Shelter Restaurant

Directly opposite the beach on Lennox Head's Pacific Parade, this restaurant builds its cooking around seasonal produce and local suppliers, an ethos it sums up as ethical, seasonal and local. It's open through the day for breakfast and lunch, then serves dinner across Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, giving it a genuine sit-down evening offering rather than a daytime-only menu. The setting does much of the work, water views, sea air and a relaxed coastal room, while the kitchen keeps things produce-driven and unfussed. As an independent beachfront operation, it avoids the templated feel of a chain and leans into what the region grows and catches. For a considered evening meal within sight of the surf at Lennox Head, on the nights it opens, it's among the stronger choices in the village.