Editorial Review

There was a lot of buzz around the Surf Lodge when it first opened in 2008. Back then the chef was former Top Cheffer Sam Talbot and paddleboarding was kinda new. Now neither is true. Instead, the lodge, which reopens refurbished and renewed and with new owners this season, features Chef Chris Rendell of the well regarded Highlands restaurant. Rendell is bringing the outback to out east with Byron, a call-out to the surfer's haven Byron Bay in his native Australia. Some seriously chic but locally inspired and seasonally driven seafood dishes highlight the menu. Expect a crowd, a wait, and maybe even a door policy. It can get exclusive, no matter how laid back the locals are.