The Beet is a great little gem tucked away in an unassuming shopping centre in Byron Bay (where the Woolies is).
Though it might not look like much from the outside, it's got such a great vibe on the inside. The decor is elegant in a casual, sort of summery way, with white chairs, green plants hanging down from the ceiling, edgy wallpaper (is that an oxymoron?), and fashionable lighting fixtures. Sort of an odd mix in terms of decor but it just works. You feel like you're in a slightly upscale but not stuffy or pretentious place. Perfect for Byron Bay with its odd mix of hippie surfer residents, broke backpackers, and cashed-up tourists.
The restaurant is all-vegan, but this place is popular with non-vegans too. I agonized over the menu because everything sounded delicious.
Finally, I went with the Philly Cheesesteak ($23), in part because I was curious was a vegan version would taste like and in part because I was curious what an Australian version would taste like (I'm an American.) :D
It was good. Not knock-your-socks-off-good, but interesting-good. Not even close to authentic, because it was more like a "deconstructed" plate, not an actual Philly cheesesteak sandwich. It didn't come in a bun -- instead, it had strips of sourdough bread with it. The "cheesesteak" part was made with vegan cheese and house-made seitan. I LOVED the seitan, but I felt the vegan cheese needed a little work (something about it just tasted like velveeta instead of a nice creamy cheese -- maybe they used nutritional yeast instead of cashew cheese or similar?)
Generally, I find "deconstructed" food a little wanky, and at $19-24 for mains here, the portion size was pretty small. So that was the downside.
Even so, I enjoyed my dining experience here, the friendly service, the people, and the vibes, and I'd definitely go back and try other stuff on the menu next time I'm in Byron. read more