ON THE BLOCK

54Jetstar.com

InsightNEWCASTLENew kidON THE BLOCKSecret bars, lively markets and top-notch eateriesare making Newcastle one of Australia’stop dining destinationsWORDS MITCH BROOKSN OVO C A ST R I A N S A R E C H E E R I N G (that’sthe natives of Newcastle, for theuninitiated). The source of their joyis a revitalised dining and drinkingscene giving this once industrialtown a cosmopolitan, big-city vibe.Speakeasy-style whisky bars,specialist coffee roasters, sleek winebars and quirky markets are justsome of the boutique operationsflourishing in the urban chicsurroundings of former banks,warehouses and workshops. HunterStreet, in the city’s centre, was thefocus of the not-for-profit RenewNewcastle project that filled emptycommercial and studio spaces withartists and small businesses, to enticeshoppers, and in turn, cafés andrestaurants, to the area.Locals and those who have movedfrom afar nailed the brief, findingniche markets for their uniquefood, drink and event offerings. Thecity council is also investing in theCBD and surrounding suburbs andrejuvenating the popular Merewetherbeachside area and the Honeysuckleforeshore precinct east of HunterStreet.PHOTOGRAPHY HUNTERHUNTERTurning the tables:restaurantsReserve Wine Bar might sit behindthe grand facade of a former bank onHunter Street, but its intention is tobe “entertaining, not intimidating,”says owner and wine directorPatrick Haddock. Reserve takes abalanced approach to Australian andinternational wine, using knownlabels as its mainstay, but keepingan eye on fledgling boutiqueoperations too.Tasting plates, dumplings,tacos and sliders are dished up tocomplement a punchy by-the-glassselection that changes every threeweeks.Reserve maintained its maximumthree-glass rating in the AustralianGourmet Traveller 2015 RestaurantGuide and notched up a few otheraccolades, including Best Small Barat both this and last year’s Restaurantand Catering Association Awards.Patrick says Reserve is in goodcompany, with exciting venuespopping up nearby, including NapoliCentrale, run by a Neapolitan chefand musician, “a casual pizzeria witha classic Italian focus” and FortunateSon, beneath the Boulevard onBeaumont Hotel. “The food is reallyfiring and the wine list is quirky andinteresting”.Others worth the trek includeGrain Store, in a former TooheysBrewery keg and grain warehouse,offering 21 Australian craft beers ontap and excellent chicken wings,pizza and share plates; Parry StreetGarage, an Italian bar and diningvenue in a former mechanic’sworkshop, and the renownedRestaurant Mason, tucked beneathan apartment block and helmed byawarded restaurateur and chef ChrisThornton.Out on the town: drinksNewcastle’s night-time economy wasthe key to success for Coal & Cedarowners Ethan Ortlipp and RyanHawthorne. They recognised thatnew players with fresh ideas werechanging the landscape.“It’s the same thing that happenedin [Sydney’s] Surry Hills, orLeichardt. It comes down to peoplesaying, ‘If we’re going to surviveJetstar.com55

InsightNEWCASTLEM A R K E T D AY SNewcastle’smarkets offereverything fromorganic goodies tomulticultural treatswe have to do something different’”Ethan says. Coal & Cedar is aprohibition-style speakeasy hiddenbehind an unmarked door on HunterStreet. Patrons must send a code toa mystery phone number for accessbefore they can pull up a stool at thelong bar in exposed-brick surrounds.There’s a top-shelf wine offeringin the welcoming, mood-lit space.Ask the bartenders for their drinksuggestions.“We want it to be an experiencein every way, from the second youget to the door and a host comes outand grabs you, and we serve you thebest drinks you’ve ever had; it’s verypersonable service,” says Ethan.Looking to offer more late-nightoptions, the team opened curedmeats eatery and cocktail bar,Bowery Boys, named after the NewYork gang, earlier this year. Thekitchen is open midday to midnight.Late-trading barbershop The AlibiRoom, next door to Coal & Cedar, hasjoined the stable too.Also hooking into the late-night56Jetstar.comscene, grungy industrial bar TheKoutetsu proffers great cocktailsand a sense of mystery (they won’tgive out the address, but it’s acrossfrom the TAFE on Hunter Street).Check out Cazador up the road forcocktail and tapas, and MoneyPenny,a small, intimate joint with craft beerand share food, in the waterfrontHoneysuckle precinct too.Make a day of it:marketsFashion, lifestyle and vintage wares,music, food and coffee bring PacificPark at the east end of Hunter Streetto life each month. Gemma Slatterymoved to Newcastle eight years agoand was unexcited by the existingscene, so she and her sister KarlaCowper founded Hunt and Gathermarkets.“In the last three or four yearswe’ve seen a shift happening inNewcastle,” Gemma says. “We’venoticed lots of trendy bars opening,as well as creative restaurants.”A Mexican food truck, gourmetburgers, plus Greek, Vietnamese andGerman food, add a multi-culturalelement to the green, open space,with the city as its backdrop.“We could see that there was a gapin the market for something with aboutique feel, something that wasn’tjust a market but an experiencefor people to come together, listento great music, purchase qualityproducts and grab some awesomefood and coffee,” says Gemma.The Hunt and Gather team willhold the Sunset Gather event in thepark on November 7 and December 5.“It’s a celebration of Newcastle, witha lot of pop-up restaurants, the Coal& Cedar guys doing the bar, the bestmarket stalls, and Baked Uprisingbakers and Cheese Mongrel deliare doing platters for the event soPHOTOGRAPHY HUNTERHUNTER

Jetstar.com57

InsightNEWCASTLEYOUNG GUNSLocal producersand businessesshow off theirwares under theNewcastle sunSEE ANDDOE ATNovocastrianshave a passion forcoffee that rivalsMelburnians’you can sit down in the sun andenjoy some cheese and bikkies we’re going all out!”Newcastle also boasts the CityFarmers Market, held most Sundaysat Newcastle Showground andoffering food products from the areaand around NSW.The bean scene: cafésNovocastrians have a passion forcoffee that rivals Melburnians’.Boutique coffee roasting companiesare finding their mojo across the cityand the caffeine-educated populationto support their endeavours.“Everyone’s experienced a goodcoffee now, and it’s demand-driven,”says Ross Ciavarella, owner and headroaster from Sprocket Roasters. “Thereare a lot of options and people liketo explore them.” Sprocket has aneponymous café in the CBD, The Socialin Newcastle West, and Secret GardenEspresso in Charlestown Square.58Jetstar.comOther popular local roastingcompanies include Drop Bear Coffee,Silverskin Coffee Roasters andPeaberry’s Coffee Roasters. Diversityis proving the key to the appeal. “Youhave a large selection in terms ofcoffees, cafés and sellers,” says Ross.“There’s no dominance of one roasterin the city.”Celebrated cafés include WickhamMotorcycle Café, serving its owncoffee blend in a warehouse spacewith motorcycles on display; Estabar,overlooking Newcastle Beach, ahighlight for coffee and gelato;and One Penny Black, in a chicindustrial-edged space on HunterStreet, serving up wholesome gruband snappy espresso. It’s next door toDoughheads, maker of probably thetastiest doughnuts you’ll ever eat.Once known as Steel City,Newcastle has reinvented its eating,drinking and shopping scenes, andwell and truly come of age in style.Reserve Wine Bar102 Hunter Streetreservewinebar.com.auGrain Store64–66 Scott St, Newcastle Eastgrainstorenewcastle.com.auBowery Boys5/107 Darby Street, Cooks Hilltheboweryboys.com.auDRINKCoal & Cedar380-382 Hunter Streetcoalandcedar.comCazador148 Hunter Streetcazador.com.auMoneyPennyThe Boardwalkmoneypenny.net.auC A F F E I N AT ESprocket Roasters68 Hunter Streetsprocketroasters.com.auEstabar62 Shortland ham Motorcycle CaféTravel InfoJetstar has great low fares to Newcastle fromMelbourne, Brisbane and the GoldCoast.Visit jetstar.com to book3 Throsby Street, Wickhamwickhammotorcyclecafe.com.auOne Penny Black196 Hunter Streetonepennyblack.com.au

Jetstar.com59

Jetstar has great low fares to Newcastle from Melbourne, Brisbane and the GoldCoast. Visit jetstar.com to book YOUNG GUNS Local producers and businesses show off their wares under the Newcastle sun Novocastrians have a passion for coffee that rivals Melburnians’ EAT Reserve Wine Bar 102 Hunter