Having trouble deciding on where to go for brunch? Charolette Lloyd shares her favourite cafes in Newcastle.

Like many others in Newcastle, one of my greatest joys is finding a new place for brunch. And I don’t know about anyone else, but when I’m at brunch with friends, money just seems to go out the window. I don’t care how much anything costs, I am all about what is sitting in front of me on the plate and I am a huge sucker for a good smoothie or iced latte. I wouldn’t say Newcastle is known for their cafes, but they sure do have a selection – and boy are they worth it.

In this article, I will be running through a couple of my favourite spots for a cheeky coffee and toastie on a slow Sunday morning, or even just for a mid-week break.

Three Monkeys

A close tie with Autumn Rooms on this one, but above all, Three Monkeys is one of my favourite cafes in Newcastle. I would say it is one of the more well-known cafes around town, and this place has it all. If you’ve ever glanced at the menu, you would see not only the copious amounts of food and the variety they have, but their drinks menu is just as long. With the majority of the menu being breakfast, I would definitely recommend going there before 12 o’clock, but if you’re looking for a delish and very filling meal, Three Monkeys would be at the top of my list.

This place is always reliable and never lets me down. They have a mix of healthy and unhealthy smoothies for all those wanting a milky morning. One thing I would just mention is that if you’re planning on going with friends, make sure one of you is able to cover everyone at the end of the meal. This is a no split payment cafe and although this is sometimes hard to get past, it is totally worth it. But hey if you’re planning on going with your family…here’s to a free breakfast.

Autumn Rooms

Autumn Rooms is almost next door to Three Monkeys, so whenever I am walking past it’s always a tug of war to where I want to go. While Three Monkeys serve the classics, Autumn Rooms has more of an upper-class feel, and if you’re not the adventurous type, I would steer clear. They do serve a mean bacon and eggs, but besides this, it may not be ideal if you’re not one for gourmet food.

One of my favourite things to look at (at this cafe and almost any) is the drinks menu, and while the food is amazing here, one of the things I look forward to most is the deconstructed lattes. This is served with the coffee, the milk, and syrup all separate and it is all on you how strong or sweet you want to make it. This means that whenever you go there your coffee will not always be the same strength as last time – because let’s face it, some days we need more of a coffee hit than others. As you now know, I am a big fan of smoothies, and the Weiss bar smoothie is to die for. The glass is super generous, it looks amazing, and don’t even get me started on the taste. 

The Hood Milk Bar 

I’ll tell you, I thought Darby Street was the way to go for amazing cafes. I mean it has it all, food, coffee and they also have very nice (but very expensive) shops surrounding the street. Despite this, The Junction surprised me in the best of ways. When I asked a close friend where she wanted to go for brunch, I was almost going to be classic me and suggest somewhere we knew and loved, but where’s the fun in that right? Expecting I’d choose, she fired back and suggested The Hood Milk Bar, and I have never been so impressed.

This is place divided into 3 areas; a cafe, a milk bar/ice-creamery, and a diner area. I’ve been there for both brunch and gelato and it was amazing, to say the least. Whenever I go to a cafe, this is my direction of what I order; a smash, whether it be pumpkin, avo, whatever, as long as it has eggs and, if there’s no halloumi, without a doubt I will be adding it. In terms of drinks, it is always a cold brew or latte. Or if coffee isn’t on my agenda, a banana or mango smoothie does the trick. I got a pumpkin smash here and I believe something called the Gorilla smoothie. It was utterly delightful. Also a special shout out to the gelato, it is also fab!

Mockingbird Cafe

I saw the Mockingbird Cafe on Instagram as I was searching for somewhere nice to have my birthday lunch with friends. And if you do go to their Instagram account, you need to be mentally prepared for how, one, hungry you’re going to feel, and, two, how jealous you are that I’ve been there and you haven’t. I don’t know what presets they use on their photos but their food is like all the colours of the rainbow, and looks exactly like that in person too.

Next to Boulevard on Beaumont apartments, I was surprised when I came downstairs while staying there, and saw the cafe I had only been to a couple of months earlier. I believe when I went I ordered the fish tacos and I do not have a bad word to say about them. I liked the food and my friends had no complaints. It’s right in the middle of town and as with all of the cafes I am talking about, all the waiters and waitresses for each cafe have been super nice and helpful which is always a plus. I mean there is nothing worse than sour staff. Oh, and did I mention their insane drinks? They have crazy milkshake flavours and even coffee flavours that you never thought would work, but they do; like, a beetroot latte. I know sounds crazy, right!?

Finally, I have a couple of special mentions, like the cold brew coffee at Goldberg’s on Darby St, which is to die for; and Monella on Darby St, which is always a winner in my books if you’re after a post-brunch sweet treat.

So there you have it. It is now time to spend all that well-saved money on, let’s face it, food, which we would never be able to cook ourselves. Why not get someone else to do it for us, right?

If you do pick one of these cafes for your next brunch dates, tag @yakmedia to let us know your thoughts. 

Feature Image: Daisy Peachman, Yak Media Designer