Belongil Beach Italian Food Is a Modern Take on Simple Classics
Laid back, good company and great food are both synonymous with Italian food.
If there were ever an image that captured only one snapshot of Italian lifestyle it would have to be a large gathering of the nearest and dearest, enjoying and sharing plates of food together.
Almost oblivious to the rest of the world is how we see these gatherings and feasts. They are designed to reconnect people, reminding all of what is most important.
To find an Italian restaurant which understands the concept is not hard, but do they do it well enough?
Belongil Beach Italian Food does.
So, what’s all the fuss about?
Let’s take a look.
Mamma Mia
Simple classics with a modern take are how this establishment would describe its menu.
Sourced from local providores on both land and sea this restaurant entices from the point of entry and continues to offer the best seasonal fare prepared by those who clearly love what they are doing.
Belongil Beach Italian Food unashamedly leans toward the seafood end of Italian cuisine.
Who could blame them? Look at the environment. It screams locally sourced seafood in a beach lovers haven.
You may find your eyes moving toward the Rock Lobster with lemon myrtle butter, the famous Moreton Bay bugs, or the fresh catch of the day.
Diners who prefer their appetites to be satisfied with other meals are not disappointed. The Risotto here is a must with its pumpkin infusion as is the Pippi spaghetti with a perfect hint of chilli and, of course, the clam like morsels that every Australian beach-going kid grew up alongside.
Don’t forget about the starters which are sometimes overlooked in haste to get to their seemingly more interesting main meal siblings. Try the Pizza Frittata, as a guide or maybe the Prosciutto with melon.
The mere words on a page don’t do the starters justice. Try them for yourself and see.
There is also a notable wine selection for those who cannot bear to enjoy Italian fare without a drop or two of a suitable accompaniment.
Good Vibes Only
Patrons recall this restaurant as a casual space without pretence. Almost like walking into your own brother’s back yard. Light, friendly and ready with a refreshing aperitif as a precursor to long conversations filled with background chatter and laughter.
Most visitors would agree. The interiors are pastel pink in hue, as are the tables, with the space reminiscent of a child’s party. Lighting like balloons and smiles to welcome top off this openair dining space.
All the better to feel the breeze and smell the ocean.
Who could ask for more.
Belongil Beach Italian Food welcomes you into to its world and gives you the hope of bearing witness to essential techniques and preparations of each menu item, but only on the proviso that it is not expected to share its secrets.
A true Italian lady.
Our Love of Italian Food
Australians fell in love with Italian food in the days back when immigration brought a range of new cuisines to our shores. There was something comforting about this style of food.
Prepared with an understanding of flavours and the combination of recipes past down and with the wink of many a Nona know-how, this food was soon embraced.
And it so remained.
Adults happily accepted this filling and abundant food with their children raised on day-long cooked bolognaise, handmade pastas with home grown tomatoes sauces.
Pastas, pizza, breads and seafood grilled to perfection all came to be familiar to Australians who embraced the people and their culture. Not to be forgotten were the red wines that accompanied the meals. This food became something to look forward to.
The times were hard but good, the food even better.
As we sample this country’s finest Italian restaurants, both formal and informal, we have come to understand through generations of this cuisine there is a foundation of food being the way to express love.
Today, diners may be a little more discerning about where they get their Italian fix, but the fundamentals of the exceptional home cooks of the past are the ones we still crave.
When this establishment once again opens it doors to offer Italian food at its best, diners come running from all angles.
Both local and interstate visitors love its casual atmosphere and simple food made with the spirit in which all food should be made.
It’s always been a pleasure.
Where: 33-35 Childe St, Byron Bay NSW 2481
Cuisine: Italian
Book: Once reopened after extensive renovation (02) 8090 6962
Looking for the perfect place to take your Good Food Gift Card? An abundance of choice lies here, no matter what your favourite cuisine.