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The Best Pubs & Bars in Newcastle Worth Checking Out
These bars and pubs in Newcastle are serving up some of the best craft beers, pub feeds and cocktails.
The best pubs and bars in Newcastle include QT Rooftop and Romberg’s Bar in the CBD for sunset drinks with skyline views, Customs House Hotel on the harbour foreshore for heritage surrounds and live music, and The Beach Hotel and Merewether Surfhouse in Merewether for ocean-facing afternoons.
From breweries and pubs, to themed bars and old-fashioned speakeasies, these are the best pubs and bars in Newcastle you have to check out.
Best Rooftop Bars in Newcastle
QT Rooftop
With views stretching out across the city skyline and an impeccable drinks list, we can’t think of anywhere we’d rather be than QT Rooftop on a sunny arvo. Serving up spritzes, specialty cocktails and delicious little small plates, plus a Saturday bottomless menu, it really is the ultimate spot for a girls’ night!
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail Bar
Best For: Cocktail lovers, group dining, outdoor dining
Romberg’s Bar
With expansive views of the city, Romberg’s is one of Newcastle’s most popular (and pretty!) rooftop destinations. For a spectacular sunset viewing, grab a table at dusk and soak in the panoramic views and the impressive drinks list. Whether you’re in the mood for an artisanal cocktail or a local wine, you’re sure to find something to suit your cravings. Feeling peckish? Their delish grazing menu will keep that belly full.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Special occasion, cocktail lovers, date night
Best Waterfront Pubs and Bars in Newcastle
Custom’s House Hotel
Once the location of the Australian Customs offices, Customs House Hotel is a beautiful heritage-listed building that makes you feel a million miles away from where you actually are. The stunning location on the Newcastle Harbour foreshore is matched by the exceptional food and drinks.
There’s a restaurant menu with modern-Australian offerings if you’re up for an elevated meal or a more casual snack menu with small bites and share plates. Soak up the breathtaking views and buzzing atmosphere as the live band plays.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pub fare
Best For: Group dining, outdoor dining, late night, Waterfront
The Beach Hotel
The Beach Hotel, or as the locals affectionately call it — ‘The Beaches’, is one of Newcastle’s most iconic landmarks and a must-visit. The popular surfside pub was taken over by hotelier Glenn Piper in 2022 and was recently reopened after an extensive revamp.
The reopening of the Merewether Beach Hotel has breathed new life into the hotel, while still retaining its unique character and charm. The chic, new-look fit-out is perfect for a sun-soaked meal, a night out with friends enjoying live music, or an easy pub bite.
Suburb: Merewether
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pub fare
Best For: Group dining, Cocktail lovers, Waterfront
Merewether Surfhouse
With some of the best views Newcastle has to offer, the cocktail bar at Merewether Surfhouse is the perfect place to watch the sunset over the ocean. With a major drinks menu that has great summertime spritzes and signature cocktails, as well as seriously stunning views, this is the ultimate pick for a girls’ night.
Suburb: Merewether
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Pub fare
Best For: Group dining, Cocktail lovers, Waterfront
Best Cocktail Bars and Speakeasies in Newcastle
Earp Distilling Co.
With a passion for the creative and experiential, Earp Distilling Co. was created to craft spirits synonymous with quality, sustainability, and adventure. Kick back at the bar and work your way through their extensive menu of spirits (think knock-your-socks-off vodka, unforgettable and award-winning gin, and their unique twist on absinthe) while chowing down on the delish bar snacks (edamame beans with kaffir lime salt, say no more), or book yourself in for one of their wildly fun gin mixing classes.
Suburb: Carrington
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Best For: Group dining, Special occasion, Cocktail lovers
Coal and Cedar
This moody and eclectic small bar from duo, Ethan Ortlipp and Ryan Hawthorne, serves up some of the best cocktails in Newcastle. All the classic cocktails are available but the bartenders can mix anything your heart desires… so get creative! The Coal and Cedar team also hosts cocktail masterclasses for budding mixologists – which we can 100% recommend.
Suburb: CBD
Price Guide: $$
Cuisine: Cocktail bar
Best For: Special occasion, Cocktail lovers, Late night
QT Rooftop and Romberg’s Bar are two of the best rooftop bars in Newcastle, and both sit in the CBD with sweeping views across the city. QT Rooftop is known for its summer spritz selection, including Aperol, Campari and a non-alcoholic Crodino Spritz, paired with bar bites such as a confit duck hotdog with Campari jam. Romberg’s Bar is a favourite for sunset, with panoramic views, cocktails, local wines and a grazing menu. Arrive at dusk at Romberg’s to secure a table for the best of the light.
Merewether is the go-to suburb for a drink with an ocean view in Newcastle. Merewether Surfhouse has a cocktail bar overlooking the water, with summertime spritzes and signature cocktails, and it is one of the best spots in the city to watch the sun set over the ocean. Also in Merewether, The Beach Hotel, known to locals as ‘The Beaches’, is a surfside pub that reopened after an extensive revamp under hotelier Glenn Piper, offering pub meals, live music and a relaxed beachside setting.
Yes. Coal and Cedar in the Newcastle CBD is a Prohibition-style speakeasy with no signage out the front. To get in, you text a code to a number written on the wall and wait for the door to open. Inside, the moody small bar from Ethan Ortlipp and Ryan Hawthorne serves the classic cocktails, and the bartenders are happy to mix something off-menu to suit your taste. The team also runs cocktail masterclasses, which make a fun group activity for anyone keen to learn the craft.
Customs House Hotel and The Beach Hotel are two Newcastle pubs known for live music. Customs House Hotel occupies a heritage-listed building on the Newcastle Harbour foreshore that once housed the Australian Customs offices, and a live band adds to the atmosphere while you eat from the modern Australian restaurant menu or the casual share plates menu. The Beach Hotel in Merewether is a surfside pub with a new-look fit-out, suited to a night out with friends over live music and easy pub bites. Check each venue’s website for gig dates.
Merewether Surfhouse is one of the best bars in Newcastle for a girls’ night, pairing summertime spritzes and signature cocktails with ocean views at sunset. For a city option, QT Rooftop in the CBD offers a spritz selection and shareable bar bites with skyline views. If your group wants something hands-on, Earp Distilling Co. in Carrington runs gin mixing classes alongside its menu of house-made spirits, including award-winning gin and its own take on absinthe. Coal and Cedar’s cocktail masterclasses in the CBD are another option for an interactive night out.
Want to keep nutting out your Newcastle itinerary? Check out our comprehensive deep dive on everything to do in Newcastle during your stay. Then, why not take a look at our guide to the best shopping in Newcastle?
