Culinary winds of change blow through Byron Bay

 

The restaurant winds of change are blowing through Byron Bay. 

Barrio Byron Bay is no more. 

But welcome to Nourishing Habitat (previously Barrio Byron Bay) which is set to offer three distinctive dining venues under one roof.

Nourishing Habitat is a project by restaurateurs Utku Ayhan of Foxy Luu's Byron Bay and Sefa Kitchen in Sydney, and Nicholas Degryse of Pure Hospitality Group in Sydney.

The three venues will open one month apart but all will be "dedicated to local produce, community, and sustainability".

The duo is working with interior designer and creative director Jason Grant to transform the space.

The first of the trio of restaurants to open is Commune Canteen which opened this week. 

Inspired by the home-cooked meals found in Mediterranean communities, Commune Canteen offers a rotating menu with "colourful salads, hot slow-cooked meals, hearty soups, and in-house baked breads". 

Embracing a canteen-style dining experience, Commune Canteen encourages guests to customise their meals using a fill-up tray system with three or five compartments, designed for mixing and matching.

They will also host communal lunches, featuring a long table in the Habitat courtyard, with shared plates. 

The executive chef is Thomas Ahern, a Byron Bay native,who has worked at Rae's on Wategos and for Marco Pierre White and Jamie Oliver. 

 Image: Jillian Gia McHugh