Australia gets a 4-day long weekend in honor of Easter. It’s kind of funny that it’s basically a national holiday here even though it seems like half of the population is Indian / Asian non-Christian descent (I’m also based in Sydney so that’s skewed). All the stores and brands are allowed to say “Happy Easter” which is totally banned in marketing in the States.
That’s another topic, but I’ll take the 4-day weekend! Since I need to save my annual leave (vacation days) this was a golden travel opportunity. So instead of exploring somewhere I haven’t been I booked my third trip to Byron Bay. I couldn’t resist.
Me loving life on Folk’s hairpin stools (which I fell off once. They are for tiny bums)
I’m a big nerd for coffee shops, and since Australia has a thing for cafes I’ve found myself in a good situation. I had to work remotely one day so I turned it into a little adventure and popped by a couple cafes on my list, and then relished in my discoveries the rest of the weekend. Combined with one of my favourite cafes from my previous visit, the following are my top 6 cafes in Byron Bay:
Folk Byron Bay
Long story short… this cafe reeks Byron Bay vibes, and it’s not covered with backpackers as it’s a bit out of town – but worth the trip(s)!!! Can’t wait to return
I returned to this place three out of five days, so there’s something to be said about this lovely cafe (I’m obsessed). It’s a ten minute bike ride from town but it is an easy ride and so worth it! The vibes are friendly and relaxed, with an inviting indoor/outdoor setup and great tunes from old hits to new discoveries. I had the most luscious brownie of my entire life, some naturopathic tea, amazing coffee, and I met cool locals working in the shop. I worked almost an entire day from this shop and the WiFi was good too. I loved the design of it all. The food also looked amazing but I actually didn’t get a meal here – but from the looks and reactions of everyone else who ate at Folk, the food seems like a good move.
The Top Shop
Go to this cafe if… you want to feel cool, beachy, and enjoy a treat.
Image from Spirit of Bali 
Image via Pinterest
The Top Shop seems like a local favourite. Just a ten minute walk from the main area of town, beachgoers retreat to this cafe for yummy baked goods, great coffee, and smoothies. Every time I went (I don’t just go to places I love once) families and groups of friends were hanging out not only in the cafe but on the lawn out front. Side note everyone looked really trendy.
I have to say this was the best acai bowl I had in Byron. That’s saying a lot!!! Lately I’ve been getting bowls without bananas on top to cut down on some sugar and they happily accommodated (not all Aussie restaurants are down for a menu change…).
Bayleaf Cafe
Go here when you… want a killer brunch and great service.
Brunch at Bayleaf is a must. They do sweet and savory dishes well, and just like most trendy cafes in Australia, the coffee is amazing. ☕️ This indoor/outdoor cafe is right in town so you have no excuse not to go. The staff here was also really friendly despite being so busy. I wanted to befriend everyone.
The Farm at Byron Bay
Go here to… get inspired by a wonderful food experience and the philosophy behind it.
Image from the The Gourmet Traveler
How could I not mention the Farm! The greatest food mecca I’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring. This is a full-on wonderful experience, so I actually included biking to the Farm as one of the top things to do in Byron Bay.
The guys who started The Farm are actually from Bronte, my home beach neighborhood in Sydney ? They believe in surfing, building a community, and eating clean and using local/home-grown ingredients. Even without the awesome mission, the food speaks for itself. Best pumpkin lentil pie I’ve ever had (which is only once. And it was the best.).
Naked Treaties
Go here to… get a sense for Byron culture, employees that practice what the cafe preaches, and some yummy raw treats of course!
Image from Guide To Organics 
Image from Naked Treaties – it’s ‘Iced Blues’ in honor of Bluesfest 😛
This place is a lot of yum. It’s a small hip vegan cafe boasting its raw-some brekky, smoothies, desserts and lunch. I love that it’s not only a cafe but a manifestation of the conscious living mindset. ?I would have loved to try the smoothie bowls here – there were a lot of good options. I just had a little power ball and a coffee, very yum
Byron Fresh
Go here with… a crew for a healthy brunch.
I visited this cafe a couple times on this trip and once on the last trip. It’s a nice place to go with a group. I tried to work from here for a bit one day and I’d say it’s more of a social cafe given its proximity to the beach. It’s not as chilled out as the other cafes, but that’s not saying much because this cafe still has some pretty chill vibes. I’ve had some egg-veggie dishes here and a paleo french toast – both were extremely YUM and left you feeling healthy.
Alas…
Two other cafes I was dying to try were Road House Cafe Bar, and Harvest (recommended by World of Wanderlust). So next time I’m there, I’ll be very busy hitting up old favourites and these new ones.
Also nothing beats a beach barbie (they do say barbie) so grab your mates and have one! ?
