Where to dine in The Tweed

Travellers will never go hungry in The Tweed. Chefs from right around Australia are lured here by the rich variety of produce grown in the region’s fertile soils, not to mention the opportunity to work in one of the country’s most scenic regions.

The result? Diners get to choose from a wealth of family-run cafes and restaurants where what’s on your plate is sourced either from just down the road or perhaps even from the restaurant’s own garden. Here are some of our favourites.

You know you are in the right place when you spot the field of sunflowers. Much of the produce served at Farm & Co’s store and café, just inland from Kingscliff, is grown in the adjoining fields, so we’re talking food metres rather than food miles. The menu changes with the seasons but brunch favourites like shakshuka, mushroom bruschetta and gnocchi feature frequently.

Before chef Ben Devlin opened his restaurant Pipit, Pottsville was a sleepy kind of place. Now it has become a must-do for every foodie visiting the area. Pipit’s emphasis is on sustainable seafood, but there is nothing predictable about a menu that teams lobster with smoked celeriac, shiitake and saltbush. Chef Devlin also has a clever way with veggies: his grilled kohlrabi, served with kelp vinegar, pippies and emu egg white garum, is a thing of beauty. Pull up a seat at one of the high benches and prepare yourself for a mouth-watering experience.

The Tweed has plenty of lovely spots to relax, but the verandah at Mavis’s Kitchen is one of our favourites. The setting – in an inviting Queenslander surrounded by lush organic gardens at the foothills of the peak called Wollumbin – is exquisite; the food is even better, both delicious and nutritious. From beetroot gnocchi served with burnt butter and sage to a beef brisket that’s been smoked over wood for 18 hours, there is plenty to sate your appetite.

Perhaps the area’s most stylish dining room, Paper Daisy in the Halcyon House hotel is also one of the best places to go if you want to sink your teeth into some local flavours: the spaghetti is served with spanner crab, bush tomato and nasturtium, while fresh-from-the-sea snapper is coal-roasted and teamed with grilled fennel. Save room for dessert, perhaps baked pineapple with native lime and rosemary cream

The award-winning Potager restaurant is located on a gorgeous 10-acre farm in the beautiful setting of Carool.

The team here are passionate about providing guests with a memorable dining experience. The menu features dishes with fresh ingredients that are sourced locally wherever possible and include organic produce from the abundant kitchen garden. Think Byronshire roasted porcetta with rosemary garden veg and local cider and sage jus; or Urliup mushroom dumplings with fried shallots and crispy seaweed. And we love that community is at the heart of everything they do – you will dine on tables made by local craftspeople and your meals will likely be served on plates made by local potters. But most importantly, you’ll be eating food made and shared with love.