The 10 Best Bars in Byron Bay for Every Night Out
From cool cocktails and tapas to cold beers and live music, Byron’s bar scene has something for every style of night out.
For a relatively small town, there’s no shortage of places in Byron waiting to welcome you for drinks after a hard day in the sun. So whether you’re after somewhere chilled to catch up with friends, the best spot for sunset, or a place to party the night away, we’ve rounded up the best bars in Byron Bay – whatever you’re in the mood for.
Enjoy!
Depending on the current situation, the bars in town may change their opening hours or days at short notice, so it’s worth checking their social feeds for the latest updates before you head out.
The Mez Club
🍸 Best for cocktails & sharing plates

If you’re looking for a laid-back but lively atmosphere, The Mez Club won’t disappoint.
The stylish whitewashed interior is inspired by Morocco and the Greek Islands, and the décore features Moroccan artefacts and rustic, hand-crafted wooden tables.
The cocktails, though, are far from rustic, concocted from original and skillfully chosen ingredients, while a shorter gin and tonic menu shows equal creativity.
The Mez Club is also one of the best restaurants in Byron Bay with a Mediterranean-themed menu spanning Morocco, France, Italy, Spain, and Greece. In true mezze style, there are plenty of sharing plates, with dips, salads, and warm bread, alongside mains such as roasted lamb and steak.
Find it: 4/85-87 Jonson St, Byron Bay
The Beach Hotel
🎸 Best for live music, sea views, and sunset drinks

Fronting Main Beach, The Beach Hotel – or the Beachie as it’s locally known – is one of the few bars in Byron Bay with stunning views across the ocean to the diving haven of Julian rocks. Its large beer garden is one of the best places in town to get the warm evening sun before it sets, but expect to pay a little more for drinks because of its primo location.
A current refit means the new restaurant menu will be launched in the summer. In the meantime, there’s a choice of seven freshly cooked, reasonably priced pizzas, such as beetroot and field mushroom or chilli and prawn. More than adequate if you’ve been working up an appetite in the surf.
Drinks focus on craft beer, with more than 20 on tap, along with classic cocktails and a good range of wines from Australia and New Zealand. Bands and duos play lighter live music most days, and DJs amp up the Byron Bay nightlife on weekends.
Find it: 1 Bay Lane, Byron Bay
Loft Byron Bay
🍸 Best for cocktails & sharing platters

Loft will always be bustling purely by its central location just off Main Beach – so booking ahead is wise. Inside, you’ll find the modern, clean lines suggest efficiency, and the service is excellent to match.
Dining in Loft is a sharing affair, so you’ll find this a great destination for couples and friends looking to relax and catch up in a buzzing atmosphere. The drinks menu is varied, offering classic and exotic cocktails, ten craft beers, and plenty of native wine choices.
Oysters are star billing on the menu, followed by charcuterie and cheese boards. For differing appetites, mains come in small, medium, and large. Courtesy of the oceanside location, the menu has plenty of fish and seafood choices.
Open 4 pm till late every day.
Find it: 9/4 Jonson St, Byron Bay
The Balcony Bar & Oyster Co.
🍸 Best for cocktails and people-watching

Above the bustling streets of Byron Bay, The Balcony Bar & Oyster Co. has the best vantage point for people-watching in town. The building is heritage listed and often likened to a Hamptons beach house, with a cool wraparound deck for dining.
Inside, the vibe is laidback, light, coastal and breezy, with hanging plants and seascapes from local artists on the walls.
Oysters are prominent on the menu along with handmade pasta dishes. Sharing plates and huge sharing mains, including 1kg T-Bone and whole trout Wellington will easily satisfy a party.
The extensive wine list is created by a master of wine, while the in-house mixologist regularly adds creations to the cocktail menu.
Enjoy sunset happy hour every day from 4-6 pm and Oyster Hour Wednesdays from 5-6 pm.
Find it: 7/3 Lawson St, Byron Bay
Treehouse on Belongil
🍸 Best for cocktails and woodfired pizza

About a five minute drive from town, you’ll find the natural calm of Belongil Creek and Treehouse on Belongil. The Treehouse nestles among the greenery right by the beach, sporting a shaded, open conservatory with palms.
The vibrant menu reflects the heritage of the new Lebanese chef and his travels throughout Morocco and Italy. Woodfired pizza proves ever-popular, side by side with exotic sharing platters such as duck ragu with homemade gnocchi and Moroccan spiced lamb kebabs.
A shorter but original cocktail menu is backed up with craft and bottled beers. The wine list is mainly Australian, with a smattering of the chef’s favourites from France and Italy. The Treehouse is the essence of chilled, while cocooned in nature – be warned, you may struggle to leave!
Find it: 25 Childe St, Byron Bay
Bang Bang
🍸 Best for cool cocktails and cooler vibes

The cool oasis of Bang Bang in central Byron is a great space to relax. It’s a leafy and trendy restaurant inside, although the lighting is on the low side – so take a mobile with a torch for the menu.
Fusion dishes are cooked in the wok, as well as a selection of slow-cooked curries, such as braised pork shoulder Massaman green curry.
Original Asian styled cocktails will get the party started, along with a couple of mocktails.
Bang Bang has a shorter than average wine list but still plenty of choice for most tastes from Australian, French, Italian, and Spanish winegrowers.
Find it: 4/1 Byron St, Byron Bay
The Rails (The Railway Friendly Bar)
🎸 Best for live music and outdoor drinking
With bands playing live most nights and more than 20 draft beers, The Rails is the venue to let your hair down. Bands range from reggae to roots, blues to funk, and folk to rock.
The open-plan bar is spacious, with quirky memorabilia dotted around. There is plenty of outside seating too, although no waiter service, so you must collect your own drinks and food.
The menu is resolutely pub grub with substantial burgers, pasta dishes, fish and chips, and steaks, along with vegan options for burgers and pasta.
The 20 core draft beers are often supplemented by guest beers, and a smaller wine list has plenty of choices from native winegrowers. It’s an ideal spot to eat a lazy lunch and relax with the music.
Find it: 86 Jonson St, Byron Bay
The Northern (The Great Northern Hotel)
🎸 Best for live music and local vibes
The Northern is an old-school locals pub located in the centre of town with pavement seating that makes it an ideal spot for people-watching. Rock bands regularly keep the mood upbeat, from up and coming groups to the occasional big name.
Its wood-panelled restaurant is welcoming and unpretentious. Specials nights happen every other night and include parma, steak, burger, and Sunday roast nights, all competitively priced. The bar keeps more than 20 craft beers and a selection of more than 30 native wines. The kitchen opens from 11 am right through to 9.30 pm.
Find it: 35/43 Jonson St, Byron Bay
Casa Luna
🥃 Best for late night partying

The latest addition to the Byron Bay bar scene, Casa Luna is shaking things up with its eclectic mix of food, drinks, and music. Head there in the evening for Mediterranean food and cocktails on the terrace, then party the night away as the place turns into a dance haven with resident DJs at the decks.
Hidden away on Fletcher Street, the bar is cosy and dimly lit with a cactus garden taking pride of place at the back, while the windows frame panoramic views across Byron, including those breath-taking sunsets.
Find it: 9 Fletcher St, Byron Bay
Raes Cellar Bar
🍷 Best for upscale drinks with a view

For a leisurely afternoon sipping on cold drinks while taking in one of the best views in town, head to Raes Cellar Bar in the upscale suburb of Wategos. With a large shaded terrace that looks straight out across Wategos Beach, Raes is the perfect place to enjoy a tempting range of cocktails alongside its curated selection of wine and beer. Its refined bar snack menu includes favourites like oysters, antipasto, and a delicious lobster roll that’s worth the trip alone.
Raes Cellar bar is open daily from midday until sunset, and walk-ins are welcome and seated on a first come first serve basis, which is fortunate as parking in Wategos can be challenging at best, so at least you don’t have to worry about missing your reservation.
Find it: 6 – 8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay
Share your favourite bars in Byron Bay
We base all of our guides on local knowledge and independent feedback, so we’d love to hear which places top your list of the best bars in Byron Bay. Send us a message here or on social media, and if you think this guide would be helpful to someone else, feel free to share it using the social buttons at the top.
Also, after your night out on the town, you might need our guide to the best places for breakfast in Byron Bay – you can thank us later.