Pixie Italian

Pixie Italian is the stylish, 1970s-inspired coastal Italian restaurant on the ground floor of the Jonson Lane precinct at 139 Jonson Street, central Byron Bay. It opens 5pm to 11pm Monday to Friday, from midday Saturdays and 12pm to 10pm Sundays, and the team is openly dog-friendly: the terrace is where dogs are welcome, which makes it a smarter sit-down dinner option than most in town.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor terrace, on lead at all times; the main dining room with its burgundy banquettes is for people only. Staff are good with dogs, but bring your own water bowl rather than waiting on a busy night. It is a polished room and a longer dinner rather than a quick stop, so it suits a dog that will settle quietly under the table. Book a terrace table and take an earlier sitting if your dog prefers a calmer terrace.

Pepsi: Spaghetti with blue swimmer crab, a spritz at aperitivo hour, and the dog asleep on the terrace tiles. Easily the best-looking dinner we had in Byron.

The food

The menu is Sicilian-influenced coastal Italian, built around share plates, handmade pasta and char-grilled mains. Standouts include spaghetti with blue swimmer crab, cherry tomato and chilli, beef carpaccio with truffle mayo, pork cotoletta with anchovy butter and the Diavola chicken, with house-made tiramisu to finish. The bar runs an aperitivo hour daily from 5pm to 6pm with $15 select cocktails, plus a strong Italian-leaning wine list.

Getting there and parking

The address is 139 Jonson Street, ground level of Jonson Lane, a flat central walk from most of town and the beach. Parking sits beneath the precinct, entered via Browning Street, with paid street parking on Jonson Street as an alternative. Using the under-precinct car park skips the street scramble in peak season.

Close by with the dogs

The precinct is pleasant for a short stroll, and Belongil Beach's dog exercise area is a short drive for an off-lead run before dinner. Nearby dog-friendly stops include Otherside Cafe for breakfast and Light Years next door in the same precinct for a modern Asian alternative.

More options are on the Byron Bay destination page and in the NSW restaurants index.