Byron at Byron unveils new restaurant

4th September 2020 | Eativity editors

Byron at Byron, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort, opened its new restaurant, Forest, on Tuesday. The restaurant’s Executive Chef, Etienne Karner, has made a seachange to Byron Bay from Sydney, bringing with him his world-class experience to hero the region’s abundance of stunning sustainable ingredients. Boasting a career spanning France, Germany, Dubai, India, Ireland, the US and the Caribbean, Karner has joined the new restaurant from Park Hyatt Sydney, where he held the position of Executive Chef.

Forest’s opening menu will serve contemporary, approachable and distinctly Australian cuisine. Highlights include poached Ballina king prawns with avocado, green apple and coriander; Paroo kangaroo tartar with lemon myrtle mayo; line-caught local Jewfish with Windaboo mushrooms; or, for the sweet tooth, a nest of Kataifi pastry with white chocolate and salted caramel parfait. Uh, where do we sign up?

Every dish sings the praises of the region’s exceptional produce.

“Forest is a hyper-local ode to the area’s produce, artisans and farmers,” Karner says. “Byron Bay is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and every effort has been made towards sustainability in line with Crystalbrook’s commitment to responsible luxury.”

Set next to a lush rainforest oasis, Forest is dedicated to a local focus, with more than 80 percent of ingredients coming from an area within a three-hour drive of the restaurant. The utmost care for the surrounding landscape has been woven throughout the menu, with only sustainably-sourced seafood and free-range proteins used in Karner’s dishes. Guaranteeing transparency in regards to food sourcing, Forest’s wet and dry aged beef is farmed at Crystalbrook Station, three hours’ inland from Cairns.

There’s a selection of more than 30 sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines to match your meal.

Throw in an organic herb garden, on-property beehives and a worm farm fit for a television gardening guru and you’ve got yourself an ethical diner’s paradise.

Nestled in 45 acres of subtropical rainforest, Byron at Byron is a celebration of nature, responsible luxury and the local environment. The resort makes use of environmentally friendly, upcycled, recycled and locally-sourced materials wherever possible; has a plastic-free policy; and, through the use of technology, has removed 90 percent of paper used by a typical five-star hotel. Find out more at crystalbrookcollection.com