Spotlight on Newcastle's vibrant food and drink scene

If you haven’t heard yet, Newcastle is buzzing. The once industrial city has been reborn and is now home to a plethora of trendy cafes, restaurants, pubs and small bars run by a variety of passionate locals. From health-conscious breakfast menus to ocean-front dining and speakeasy small bars, there’s something to appease all appetites. Here are just some of the best places to see Newcastle’s vibrant food and drink scene in action:

Cafés/Restaurants

• Specialising in smoking, curing and picking, The Bowery Boys is one of Newcastle’s most exciting new restaurants. Chef Steven Zeilke (best known for his award-winning work at Buffalo Dining Club, Chester White and Table for 20 in Sydney) is at the helm with a menu that focuses on local, fresh and seasonal produce
• One of two hatted restaurants in Newcastle, Restaurant Mason has a relaxed fine-dining approach and a menu influenced by modern French and British flavours with a slight Asian influence
• Newcastle’s other hatted restaurant Subo offers an intimate fine-dining experience in a casual space. Positioning itself as a contemporary bistro, Subo exclusively serves a five course menu that is dictated by the seasons, changing approximately every six weeks
• Hello Naomi is a beautiful, pastel-coloured cake shop on King Street specialising in individual sweet treats and cakes for weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. Everything is baked from scratch using the finest quality ingredients
• Blue Door café is paradise for health-conscious foodies looking for a nourishing breakfast or lunch. The menu is bursting with colourful, fresh options such as the Green Breakfast Bowl, Blue Door Raw Salad and superfood smoothies
• Overlooking beautiful Merewether Beach, Merewether Surfhouse caters for everyone with a café, pizza and gelato shop, fine-dining restaurant and bar, all with spectacular ocean views
• Three Bean Espresso in Hamilton is well-known for its nourishing food, top-quality coffee and warm friendly service. Owner Ben Armstrong makes almost everything from scratch on-site and is passionate about live cultured produce such as kimchi and kombucha. Be sure to try the ‘lifechanging bread’ and ‘wonderslaw’.

Pubs

• Having undergone a major renovation in 2014, The Lucky Hotel has re-opened with a new lease on life. The historic building is now a hip inner-city pub, boutique hotel and restaurant with a menu inspired by an American BBQ. The space is chic in design with a large internal courtyard and a drumkit chandelier inside
• An old laundromat, The Edwards has been re-born as a cool inner-city bar, restaurant and café. Owned by Silverchair bass player Chris Joannou, The Edwards is proving popular with locals for its hearty food, trendy post-industrial architecture and relaxed, creative vibe
• Newcastle’s craft beer scene is in full swing and the city now has its own brewery thanks to FogHorn Brewhouse, an old factory turned restored brewhouse, serving New York style pizza and American diner classics
• With spectacular views of Newcastle Harbour, the Honeysuckle Hotel is the perfect spot to spend an afternoon or evening in the large covered outdoor area. The renovated warehouse has been stylishly restored, with a restaurant serving a range of Modern Australian food and large bar area.

Small Bars

• From the team behind The Bowery Boys restaurant, Coal and Cedar is a dark and sultry underground New York styled speakeasy bar. This super-stylish bar has exposed brick, quirky décor, friendly service and creative small batch cocktails
• Red Baron's Berlin Bar is an art-deco German themed bar, hidden behind an inconspicuous door on King Street. The space is cosy with comfy couches, low lighting and staff dressed to reflect the 1920’s era. There is a stellar cocktail menu with a focus on whisky and a sophisticated food menu
• Newcastle’s first small bar, The Terrace Bar has reopened to once again offer visitors a bar/arts/music venue in one. The rooftop terrace bar, decorated with dainty fairy lights is a popular day and night hangout spot, with live music on many weekend evenings
• The Happy Wombat is a small bar with an impressive list of craft beer and cider and a solid contemporary Australian food menu with ethically-grown, free-range meats and produce from Australian owned and independent businesses
• Housed in a beautiful heritage building once home to a bank, Reserve is a modern wine bar with a relaxed and cosy vibe. With 19-pages to sort through, the extensive wine list offers something for everyone and there is a great shared plate food menu to compliment the wine selection.

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