Hunter Street, King Street, Watt Street and the East End, down to the harbour at Honeysuckle and Wharf Road.
Last checked 14 November 2026. No bar paid to be included.
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Speakeasy
Australia's Best Regional Bar 2016
A hard-to-find Prohibition-style speakeasy with no sign outside: text the code on the wall and wait for the door to open. Popular since 2014, it was named Australia's Best Regional Bar in 2016. The bartenders will make a drink to your taste. It also runs cocktail masterclasses.
📍 380 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
🕒 Daily 4pm to 11.55pm (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
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
Rooftop bar
On top of the heritage former David Jones building, with harbour views and lunar motifs. Japanese-inspired cocktails, plenty of gins and Japanese whiskies.
📍 QT Newcastle, 185 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Themed cocktail bar
A throwback cocktail bar built around the 80s and 90s: NBA, sneakers, video games, hip hop and a Nintendo 64, with classic cocktails given a twist.
📍 6/23 Watt Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
Heritage pub
Built in 1864, an Art Deco landmark pub with live music.
📍 83-89 Scott Street, Newcastle
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
Pub
A pub in a building designed in 1877 on the harbour foreshore, with oysters, burgers and live music.
📍 1 Bond Street, Newcastle
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
Brewery
A brewery in a restored Art Deco warehouse, with brewery tours.
📍 218 King Street, Newcastle
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
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Start with Coal & Cedar, Romberg's, The Rooftop at QT, Bartholomew's and The Falcon. Our full list has 18 bars.
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
Run a bar in Newcastle NSW that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.
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