10 Best Italian Restaurants in Byron Bay

Almost everyone enjoys a good plate of pasta — something about it is comforting. But Italian isn’t always just about a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. This type of cuisine can offer up innovative dishes to tempt your foodie side, as well as serve up an excellent piece of pizza.  And you’ll find it all here in Byron Bay! If you’re looking to spice up your holiday eating out, you’ll never lack for options while staying in the Byron Bay area.

Below you’ll find a list of 10 of the best Italian eateries in the Byron Bay Area according to Tripadvisor. Included are a wide range of styles, food prices and locations (main strip, off the beaten path and even nearby towns).

Get ready to devour some excellent Italian food next time you’re in Byron Bay!

1. Il Buco

With over 600 reviews on TripAdvisor, most of which gave five stars, Il Buco must be the number one Italian restaurant in Byron Bay for a reason. Located in the heart of Byron Bay, Il Buco is easily walkable from the beach, so you can certainly make a point to come here during your holiday. Rather than hitting on several areas of food, you’ll only find wood-fired pizzas here for a main dish (along with some apps, sides and desserts).

Plus, according to its website, this cafe and pizzeria also serves “superb organic coffee.”  The reviews speak for the restaurant, which include “great Italian style pizza,” “just like Italy, “don’t miss this gem.” Well, Tripadvisor sources are usually correct, so be sure this Italian restaurant tops your list.

Open daily from 5:30 to 9:30 pm daily, Il Buco does not allow reservations.

2. Treehouse on Belongil

Located at beautiful Belongil Beach, just a five minute drive from Byron Bay, Treehouse on Belongil offers both a spectacular view and excellent wood-fired pizzas (with gluten free options, which several people on TripAdvisor mentioned). Visitors can pick from breakfast (limited menu), lunch or dinner for food, and there’s a full cocktail menu as well. The restaurant offers more than just pizza though, you’ll find everything from a slow roasted pumpkin and baked ricotta salad, to smoked pulled pork and roast pineapple nachos. You won’t leave hungry!

Side note: In case you enjoy live music, Treehouse is a good place to check out during your stay. Most Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays you can find live music at Treehouse. So if you love music and food, you can combine in one fun outing at Treehouse.

3. Earth ‘n’ Sea

“At Earth’n’Sea we do not make Italian style pizzas. We make Byron Bay style pizzas.”

So reads the advertising slogan for Earth ‘n’ Sea Pizza and Pasta, a Byron Bay Italian restaurant with a difference – all its pizzas are made using a wholemeal base. This is not just innovative in terms of taste, its owners believe it is a healthy option. The toppings are innovative too.

The Earth ‘n’ Sea Massive Meatlovers Pizza combines bacon, beef, ham and pepperoni with homemade BBQ sauce, while the Beethoven is topped with fresh prawns, pineapple and – wait for it – bananas.

This family-run, family-friendly Byron Bay restaurant is in the heart of the town and offers a children’s menu and gluten-free options. Traditional toppings and pastas are also on the menu too, if you prefer to save your spirit of adventure for Byron Bay adventure activities.

Booking recommended, but if they are full, drop by their takeaway counter next door.

4. Trattoria Basiloco

Not far from the Byron Bay Library on Lawson Street, you’ll find Trattoria Basiloco. This Italian restaurant is actually run by an Italian family, who moved from the island of Sardinia to Byron Bay. And visitors seem to notice the difference — many Tripadvisor reviews mentioned how authentic the cuisine is!

Between the al dente pasta and wood-fired pizzas, you’ll find plenty of options of what to eat. Open for dinner only from 5:30 to 9 pm, Trattoria Basiloco accepts both online reservations as well as called in reservations. However, you can also take your chances and just show up for dinner.

There is a fun page on the website that lists “What we are not,” which includes a fine dining restaurant, fast food restaurant, a bar or pub.” Yes, don’t worry, they serve alcohol, just needs to include food.

Considering the number of glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, you might want to add this to your list of must-try on your Byron Bay holiday!

5. The Italian Byron Bay

One of Byron Bay’s top culinary creators, head chef William Ennis, delivers world class cuisine with an imaginative contemporary Italian restaurant menu, earning the Italian at the Pacific a reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in Byron Bay. Ennis counts two European Michelin starred restaurants on his CV – Martin Wishart in Edinburgh and Patrick Gauilbaud’s in Dublin. He was also part of the team that won three prestigious Chef Hats during his time at Sydney’s renowned Bilson’s Restaurant. In addition he worked for Saudi Royalty on their luxury yacht off Sardinia. These global experiences have helped Ennis develop his unique take on Italian food. How about:

• lasagne of slow cooked lamb; or
• spaghetti bianco (shredded pumpkin, peas, pistachio, sunflower seeds and Parmesan); or
• Penne penne in a porcini infused cream sauce (shredded beef cheek, mushrooms, peas and Parmesan).

Just metres from the Pacific ocean, this is a destination restaurant well worth visiting after a hard day of relaxation at Broken Head Holiday Park.

6. Targa

Tucked away just minutes from the main drag of Byron Bay, Targa serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner. This Italian-focused restaurant serves a variety of delicious dishes, including dinner favourite: gnocchi, along with a host of beer, wine and cocktails. This little restaurant (room for a total of 55 guests) would be an excellent place for a quiet, romantic dinner during your holiday.

Plus, the knowledgeable staff are helpful when pairing food and wine. However, don’t discount the other meals Targa serves, quite a few people raved about the breakfast on Tripadvisor.

7. Jonsons Restaurant

This eatery sits on Jonson Street as the name suggests, but it’s not located on top of the beach, rather it’s closer to Woolworths Byron Bay. You can grab breakfast, lunch or dinner at Jonsons Restaurant. According to some of the Google reviews, it looks to be a fairly popular breakfast joint as people thought they served good coffee. But don’t worry, if you’d rather not do breakfast out, then keep this place in mind for lunch or dinner. If you’re in the mind for pizza, you won’t find that option here, but rather you’ll see menu choices such as short prawn bisque, beef cheek burger and homemade ravioli.

8. Pizza Paradiso

Pizza Paradiso has earned a reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in Byron Bay by taking traditional favourites to a new level and by offering mouth-wateringly creative new toppings. Plain old cheese and tomato Pizza Margarita is transformed with a topping of fresh cherry tomatoes, snowy bocconcini mozzarella mouthfuls and fresh basil.

For something new try the Pesto Pizza – pesto topped with roasted pumpkin, roasted red peppers, caramelised onion, ricotta and fresh spinach leaves. If seafood is on your wish-list opt for the Scampi Pizza, a combination of pesto, prawns, chilli and rocket leaves. Such imaginative twists on one of the world’s favourite foods has made Pizza Paradiso a destination restaurant and its home delivery service popular with locals.

9. Slice Pizzeria

Slice Pizzeria is located on Jonson Street and is a convenient place to grab a bite to eat. If you’re looking for a good place to grab a piece of pizza, as the name says, then stop by here while you’re out sightseeing. This is a perfect quick lunch spot if you’re wanting takeaway and to head back to the beach. The pizza is traditional Italian mixed with “contemporary methods,” according to the website. Open daily, Slice Pizzeria even allows online ordering.

10. Beaches and Cream

While you won’t get a big meal here, you might stop by more than once during your holiday in Byron Bay. Beaches and Cream features the popular Italian dessert, gelato. (You can also grab donuts, coffee or other breakfast-related items besides gelato, so perhaps there is another reason to come here.) Open 10 am to 11 pm everyday, Beaches and Cream makes its own gelato daily, and there are a good number of flavours to tempt you to make it treat more than once.  If you want more ideas about where to dine for a specific cuisine type, check out our Best Asian Restaurants in Byron Bay post. 

Indulge a love of Italian cuisine and stay at BHHP

Two things to keep in mind as you plan your next trip to Bryon Bay after reading about all these delicious Italian restaurant offerings:

1.) You’ll need cash flow to try out all these amazing restaurants. You’ll find some very affordable accommodation here at Broken Head Holiday Park. So check it out, and then book whatever makes sense for you.

2.) A place that you can make food for other meals since you’ll need to save cash for trying out all these Italian restaurants in Byron Bay. The good news is that Broken Head Holiday Park has the perfect camp facilities for your needs, from BBQs, to picnic areas, to powered campsites (so you can plug in a crockpot or other cooking appliances). So stop thinking about it, and book using the ‘Book Now’ button on our site!