Where good food and great coffee meet seaside city life.

Cafes in Newcastle are better today than they have ever been. Whether you’re trying to impress a date, catching up with an old friend or buying lunch for the family by the beach, there are great places dotted all over the 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
• Best pastries: Baked Uprising
• Family-friendly spot: Merewether Surf House
• Best for brunch: Bowie
• 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.

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: 2/38 Bolton 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 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 in the carpark of McDonald Jones Stadium.

• Cuisine: From poke bowls to protein shakes
• Average price: $$
• Atmosphere: Vibey
• Review: 3/5
• Location: 294 Turton Rd, New Lambton

4. Praise Joe

Best for: The iconic pistachio cake.

Thank the deities for Praise Joe in Tighes Hill, run by locals Hayley Sinkinson and Phillip Gameson. The couple both deserve a shoutout 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, or because Hayley worked for the prince of pâtissier Adriano Zumbo. Let that sink in for a hot minute, then leg it to this cosy cafe.

• Cuisine: Beautiful baked goods
• Average price: $$$
• Atmosphere: 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
• Average price: $$
• Atmosphere: Humble
• Review: 3/5
• Location: 1/15 Alma Rd, 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 Mockingbird communicates across the linguistic divide through the language of food. Sporting a fresh mullet? Rock it down to Beaumont Street, where you’ll find a clean-living boho crowd convening on the hip strip. The cafe is a local favourite for its low food miles and classic canteen-style decor with trailing greenery.

• Cuisine: Thoughtful brunch and lunch options
• 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.

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. The dog-friendly cafe also has a purpose-built menu just for your pooch.

• Cuisine: Farm-to-plate fare
• Average price: $$$
• Atmosphere: Best friend’s loungeroom vibes
• Review: 4/5
• Location: 52 Glebe Rd, 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 it to work up an appetite, then treat yourself to a smoothie bowl or eggs benny, guilt-free. The brand also has venues in Honeysuckle and Hamilton.

• Cuisine: Aussie-style fare and classic Balinese big brekkies
• 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

The Autumn Rooms is an artfully scuffed cafe with veggie-forward dishes, such as the iconic brekkie greens. It’s also one of the most darling cafes on Darby Street and our go-to for getting a noisy slice of Newcastle life. Join shaggy-haired surfers and coffee tourists riffing around rustic tables and ordering cuppas served in dozens of different ways. There is also a sister cafe in Stockton.

• Cuisine: Decadent treats and classics that are hard to beat
• Average price: $$
• 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 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 from a morning meeting spot to one of the city’s most decadent high-tea hangouts. Make time to admire the mosaic of tiles behind the bar made by Syrian refugees.

• Cuisine: An all-day menu with high-tea standouts
• Average price: $$$
• Atmosphere: Laid-back
• Review: 3/5
• 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 from the esplanade. You will want to make friends with the impossibly cool staff, who always have great recommendations up their sleeves. On a hot day, order a kombucha brewed from fruit grown at nearby Pillidge Farm.

• Cuisine: It’s practically heresy not to order a toastie
• Average price: $$
• Atmosphere: Bougie beach-chic
• Review: 5/5
• Location: 61 Shortland Esplanade, Newcastle

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.

• Cuisine: Plant-based food 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 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.

• Cuisine: Hearty meals and elevated cafe 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. Susuru means ‘slurp’ in Japanese and Taiyo says slurping the broth is key to enjoying ramen. The gyoza is also handmade by Taiyo’s mum, who turns out hundreds of the dumplings per day. The family also operates Nagisa and Âpé, two of Newcastle’s best restaurants.

• Cuisine: Japanese comfort food
• Average price: $$
• Atmosphere:  Open and airy space with a big-city-lights aesthetic
• Review: 4/5
• 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: 131 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. The Californian-style taqueria is housed in a converted Chinese fruit shop and it’s where to go forcarnitas, pollo asado and Baja-style tacos. Wander past and you will be lured by the aroma of garlic and chilli. 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
• Average price: $$$
• Atmosphere: Cool cantina
• Review: 5/5
• Location: 11 Steel St, 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 latter is on the top level and boasts panoramic views over the beach and beyond.

• Cuisine: Family-friendly fare
• Average price: $$$
• Atmosphere: 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) is a cafe by day and bar by night 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 90s grunge energy. The spirited institution lures a diverse range of locals. Some come to gossip, others to make friends, drink beers, dance to live music or just be part of the buzz. It’s also one of the best places in Newcastle for a beer.

• Cuisine: Small plates and large plates
• Average price: $$$
• Atmosphere: Expect rock ’n’ roll vibes
• Review: 4/5
• Location: 148 Parry St, Newcastle West

19. Baked Uprising

Best for: An Uprising sarnie stuffed with poached chicken, pesto and slaw.

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 down at Cooks Hill.

• Cuisine: Baked goods and cult pastry items
• Average price: $$$
• Atmosphere: 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 for baked European treats and strong coffee. Owner Petra, who was born in the Czech Republic, began the cafe 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: a custard-filled cake topped with toasted honey almonds.

• Cuisine: European-style pastries
• 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 this seaside city when you rock up at The Kiosk Newcastle Beach after dusting the sand off your feet. The low-key kiosk specialises in fish and chips, toasties, bowls and burgers. It’s the place to be when you’re looking for a stellar espresso or to simply sit at a table in the sunshine working on your start-up.

• Cuisine: Satisfying snacks and bowl food by the beach
• 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 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 and Italian meats before ordering a panino to go.

• Cuisine: Great sangas on specially crafted schiacciata
• 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.

At its core, the spirit of Newcastle is one of creativity. And that is abundantly evident at Bowie in the hip hood of Hamilton, which ups the ante with its disco of coffees, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and specialty shakes. The family-run cafe deserves more recognition. Get amongst it: it’s one of the city’s best yet remains low-key and laidback.

• Cuisine: Elevated breakfast options
• 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 position on the deck with turmeric and cardamon spiced porridge. Slingtown is an ode to artsy 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 and coffee
• 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 – so freakin’ good.

• Cuisine: Good food great for refuelling post-surf
• Average price: $$
• 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 with a side of candour. You might even run into members of the Banned Book Club, who will happily bang on about the next edgy title they’ve been tasked with. The cafe, which also facilitates open mic nights and live music, is very much part of Newcastle’s creative fabric.

• Cuisine: Simple cafe fare but make it vegan
• 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 unexpected treatment she gives them. 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
• 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 – from the shakshuka and pita bread to the fresh and herby labneh. 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 from around the world
• Average price: $$$$
• Atmosphere: Warm and homey interiors with knick knack-lined walls
• Location: 33 Hunter St, Newcastle 

29. Bolton Street Pantry 

Best for: Ssam Yang Benedict

Looking for a bougie brunch spot? Bolton Street Pantry is an upscale eatery with a chic dining room and a diverse 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.

• 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 the 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 kinda like the cafe itself – it can be anything you want it to be. Breakfast, brunch and lunch here are bliss, with coffee by Unison.

• Cuisine: Wholesome and nourishing
• Average price: $$$
• Atmosphere: A very social place to gather
• Review: 5/5
• Location: 1-5 Maitland Rd, Mayfield

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