Loft Byron Bay — Restaurant in Byron Bay

If you’re looking for a bartender who truly elevates your night out, look no further than Mahia. From the moment you sit down at the bar, she makes you feel welcomed, seen, and taken care of—not just as a customer, but as a guest.

Mahia has a natural ability to read the room. Whether it’s a lively Friday night crowd or a more relaxed weekday gathering, she knows how to set the tone. She strikes the perfect balance between efficiency and conversation: your glass is never empty, but she also makes sure every interaction feels genuine. Her hospitality shines through in the way she remembers regulars’ names and favorite drinks, and in how she always takes the time to personalize recommendations for new guests.

Speaking of drinks, Mahia’s cocktail knowledge is impressive. She doesn’t just mix drinks—she crafts them with care and precision. The classics come out perfectly balanced, and when you’re feeling adventurous, her custom creations are always spot on. You can tell she understands flavor profiles, because even if you just tell her “something refreshing but not too sweet,” she’ll deliver exactly what you didn’t even know you wanted.

Beyond her technical skill, what sets Mahia apart is her energy. She manages to keep the bar running smoothly even when it’s packed, all while maintaining a calm, friendly demeanor. She has a great sense of humor, which makes chatting with her a highlight of the evening, and she handles even the busiest rush with professionalism and grace.

It’s rare to find someone who makes you feel equally valued whether you’re dropping by for one quick drink or settling in for the night with friends. Mahia’s consistency, charm, and talent make her an incredible asset to any establishment, and honestly, one of the main reasons people keep coming back.

If you get the chance to have a drink made (and shared) by Mahia, take it—you’ll leave with not only a perfectly mixed cocktail but also the feeling that you’ve just spent time with someone who genuinely cares about...

On a little weekend break and really enjoying the fantastic vibe here in Byron Bay. Popped into Loft this evening which looks so inviting and is obviously popular! Maybe, so popular that the front of house guy feels he can be dismissive and make potential customers feel unwelcome? When we walked in there wasn’t anyone at the front to greet us so having never visited before we made our way in to sit a a table, none of which were marked reserved. Just as we were about to sit the front of house guy came over and ushered us to the back of the venue…he made us feel like we were less than welcome, he then told some staff off about the fact we were allowed to wonder in… I tried to relieve what felt like an awkward moment by saying in a light hearted way, “no ones fault, we just wondered in”… no hint of making the situation feel less difficult from the front of house guy. We ordered two cocktails, not happy hour ones. I know it had become busy as we sat there waiting for our drinks and obviously the bar staff were under pressure. We waited and waited, a couple a girls were sat next to us were served their drinks within 5 minutes… 25 minutes later still waiting for ours. The guy that seated us walked past us a number of times, it was obvious we were still waiting for our drinks. A waitress passed by after some time and we explained we were still waiting, 10minutes later still no sign of drinks but she did come back and apologise. We then decided to leave. Why would we give this place $50 for two drinks when they obviously do not deserve or want our custom. Really poor...

Fantastic value at happy hour (4-6) with perfectly fresh and sweet $2 oysters (in half or full dozens) and specials on margaritas, house wines and beers. Beware that the costs will add up of course! We stayed in for dinner and easily spent almost 90/head.

Staff were very friendly and the balcony seating was unbeatable. Lovely view of the main street and the table felt pretty private despite the increasingly busy room. The drinks list includes three different espresso martini variations and I actually saw many drinks I would’ve gone for (unusual and great to see).

My one standing qualm was with the $14.5 prawn bun. Already a small single item, the Loft’s pictures online boast four sizeable prawns. What arrived at the table were two (in no way large) prawns on a VERY over sauced bun, with sparse shreds of lettuce in a little roll. I think in australia prawns are pretty intentionally valued. Market prices fluctuate and the prawns that arrive aren’t always the same size grade every time. However, after payment the waitress (who was lovely btw) told us that the kitchen explanation had to do with the prawn weight—that these two prawns were somehow as heavy as the four pictured—very clearly not dinkum shrinkums.

I’ve worked restaurants for over a decade and have enjoyed many prawns, very much. If you really did figure that these two prawns were appropriately weighed for this dish, then I would suggest that you redo your marketing photos to reflect this weight. We started out so happy to splurge here and it felt very disappointing...