open-air cafe, decked out in pink, pillows and string lights? Factor in their delicious, healthy and vibrant smoothies, and it’s truly an Aussie experience. We loved this casual, beautiful setting so much, we returned a few times to work our way through their coffee and smoothie menu

Bonus Reco: Suffolk Park Bakery is the move for weekend morning pastries.

Growing up, my family summered at the Jersey Shore, and year after year, one of my favourite holiday traditions was our morning bakery runs.

We’d go several times over the course of the week we spent down the shore- always on the weekends- for danish, doughnuts and strong brew.

Suffolk Park is like an upscale version of the bakery of my childhood- loads of pastries and danish, filled with everything imaginable. Great iced coffee, too.

Have you ever been to Byron Bay? What cafes would you add to this list?

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