"Fourteen seats, one A$135 seafood tasting, and one of the best kitchens on the NSW coast. Book ahead for a first date."
About Fleet
Fourteen seats. One tasting menu at A$135. A concrete counter facing the kitchen in a shopfront in Brunswick Heads, fifteen minutes north of Byron Bay. Astrid McCormack and Josh Lewis opened Fleet in 2015 after working together at Loam on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula, and they built something deliberately small and uncommonly good. Lewis cooks seafood and vegetables first, red meat barely at all, from a kitchen an arm's length from your stool. The wine list runs to no more than 23 bottles at a time, mostly natural, mostly by the glass. It is one of the country's most quietly serious rooms.
The Kitchen
Josh Lewis and Astrid McCormack met at Loam and opened Fleet in 2015 with an idea that looked reckless on paper: a 14-seat tasting-menu restaurant in a small town, no à la carte, almost no red meat. It worked. Lewis cooks with produce as the driver, seafood and vegetables foremost, and the A$135 tasting opens with the dish that has been on the menu since day one, a chip-and-dip made from mullet cooked over pine cones, smoky and salty. From there it moves through small plates that change constantly with what the boats and growers bring. McCormack runs a drinks list of no more than 23 wines at a time, lo-fi and sustainably farmed, served mostly by the glass so the pairing can follow the food plate by plate.
Fleet earns chef's hats from the Good Food Guide and a place on the World's 50 Best Discovery list, rare for a room this size and this far from a capital. The seats face the pass, so the cooking is the floor show. There is nowhere to hide and the kitchen does not need one.
The Room
Fleet is tiny and that is the whole point: fourteen stools along a table-height concrete bar, most facing out toward the open kitchen and the front window. The lighting is low, the mood is intimate, and you are close enough to your neighbour and the cooks that the evening becomes communal whether you planned it or not. There is no dress code; this is coastal NSW. The sound is conversation-easy, the pace is set by the kitchen, and a single seating means the room is never rushed or turned. Book the counter in front of the pass for the full view.
Best for an Intimate First Date
Book Fleet for a first date because the room does the work for you: fourteen seats at a counter facing the kitchen, low light, and a single unhurried seating that never turns the table. The tasting gives you a new plate to talk about every few minutes, the natural-wine pairing keeps pace, and sitting side-by-side at the bar is easier for a first meeting than facing each other across a table. It is just as good for impressing a client who knows food. See more Byron Bay dining and the global best tasting-menu restaurants.
Not for
Skip it if you want à la carte or a big meat-driven meal. Fleet is a single 14-seat seating with a set seafood tasting and almost no red meat.
Frequently Asked
Is Fleet worth it?
Yes. Fleet is one of the best restaurants on the NSW north coast and a genuine destination, despite its size. The A$135 seafood-led tasting is inventive and produce-driven, the natural-wine list is thoughtful, and the 14-seat counter makes the meal feel personal. It earns Good Food Guide hats and a 50 Best Discovery listing. Book well ahead and go hungry and curious.
How hard is it to book Fleet?
Hard. With only 14 seats and a single seating, Fleet books out well in advance, especially on weekends and over summer, so reserve as far ahead as you can through the restaurant's website. It is at 2/16 The Terrace in Brunswick Heads, fifteen minutes north of Byron Bay. Weeknights are slightly easier to land. Have a backup date in mind.
What is the dress code at Fleet?
There is no dress code at Fleet. This is coastal northern NSW, so smart-casual or even beach-casual is completely normal, and you will not feel underdressed in a linen shirt or a sundress. The room is intimate and informal rather than fancy. Come comfortable; the focus is entirely on the food and the wine, not on what anyone is wearing.
What should I expect at Fleet?
Expect a set seafood-led tasting menu for A$135, served across many small plates at a 14-seat counter facing the open kitchen. The meal opens with the signature mullet chip-and-dip cooked over pine cones and changes constantly with the catch and the season. Red meat barely features. Pair it with the natural-wine flight, mostly by the glass. For more, see our tasting-menu guide.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Fleet
Direct · 14 seats, book well ahead
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Practical Information
Address2/16 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads, NSW 2483
NeighbourhoodBrunswick Heads (15 min from Byron Bay)
CuisineSeafood-led tasting menu
SignatureMullet chip-and-dip over pine cones
Tasting MenuA$135 per person
Dress CodeNo-rules
ReservationDirect (online)
