8 Best Restaurants in Newcastle, North Coast

Overlooking the harbor’s edge, here you'll find fresh produce and traditional Japanese fare. Serving up sashimi, sushi, and noodles, Nagisa is a popular weekend restaurant with a buzzy atmosphere. There's also a lively teppanyaki bar, where you'll be mesmerized by the talented chefs and incredible aromas of sizzling meats and fresh seafood.

Offering authentic Spanish cuisine, featuring a menu brimming with traditional tapas like patatas bravas (fried potatoes in a spicy sauce) and gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), as well as hearty dishes such as paella and grilled meats. The restaurant's vibrant ambience evokes the warmth and charm of Spain, with grand doors opening up to traditional Spanish interiors.

Perched right on Newcastle Beach, Estabar is known for its great coffee, organic foods, superb Spanish hot chocolate drinks, and wonderful gelato. Open all day from breakfast until sundown, it's a small space with little tables and a short menu, but it draws a big local following. Breakfast favorites are the porridge with poached fruits and brown sugar on the side, and the homemade baked beans; lunchtime salads include lentil, walnut, and feta. The views over Newcastle Beach, the closest one to the downtown area, are also delectable at any time and if you are lucky, you may see whales offshore in winter months.

Opened on the site of the Merewether Beach's original surfhouse (a lifeguard station), this stunning three-story venue has fantastic ocean views from all three of its eateries. The ground floor café, pizza, and gelato bar are steps from the beach, while the top-level restaurant has expansive panoramas and is open for lunch and dinner. You might begin with the local Port Stephens oysters with shallot vinegar before moving on to a seafood main. The dessert list is extensive and the wine list features wines from the Hunter Valley. The café is open for all-day breakfast and lunch daily, offering burgers and salads.

With its vibrant and fun interiors, this casual eatery is as much about the food as it is the cocktails. There's small plates to share, including pork tacos and chicken wings. Or an extensive pizza menu or four types of burger. Salted caramel piña colada is a stand-out cocktail but the mixologists will create a custom-made drink from your preferences. As the sun goes down, this place becomes more lively.

Meaning "rural" in Italian, this lushly decorated restaurant with stunning views over Newcastle Beach is one of the shining stars in the city's expanding dining scene. The restaurant serves cuisine inspired by the Mediterranean, from the shores of northern Africa to the foothills of Tuscany. There's a wide range of vegan and vegetarian options. The rich, Spanish-inspired interior design includes a retro Mediterranean map on the wall, brass sculptures, and a tiled bar adorned with a bull's head, while the outdoor look is pure Australian beach culture.

This swank establishment is as close as Newcastle comes to having an iconic restaurant. Enclosed on three sides by glass and perched over the harbor on the busy esplanade, Scratchley's opened not long after the Honeysuckle precinct transformed Newcastle into a hip and happening place more than a decade ago. The restaurant has one of the best views in Newcastle and an extensive menu to please everyone. There's a four-course tasting menu matched with fine wines (A$150) with seared yellow fin tuna being a top dish. This is also the ultimate spot for seafood platters, which feature locally caught fare, costing A$215 for a two-person platter. Non–seafood fans have steaks, lamb cutlets, and corn-fed chicken breast dishes to consider, and a range of vegetarian options and Hunter Valley cheeses to sustain them.

Named by locals as the best brunch in Newcastle, this iconic café has been in action for over 20 years and is still as popular today. The menu is extensive, with everything from loaded cookies to savory beef mince on toast with poached eggs. It's best known for its unique smoothies, with 20 different varieties. Open every day from 7:30 am.