14/20Critics' Pick

Updated October 26, 2026,first published November 11, 2024

14/20Critics' Pick

The Salty Mangrove

Contemporary$$

This venue is included in Good Food’s 100 Essential Restaurants list.

You might have wandered into this weather-worn shack at the edge of New Brighton Beach looking for a Streets ice-cream, only to stumble upon one of the best casual dining spots in the state.

Surrounded by old-growth forest halfway between Byron Bay and Pottsville, The Salty Mangrove is a legendary local hangout co-owned by star chef David Moyle, formerly of Franklin in Hobart, with a lo-fi wine selection supplied by leading importers including Giorgio de Maria and Godot Wines. Join the cheery, sun-kissed crowd on the deck, where classic surf tunes drift over the sound of tinnies being cracked (not Carlton, but Spangled Drongo Lager from nearby Murwillumbah).

The fried snapper sandwich is a brill post-swim snack (get it with or without crunchy, skin-on chips), while coal-grilled skewers are more refined, threaded with chilli-butter lamb neck or perhaps swordfish finished with green-chilli salsa. Team it with a brine-splashed “saltini” and roll with the tide.

Good to know: Doors open at 6.30am for coffee and breakfast.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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Last visited: April 2026

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Source: The Age

At a glance

Topic
World
Country
🇦🇺 AU
Publisher language
EN
Added to Allnira