The best cafes in Newcastle range from those that have been around for years to others that have popped up in recent years and are doing the city proud. Here are a few of our favourites.
Cafes in Newcastle are better today than they have ever been. Whether you’re trying to impress a Hinge date, catching up with an old school friend or buying lunch for the family by the beach, there are great places dotted all over the Steel City. It wasn’t easy, but we’ve whittled down the list to include some of the best cafes in Newcastle serving everything from artisanal coffee to avo on toast.
The shortlist
Best coffee: Good Brother Espresso Shop
Family-friendly spot: Merewether Surf House
Best for digital nomads: Talulah
1. Good Brother Espresso Shop
Best for: Asian-style pancakes with rocket, tofu, pickles, avocado, vegan mayo and miso dressing.
The caffeine culture in Newcastle is strong. And the third-wave coffee revolution has well and truly swept the city. You could mix it up a bit and try a different place for coffee each day, but you can also live like a local and make cameos at Good Brother Espresso Shop.
The tangerine-tinted cafe has exposed brickwork, pendant lighting, and seating inside and out. Break out your Doc Martens; the cafe is in Newy East, where all the cool kids live.
- Cuisine: Contemporary with Asian accents
- Average price: $$
- Atmosphere: Warm and convivial
- Review: 3/5
- Location: 40 King St, Newcastle
2. Xtraction Espresso
Best for: Coffee and bagels stuffed with salmon, dill and capers.
There’s a fraction too much extraction going on here. But that’s the name of the game. Get the Craver app so you can grab your latte to go from Xtraction Espresso where you will generally find customers snaking out the door. Like the city itself, Xtraction is an industrial-chic space with original flooring from its previous incarnation as a butcher shop. It’s got a lot of character. Beans are from Veneziano Coffee Roasters in Richmond.
- Cuisine: Exceptional cafe fare
- Average price: $$
- Atmosphere: Cute and cosy
- Review: 3/5
- Location: On the corner of Bolton and King St, Newcastle
3. Darks Coffee Roasters
Best for: Signature toasties such as the Cuban with pulled pork, ham, pickles, mustard and cheese.
The team behind this bolthole in Broadmeadow are Newcastle’s most awarded coffee roasters. As well as supplying a lot of cafes with beans, the crew at Darks Coffee Roasters crew also run barista courses on the dark arts teaching its cafe partners how to steam milk and draw little frothy patterns in the foam. Serious coffee fiends should hot-tail it to The Darks Container. Into decaf? Don’t bother the baristas at Darks Coffee Roasters. But do head here if you are looking to find one of the most perfect cups of coffee in Newcastle.
- Cuisine: From poke bowls to protein shakes
- Average price: $$
- Atmosphere: Vibey
- Review: 3/5
- Location: In the McDonald Jones Stadium car park, 294 Turton Rd, New Lambton
4. Praise Joe
Best for: The iconic pistachio cake.
Thank the deities for Praise Joe in Tighes Hill a local cafe run by Hayley Sinkinson and her partner Phillip Gameson. The couple both deserve a shout-out because they make you feel like royalty. Maybe that’s because Phillip cooked for the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle and Hayley worked for the prince of pâtissier Adriano Zumbo. Let that sink in for a hot minute. And then leg it to the cafe near to some of Newcastle’s iconic street art for toasted sangas served with a smile.
- Cuisine: Beautiful baked goods such as spinach and feta scrolls
- Average price:$$$
- Atmosphere: Shiny, happy people and good vibes
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 8/20 Elizabeth St, Tighes Hill
5. Corner Lane Espresso
Best for: A Portuguese tart and piccolo.
This humble little cafe stays true to its core: selling great coffee from the 1963 Faema president lever machine. Ask locals to spill the beans on the best place for coffee in Newcastle and chances are they will send you to Corner Lane Espresso in New Lambton. It’s one of the best places to go to siphon up espressos made using small-batch beans. The cafe also has offshoots in Adamstown as well as its own roastery.
- Cuisine: Standard breakfast staples such as avo on toast with feta and dukkah
- Average price: $$
- Atmosphere: Humble
- Review: 3/5
- Location: 1/15 Alma Road, New Lambton
6. Mockingbird
Best for: Grabbing a smoothie and a Buddha bowl post-surf.
A mockingbird is named for its ability to speak multiple languages – and the Mockingbird cafe communicates across the linguistic divide through the language of food. Sporting a fresh mullet? Rock it down to Beaumont St where you will find a clean-living boho crowd convening on the hip strip.
The cafe is also a local favourite for its low food miles and classic canteen-style decor with trailing greenery. Linger over a sit-down breakfast of French toast or have a peck at some corn fritters.
- Cuisine: Thoughtful brunch and lunch options such as Biscoff French toast and chicken noodle soup.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Industrial chic
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 131 Beaumont St, Hamilton
7. Talulah
Best for: Pig out on the classic breakfast roll – a Newcastle essential – with thick-cut Darby St bacon.
Newcastle, it’s your time to shine. Talulah epitomises everything that makes Newcastle great: it’s informal, it’s dynamic, it feels like home. The cafe is a local favourite for its walls covered in an eclectic array of artworks that it sells minus a commission.
Talulah stays true to classic specialty coffee techniques and is a triumphant story about an idea for a community hub that percolated into a reality. Great place to get up to speed with the local gossip. Great for digital nomads. The dog-friendly cafe also has a purpose-built poochie menu.
- Cuisine: Farm-to-plate fare and interesting options such as apple crumble porridge
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Best friend’s lounge room vibes
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 52 Glebe Road, The Junction
8. Blue Door Kiosk
Best for: Dreaming of Bali over a nasi goreng.
Simple done well is the Blue Door Kiosk mantra. The cafe has an all-day menu as long as your arm from its venue at Merewether Beach. We recommend busting out a few laps at Merewether Ocean Baths – it’s one of the best things to do in Newcastle.
You’ll need this to work up an appetite to tuck into the Byron Bowl; the Blue Door take on eggs Benny slaps. The brand also has venues in Honeysuckle and Hamilton.
- Cuisine: Aussie-style fare such as bacon and egg toasties, and classic Balinese big brekkies of nasi goreng.
- Average price: $$
- Atmosphere: Beachside hang
- Review: 5/5
- Location: Cnr Watkins St & John Parade, Merewether
9. The Autumn Rooms
Best for: Although it’s named for autumn, the menu changes with the seasons
For an authentic slice of Novocastrian life, visit The Autumn Rooms, an artfully scuffed cafe with veggie-forward dishes such as the iconic brekkie greens.
The cafe is one of the most darling cafes on Darby St. And it’s our go-to for getting a noisy slice of Newcastle life. Join shaggy-haired surfers and coffee tourists riffing around rustic tables and ordering coffee served in dozens of different ways. There is also a sister cafe in Stockton.
- Cuisine: Decadent treats and classics such as the chicken burger that are hard to beat.
- Average price: $$ (out of $$$$$)
- Atmosphere: Cosy, quaint and quirky
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 127 Darby St, Cooks Hill
10. Ms Mary
Best for: The Ms Mary High Tea (available Friday to Sunday), which the lady herself would have loved
Ms Mary on the ground floor of Crystalbrook Kingsley was named in honour of one of Newcastle’s pioneering early settlers from the early 1800s. Like Ms Mary, the cafe is social and warm, embracing the region’s artisans and farmers. Dress up and bring your hot date to the cafe, which evolves throughout the day from a morning meeting spot to a place for a lunch date and TGIF chill. Make time to admire the mosaic of tiles behind the bar made by Syrian refugees.
- Cuisine: An all-day menu of deli-style fare that ranges from light to large
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Laidback
- Location: Level 9/282 King St, Newcastle
11. Estabar
Best for: The classic toastie with free-range ham, kassoundi, cheese, and poached eggs.
Nobody will bat an eyelid if you’re coated in sand when you order breakfast, lunch or brunch at Estabar opposite Newcastle Beach. Build on your surf buzz drinking in the salty air and ocean views on the esplanade overlooking Newcastle Beach. You will want to make friends with the impossibly cool staff, who always have great recommendations up their sleeves. On a hot sunny day, order a kombucha brewed from the fruits grown at nearby Pillidge Farm Maitland.
- Cuisine: It’s practically heresy not to order a toastie.
- Average price: $$
- Atmosphere: Bougie beach-chic
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 61 Shortland Esplanade
12. Goodfriends Eatery
Best for: Pork bahn mi
Goodfriends Eatery has a beautiful, earthy interior fitted out with floral arrangements of dried ferns, cotton stems and pampas grass that creates an oasis in which to escape. Salads are popular, as well as an array of in-house baked goodies.
Head in early to get your hands on muffins, croissants, banana bread, and one of the cafe’s famous scones. The coffee is just as good as the food, with Seven Miles Coffee Roaster supplying the beans for the brew.
Stop by on a weekend to take advantage of the cafe’s bottomless batch brew offer for all the caffeine you can handle in one sitting.
- Cuisine: The menu is mostly plant-based and packed with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
- Average price: $$
- Atmosphere: Light and bright; all timber tones and textures.
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 144 Union St, Newcastle
13. The Signal Box
Best for: Slow-roasted Pukara lamb shoulder pappardelle with Mother Fungus mushrooms.
The Signal Box is a sleek, chic eatery housed in a 19th-century building that was part of Newcastle Railway Station, which has powered the city in one way or another since its inception.
The iconic spot also brings people together for the month-long celebration of Good Food Month which chronicles the creativity of the city’s restaurateurs, bakers, baristas, brewers, winemakers and chefs. Enjoy crispy Pukara Estate lamb ribs and a glass of Hunter Semillon for lunch at the cafe overlooking the newly developed Market St Lawn precinct.
- Cuisine: Hearty meals and elevated café offerings.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: More New York than Newcastle
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 155 Wharf Rd, Newcastle
14. Susuru
Best for: Fried chicken ramen and wagyu cheese gyoza.
Hire an electric bike and head to Newcastle’s first ramen and gyoza cafe for a taste of Tokyo in this lively place with Japanese graphics and a metro aesthetic. Owner Taiyo Namba has Japanese heritage and Susuru puts two of Japan’s favourite comfort foods in the spotlight: ramen and gyoza.
Susuru means ‘slurp’ in Japanese and Taiyo says slurping the broth is key to enjoying ramen. The gyoza are also handmade by Taiyo’s mum who turns out hundreds of the dumplings per day. The family has Nagisa and Âpé, two of Newcastle’s best restaurants.
- Cuisine: Japanese comfort food at Susuru.
- Average price: $$
- Atmosphere: Open and airy space with a big-city-lights aesthetic
- Location: 140 King St, Newcastle
15. The Three Monkeys
Best for: A porkie pig toastie or Moroccan eggs.
The Three Monkeys is another neighbourhood fixture known for its coffee, food and fire-engine-red facade. It’s one of the OG cafes to shake things up in Newcastle. The cafe takes up most of the square footage of an old terrace with a dinky courtyard out back and tables on the pavement for people-watching. More than two decades after opening, the cafe has retained its unflappable cool and is a leader in spreading the gospel about good coffee and good vibes.
- Cuisine: A menu that roams the globe.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Like a portal into a hipster’s world.
- Review: 5/5
- Location: Darby St, Cooks Hill
16. Antojitos
Best for: Tacos de pollo topped with tomatillo salsa, salsa de aguacate, pickled onion and pico de gallo.
Block out some time to crack open a few cervezas to enjoy with fish tacos at Antojitos (which means ‘little cravings’). The Californian-style taqueria is housed in a converted Chinese fruit shop and it’s where to go to hunt down carnitas, pollo asado, and Baja-style fish tacos. Wander past and you will be lured by the aroma of garlic and chilli. The eatery is co-owned by Eric Flores who grew up eating Mexican-American street food in Northern California. What began as a casual market stall has now morphed into a warehouse-sized restaurant inspired by the mercados in Mexico.
- Cuisine: Tex Mex street food fare
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Cool cantina
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 11 Steel Street, Newcastle West
17. Merewether Surf House
Best for: Kingfish crudo and market fish with braised leek and cauliflower puree.
Walk-ins are welcome at Merewether Surf House, occupying prime real estate on Merewether Beach. Head to the cafe for ‘the swim club sandwich and chips’ which you can enjoy at a leisurely pace on the promenade after you’ve churned out a couple of Ks in the pool.
The family-friendly beach bar offers 270-degree views and includes a low-key kiosk, beach bar and restaurant. The restaurant, Italian, is on the top level and boasts panoramic views over the beach and headland beyond.
- Cuisine: Family-friendly fare such as breakfast burritos and sweetcorn fritters
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Carefree barefoot-by-the-beach holiday vibes.
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 5 Henderson Parade, Merewether
18. The Edwards
Best for: The Eddie’s cheeseburger and chips.
The Edwards (once a laundrette) and now a cafe by day and bar by night is run by Chris Joannou (ex-Silverchair). The laundrette’s original iron presses and washing machine drums are featured in the fit-out. It’s open all week for lunch and dinner and hums with a kind of 90s grunge energy. The spirited institution lures a diverse range of locals. Some come to gossip, others to make friends, drink Akasha Brewing Co. beers, dance to live music or just be part of the #westend buzz. Oh, and The Edwards is also one of the best places in Newcastle for a beer, a burger and a boogie.
- Cuisine: Small plates and large plates, burgers and salads
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Expect rock ’n’ roll vibes in line with the co-owner’s lineage.
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 148 Parry St, Newcastle West
19. Uprising
Best for: An Uprising sarnie stuffed with poached chicken, pesto and slaw.
The acclaimed bakery Uprising stocks just-baked breads and pastries. Canvas the display cabinet in the cafe and then order a beef, stout and onion pie; it’s one of the best in the country.
Lovers of good sourdough should use their loaf and pick up some sourdough from Baked Uprising. The cafe is tucked away in a converted mechanic’s warehouse in Maryville, where the bread is fermented to perfection over three days. The bakery also has an outlet in Harris Farm Markets in Cooks Hill.
- Cuisine: Baked goods and cult pastry items
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: The cafe exudes a quiet appreciation of earthy hues, tones and textures.
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 21/25 Downie St, Maryville
20. Pekárna
Best for: Pulling up a chair and toasting the scene in Newcastle with a caramel windmill pastry on the side.
Pekárna (means bakery in Czech) and it’s the place to go in Newcastle for baked European treats and strong coffee. Owner Petra, who was born in the Czech Republic, began Pekárna as a pop-up stall at the local markets before finding a brick-and-mortar space on Brunker Road. Novocastrians are hooked on Petra’s pastries. The Bee Sting is hugely popular: it’s a custard-filled pastry topped with toasted honey almonds.
- Cuisine: European-style pastries made fresh in-store each day.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Petite and sweet.
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 277 Brunker Rd, Adamstown
21. The Kiosk
Best for: Partaking in a Kiosk classic of beer-battered fish and chips with a lemon wedge and tartare sauce.
You can’t help but fall in love with Newcastle when you rock up at The Kiosk Newcastle Beach after dusting the sand off your feet.
The low-key kiosk specialises in toasties, bowls, burgers and fish and chips. It’s the place to be when you’re looking for a stellar espresso or to sit at a table in the sunshine working on your start-up.
- Cuisine: Satisfying snacks, toasties and bowl food by the beach in Newcastle.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: The embodiment of the Newcastle way of life.
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 42 Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle East
22. Arno Deli
Best for: Handpicking items for a picnic.
Arno Deli is a modern take on an old-school Italian deli and bar and has some of the best lunch options in town. Think premium cheeses, meat, wines, and artisan produce sourced from around the globe.
There’s barely enough room to swing a salami in the cupboard-sized deli, but that’s part of its charm. Ooh and ahh over the cabinet filled with top-tier French cheeses, Spanish ham, Italian meats and order a panino to go.
- Cuisine: Great sangas on specially crafted schiacciata (Italian focaccia)
- Average price: $$$$
- Atmosphere: It’s giving Euro deli.
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 181 King St, Newcastle
23. Bowie
Best for: Elevated breakfast options such as artfully charred corn fritters and jerk pork toasties.
Newcastle’s neighbourhoods are packed with vibrant places to eat and drink. And while specialty coffee is nothing new in Newie, you can bet that your brew of specialty single O coffee by ONA Coffee will ensure you join the cult in the hip happening hood of Hamilton. At its core, the spirit of Newcastle is one of creativity. And that is abundantly evident at Bowie, which ups the ante with its disco of coffees, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and specialty shakes. The family-run caff deserves recognition. Get amongst it: it’s one of the best cafes in Newcastle.
- Cuisine: Elevated breakfast options such as quinoa and oat porridge and a tight edit of toasties and sandos.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: This striking space spills into a graffiti-clad laneway.
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 1/79-81 Beaumont St, Hamilton
24. Slingtown Espresso
Best for: Toasties loaded with jerk chicken and crispy slaw with pickled jalapenos and cheddar.
What committed caff-fiends need to know is that the coffee game is strong at Slingtown Espresso. Ask the barista to sling a few batch brews your way and take up a position on the deck with turmeric and cardamon spiced porridge with roasted nuts and fresh fruits.
Slingtown is an ode to arty Islington, one of Newie’s most well-loved and artfully scuffed up suburbs. Take the ‘What Coffee Am I’ quiz on the website to see where the mood takes you.
- Cuisine: Considered cuisine with out-of-the-box options like Turkish eggs.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: As artfully scuffed as its customers.
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 3 Beaumont St, Islington
25. Sherwood
Best for: A kerbside pick-up of coffee on your way out of town at the 186 Parry St outlet.
Sherwood knows it’s fabulous. That’s why it has seven outlets in Newcastle. The OG is in Parry St and it’s a smart space from which to do business, banter with the barista and pick up a bag of beans. Settle in for the smashed avo on toast; it deserves its own sonnet. This iconic Aussie breakfast is served pelted with a mix of nuts, feta, chunky pesto and a drizzle of lemon. It’s so freakin’ good.
- Cuisine: Think toasties and bowl food; great for refuelling after a surf.
- Average price: $$ (out of $$$$$)
- Atmosphere: Convivial community hub
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 67 Parry St, Newcastle West
26. The Press Coffee and Book House
Best for: Bukowski toastie of char-grilled broccoli on a bed of zesty tahini paste and topped with cheese.
The Press Coffee and Book House is not a straight-up coffee shop. It is, in fact, known as much for its cafe culture as its vinyl and books. Head here if you’re hankering for a coffee after a swim in the local ocean baths where you might run into members of the Banned Book Club (BBC), who will happily bang on about the next edgy title they’ve been tasked with. The cafe, which also facilitates open mic nights, live music and a pop-up restaurant, is very much part of the fabric of Newcastle, and emblematic of the city’s laid-back creative community vibe.
- Cuisine: Simple caeé fare such as vegan pies and toasties.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: A carefully curated space for bookworms.
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 462 Hunter St, Newcastle
27. Local Customs
Best for: The killer mortadella sandwich.
Chef Sarah Kokkin has assembled a menu of incredible dishes that stand out because of the quality of ingredients and the unexpected treatment she gives them. It’s because of this that Customs is considered one of the best cafes in Newcastle for breakfast. Local Customs is not the kind of place where you grab and go. It’s designed to be a place where the community comes to congregate. The light, bright cafe – all polished concrete and vintage furnishings – also has a pantry with a covetable collection of hot sauces. The cafe’’s coffee caravan Bondwood is also worth checking out.
- Cuisine: Sophisticated verions of breakfast from Sarah’s famous granola to the chilli scram and green eggs and ham benny.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Social.
- Review: 4/5
- Location: 1/79-81 Beaumont St, Hamilton
28. Moor Newcastle East
Best for: Shakshuka. It’s insanely good. Moor, please.
Moor serves contemporary fare with a hybrid Asian and Middle Eastern accent. And for that, it’s found a devoted group of followers. There are no shortcuts here: everything is made from scratch.
The shakshuka, soft eggs in a Middle Eastern-spiced tomato sauce served in warm pita bread and labneh is fresh and herbaceous. It’s also prettily presented and downright delicious. Head to the Eastside cafe post-surf as it’s near Newcastle’s main beach.
- Cuisine: Exciting options such as Reuben toasties, souvlaki and falafels.
- Average price: $$$$
- Atmosphere: Warm and homey interiors with walls lined with knick-knacks and mementoes.
- Location: 33 Hunter St, Newcastle
29. Bolton St Pantry
Best for: Ssam Yang Benedict
Looking for a bougie-as brunch in Newcastle? Bolton Street Pantry is an upscale eatery with a chic dining room and a diverse and appealing brunch menu. It’s a see-and-be-seen kind of place where surfers come in looking suitably dishevelled for the decadent ssam yang benedict. If you’re in the mood for sweet, order the signature French toast laden with seasonal fruit. Crack cauliflower is one of the best vegetarian breakfasts on offer: it arrives on a moat of beetroot hummus with miso caramel dressing, zaatar, fresh herbs and roti.
- Cuisine: Fresh and inventive.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: Good vibes only.
- Review: 5/5
- Location: Lot 23, 5 Bolton St. Newcastle
30. Equium Social
Best for: Hearty nourishing fare such as porridge with pistachio mascarpone and almonds or the mushroom tartine.
Equium Social is full of locals having main character moments. And the cafe deserves its fanfare and following: it’s bright, inviting and bustling. While the owners say the word Equium is a made-up word that is ‘open for interpretation’ it’s a bit like the cafe itself: it can be anything you want it to be. Breakfast, brunch and lunch here are bliss. We’re most excited by the ricotta hotcakes, the farmer’s plate of fresh produce, pickles and ferments and the turmeric crepe. Coffee is by Unison.
- Cuisine: Fresh and inventive.
- Average price: $$$
- Atmosphere: A very social place to gather to feel the pulse of Newcastle.
- Review: 5/5
- Location: 1-5 Maitland Road, Mayfield
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