The Koutetsu
Cocktail bar
Known for unusual cocktails on a menu that changes regularly, with almost 20 Japanese whiskies and nearly 40 gins behind the bar.
📍 555 Hunter Street, Newcastle West NSW 2302
Fun bars for groups: 17 bars
Swipe to see all 17 bars →
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
Jam's Karaoke & Bar
Karaoke bar
Private karaoke rooms with modern machines and full service, plus cocktails using imported Japanese ingredients. The house favourite is the Yuzu Margarita.
📍 8 Union Street, Newcastle West NSW 2302
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
Uptowns Bar
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
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
Bar Romeo
Disco social club
A disco social club on Darby Street known for its music, natural wines and good vibes.
📍 97-107 Darby Street, Cooks Hill NSW 2300
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
Foghorn Brewery
Brewery
A brewery in a restored Art Deco warehouse, with brewery tours.
📍 218 King Street, Newcastle
Map: fun bars for groups
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Your questions
What are the best bars for groups in Newcastle NSW?
Start with The Koutetsu, Earp Distilling Co., The Falcon, Charlie's Rooftop and Merewether Surfhouse. Our full list has 17 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
- Whisky, gin and agaveWhisky, gin and agave bars in Newcastle NSW: The Koutetsu, The Rooftop at QT, Bartholomew'
- Cocktails and foodCocktails and food bars in Newcastle NSW: Romberg's, Bartholomew's, Earp Distilling Co
- 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.