Romberg's
Rooftop cocktail bar
On level nine of Crystalbrook Kingsley, with panoramic views over the city. Cocktails lean on native Australian ingredients, with smart bar food to match.
📍 Level 9, 282 King Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
Cocktails and food: 22 bars
Swipe to see all 22 bars →
Bartholomew's
Bar and restaurant
A 1920s-style bar and restaurant in a historic building, with a sophisticated cocktail list and an extensive whiskey collection.
📍 145 King Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
Earp Distilling Co.
Distillery bar
Run by an old Newcastle family business, with gin, rum, vodka, brandy, limoncello and absinthe distilled on site. Try The Junipepper or Spill the Beans with the Asian-influenced menu.
📍 41 Darling Street, Carrington NSW 2294
The Falcon
Bar and restaurant
Bar of the Year, Newcastle Bar Awards
A Newcastle East bar and restaurant that works as a local community hub. It won Bar of the Year at Newcastle's first Bar Awards.
📍 10 Pacific Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
Charlie's Rooftop
Rooftop bar
A Palm Springs-style rooftop over two levels, with classic and original cocktails, Fizz cocktails made with Usher Tinkler prosecco such as the Berry Fizz and share plates.
📍 529 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
Merewether Surfhouse
Beachfront bar
Right on Merewether Beach, with a terrace bar for sunset Espresso Martinis and spritzes. The lower Beach Bar serves Mexican food and cocktails.
📍 5 Henderson Parade, Merewether NSW 2291
Newy Fried Chicken
Diner with a hidden bar
A retro diner out front with a cocktail bar out the back pouring nostalgic classics with a twist. Upstairs is an 18+ late-night room with booths, its own bar and a neon-lit pool table.
📍 102 Darby Street, Cooks Hill NSW 2300
Âpé Yakitori Bar
Yakitori bar
From the team behind Nagisa and Susuru, with a cocktail list by Chris Wilson of The Koutetsu and yakitori from the grill.
📍 1 Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle NSW 2300
MoneyPenny
Bar and restaurant
On the Honeysuckle Boardwalk by the harbour, with a cocktail list that changes weekly with the fresh produce and shared dishes with global flavours.
📍 1 Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle NSW 2300
Battlesticks at Scratchley's
Waterfront bar
A waterfront bar with 180-degree views and share plates. Weekend happy hour brings Espresso Martinis, French Martinis, Cosmopolitans and Caipiroskas at a set price.
📍 200 Wharf Road, Newcastle NSW 2300
Bernie's Bar
Cocktail bar
Rainbow decor, a leafy mural on the back wall and wild cocktails, with share plates and nights that run from gin and jazz to burlesque.
📍 410 King Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
Ginger Meg's
Asian fusion cocktail bar
Asian fusion cocktails with kaffir lime, chilli and lychee. Cocktails are cheaper in the Gingertown Bar on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
📍 212 King Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
The Underground
Basement bar
A cosy bar beneath The Grand Hotel, with alcohol-free cocktails on the list and antipasto and pub food from upstairs.
📍 Lower Ground, 32 Church Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
Light Years
Asian diner and bar
A tropical-inspired modern Asian diner in an art deco building, all greenery and pastel tones, with punchy share plates and inventive cocktails.
📍 5-7 Darby Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
MiiNE
Italian bar and restaurant
Handmade pasta, wood-fired pizza, graffiti walls, DJs and creative cocktails, with a late-night feel.
📍 13 Darby Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
The Blind Monk
Small bar
Started out as a beer bar and is now an intimate, casual spot for cocktails, craft beer and easy food on Beaumont Street.
📍 76 Beaumont Street, Hamilton NSW 2303
Meantime
Cocktail bar
A cocktail bar with gluten-free food and a tasting paddle of four half cocktails of your choice.
📍 104 Beaumont Street, Hamilton NSW 2303
The Grain Store
Craft beer pub
A craft beer pub open since 2013, with over 20 independent Australian craft beers and ciders on tap.
📍 64-66 Scott Street, Newcastle East
Customs House Hotel
Pub
A pub in a building designed in 1877 on the harbour foreshore, with oysters, burgers and live music.
📍 1 Bond Street, Newcastle
The Lucky Hotel
Pub
A pub in a building from the 1800s, with an enclosed courtyard, a cocktail menu and live music or DJs in the courtyard on Fridays and Saturdays.
📍 237 Hunter Street, Newcastle
humbug wine + pasta
Wine bar and pasta
A wine and pasta bar on Hunter Street, a favourite for wine lovers and date nights.
📍 87-89 Hunter Street, Newcastle
The Cricketers Arms
Pub
A big wrap-around bar, a beer garden and a cricket-themed menu.
📍 61 Bruce Street, Cooks Hill
Map: cocktails and food
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Your questions
Which Newcastle NSW bars serve good food?
Start with Romberg's, Bartholomew's, Earp Distilling Co., The Falcon and Charlie's Rooftop. Our full list has 22 bars.
More Newcastle NSW bar guides
- Cocktail barsCocktail bars in Newcastle NSW: Coal & Cedar, The Koutetsu, Romberg's and The Rooftop at Q
- Date nightDate night bars in Newcastle NSW: Coal & Cedar, Romberg's, The Rooftop at QT and Bartholom
- Hidden barsHidden bars in Newcastle NSW: Coal & Cedar, Newy Fried Chicken and The Underground.
- Rooftops and viewsRooftops and views bars in Newcastle NSW: Romberg's, The Rooftop at QT, Charlie's Rooftop
- Live musicLive music bars in Newcastle NSW: Bernie's Bar, MiiNE, Bar Romeo and The Great Northern Ho
- Fun bars for groupsFun bars for groups in Newcastle NSW: The Koutetsu, Earp Distilling Co., The Falcon and Ch
- Whisky, gin and agaveWhisky, gin and agave bars in Newcastle NSW: The Koutetsu, The Rooftop at QT, Bartholomew'
- Pubs and beer barsPubs and beer bars in Newcastle NSW: The Great Northern Hotel, The Grain Store, Customs Ho
- Late nightLate night bars in Newcastle NSW: Newy Fried Chicken, Jam's Karaoke & Bar, Uptowns Bar and
- CBD and East EndBars in the Newcastle CBD and East End: Coal & Cedar, Romberg's and The Rooftop at QT for
- Newcastle West and HamiltonBars in Newcastle West and on Beaumont Street, Hamilton: The Koutetsu, Charlie's Rooftop,
- Darby StreetBars on Darby Street and in Cooks Hill: Light Years, MiiNE, Bar Romeo, the hidden bar at N
- Merewether and CarringtonBars in Merewether and Carrington: Merewether Surfhouse, The Beach Hotel, The Prince of Me
- Cocktail trailsA ready-made Newcastle NSW cocktail trail on foot: The East End and King Street, Newcastle
Who wrote this guide
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Now we're bringing it to Australia. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides, including Hunter and Hunter.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Cocktail Week in Australia
Want your bar in this guide?
Run a bar in Newcastle NSW that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.