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Here’s Why Combi Is the Best Place to Eat in Byron Bay

Before I arrived in Byron Bay I already knew about Combi because of their impressive Instagram presence (78k followers?!), and their beautiful photos of breakfasts that looked almost too good to eat. I was pretty excited to try Combi for myself and find out if the food tasted as good as it looked.

This family-run café has been feeding Byron’s locals & tourists since 2008 and their ethos is based around using organic produce from local farmers. One of my favourite things about Combi is the wooden chalkboard by the counter that lists where all of their produce comes from. Most of their ingredients are sourced from small artisan suppliers in Byron and the surrounding towns in New South Wales, which I thought was pretty cool.

On our first day in town we spent the morning surfing on the main beach and then headed straight to Combi for some lunch. Located on a quiet street just down the hill from the ocean, the café itself is a sanctuary of plants, fairy lights, pastel cushions and candles – it’s basically about as Byron as it gets (complete with a custom Combi surfboard mounted on the wall).

Combi Café in Byron Bay
Combi Café in Byron Bay

Australians definitely know how to do coffee and a good cup isn’t hard to come by, but Combi’s coffee is honestly the best in town. Fair trade, organic & roasted in the Yarra Valley, the taste is rich yet silky and goes great with their homemade creamy plant milks. I went for the ‘Vegan Ice Coffee Deluxe’ which consisted of double shot espresso poured over organic coconut ice-cream topped with house almond milk.

When it comes to food, the menu focuses on bowls & breads so naturally I got both an açai bowl and thick cut sourdough with apricot cardamom jam. It was only when I went back to Combi for a second time that I discovered their signature buckwheat pancakes layered with raspberry chia jam, strawberries & banana, and topped with coconut icecream, maple syrup & macadamia crunch – this is 100% the best thing on the menu and must be sampled. All of the dishes have been carefully put together using the freshest ingredients & the you can really tell the food is of the highest quality.

Vegan breakfast at Combi Byron Bay
Vegan breakfast at Combi Byron Bay

If you want to spend a morning enjoying great coffee, delicious local food & chilled surf vibes, Combi has to be on your to-do-list when you visit Byron Bay. You can drool over their impressive Instagram feed here: @wearecombi.