Cocktails, art and art deco have turned historic Newcastle into a magnificent Sydney weekend getaway.

Bewdy Newk

“Bewdy Newk” exclaimed the guests of 70’s tennis star John Newcombe as he handed them a Cinzano in the TV ad of the era.

At the time this unpalatable vermouth was an ideal complement to Newcastle’s polluted industrial landscape.

Today, both the city and its cocktails are magnificent. Unlike Sydney, where any permanent structure is considered an abomination, Beautiful Newcastle (Bewdy Newk) has retained much of her heritage.

Historic buildings have been turned into restaurants, bars, art galleries, hotel, and apartments. Some venues like the Civic Theatre’s deco decadence or Tower Cinema’s 1970’s gaudy restoration complete with pinball machines, still perform their original function.

All I can recall of 90’s Newcastle is an empty mall, and the lighthouse on the prominent bluff. A decade earlier, my employer had sent me to a Newcastle customer after the earthquake that had made much of the city tilt.

There was a continuous downpour, and the citizens had debunked to the few hotels available, resulting in visitors bedding down in nearby Maitland.

And of course, In the 70’s there was The Newcastle Song. Not much to inspire a revisit, however, a gathering of university friends recently in the new Newcastle made me return.

The Novocastrians I met turned out to be a chatty mob – quite happy to offer advice in the street or the very short distance light rail.

I visited the Church Of Ubuntu, as my friend orders his cannabis supplies from their website. I was surprised that Newcastle’s main street hosts their flagship store sprawling across three shopfronts. As I snapped, and the bearded clear-eyed owner came out and had a chat about the benefits of cannabinoids. Before we parted ways he gave me two capsules for my insomnia.

Great Coffee

Head to Darby Street for coffee shop/bars like Lolas, Three Monkeys, and Autumn Rooms. These were all heaving on Sunday, so I settled for in the less madding crowd and 40’s retro funk at Lost Souls while Tame Impala crooned in the background. Maybe try Darby Street early or on a weekday to find out why the cool kids are lining up.

Where to Eat

Arno Deli was too crowded due to the rain and also had predominantly outdoor seating, so I lunched at Momo Wholefood – offering organic vegetarian meals in a grand high-ceilinged bank building near the Hunter River – and opposite the curiously named Dyke Point.

Newcastle Brewed Beer

The cavernous Foghorn Brewery is housed in a former car workshop. They brew a dozen beers and a paddle of 200ml glasses allows you four. I also had a walnut and pear salad to compensate for excess carbohydrate intake. If you love something you can take home a 1.89 litre growler.

Amazing Ice Cream

PopoIo gelato won’t let you taste but my frequent visits can attest that it’s all good. Sit on the ledge outside and discuss your flavour choice.

Across the road, the owner of Napoli Centrale, worked in Naples to learn how to make authentic pizza.

Dining at Bartholomew’s

Bartholomew’s is in the Victorian style old Central Hall with all the original fittings.

As well as the seven storeys of booze that have the staff going up and down a ladder, they have pub food, daily specials and Good Folk beer brewed next door.

The cauliflower soup and steak sandwich with wedges fortified us well. It’s very quiet at lunch or early in the evening before the locals en masse turn up.

Cocktails at Romberg’s

Romberg’s top floor bar is named after the architect of the original building, now loyally renovated – and home to the Crystalbrook Kingsley hotel.

The fabulously cylindrical mid-century architecture makes for an elegant finale to the evening, with city views, and on the same floor is a restaurant with river views.

Romberg’s bar at the Crystalbrook Kingsley

Where to Stay in Newcastle

Three hotels stood out on Expedia. The high ratings and photos of the Lucky Hotel felt incongruous, and this perception was confirmed by several ladies I met on the tram.

The reliable QT Newcastle is well located in the centre of town but sometimes beyond budget.

So, I settled for the Little National Hotel on price even though it was about 20 minutes’ walk downtown.

Though, in these Uber days if a more remote hotel is $100 cheaper, a few rides rarely justify the cost of something more expensive downtown.

However, The Little National Hotel was near the pleasantly named Honeysuckle Light Rail station just 2 stops to Crown St station downtown.

There were “trams”, as we Sydneysiders don’t call them, about every 15 minutes.

My Little National room was small – the width of the bed’s length – though functional with automatic blinds and a television that allows casting your favourite streaming service from your phone.

Fluffy bathrobes, T2 tea, a Nespresso and good shampoo and conditioner reasserted this as my best option.

The Library floor of The Little National Hotel has individual soundproof cubicles for those covert calls and open plan workspaces for more overt work. The bar below the library has a happy hour from 4pm to 6pm and if the Library’s self-grinding machine doesn’t satisfy your exacting coffee standards, there’s cafe Monte downstairs.

Art in Newcastle

The Lockup arts centre was the old jail, converted. The cells, now the galleries, are pretty much unaltered, still equipped with iron bars, toilets and guards’ peep holes.

One cell is padded in leather, and another is a destination for graffiti artists, as one of their fellows added to the walls while locked up there.

The recently extended Newcastle Art Gallery (NAG) is impressive. The older works are hung in cluttered Victorian salon style and the contemporary galleries emulate the white cube.

NAG has many impressive and famous works from Australian modern and contemporary artists. The bag check lanyard is an innovation as I always lose my chit or forget I checked a bag.
Also, while most galleries are free, the paid exhibition had a paying QR code on the entrance so you could have a peek before committing.

Downstairs, Hilliers Cafe offers a view of the park and only is a couple of blocks from crowded Darby Street.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable Sydney weekend getaway, Newcastle is Bewdy, Newk.