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Coal & Cedar, Newcastle, AU-NSW

Coal & Cedar

4.8
4.8
10 Reviews
$A41 to $A100
Cocktail Bar

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
You’ll need to be in on a few secrets to visit Coal & Cedar. This hidden speakeasy has no signage and no doorbell. Instead, you’ll need to text a special code to a number on the wall and a host will open the door and usher you inside. Rest assured, it’s worth the effort, having just won Best Regional bar in Australia 2016.

Once inside, you’ll discover a moody, eclectic cocktail bar with an urban edge. Exposed brick walls and dark timber are complemented by dim lighting from vintage chandeliers. Holding fewer than 60 guests, it’s this old world ambience that sets Coal & Cedar apart from Newcastle’s bar scene.

Ethan and Ryan are the team behind the venture. In 2014, they packed their bags and moved from Sydney to the state’s largest regional city to work on their new dream bar. They found the perfect site on Hunter Street, which was just dingy enough to house a Prohibition-style speakeasy. Transforming the space with taxidermy, eccentric images and many a bottle of booze.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $A41 to $A100
  • Cuisines
    Cocktail Bar, Speakeasy, Dining Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–1:00 am Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–2:00 am
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Private party facilities
    www.coalandcedar.com/master-class

What 10 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseEnergetic

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Newcastle and surrounds

    Most Booked

10 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    New South Wales

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 18 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    I cannot comment on the food, as we were only there for cocktails, which i would recommend. unfortunately i’m not sure if our waiter was having a bad day, or just in the wrong industry but he had absolutely no personality, was not helpful, not once smiled and in fact was very curt and rude when speaking with us.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Sydney

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 5 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Would thoroughly recommend coal and cedar. Atmosphere, service and drinks were all great. If you’re looking for somewhere to get pre or post dinner drinks look no further. Do yourself a favour and just go here.

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  3. Danielle

    New South Wales

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 21 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing venue. Finally got the chance to visit, and it did not disappoint. Staff were very friendly and making sure we did not wait long at all for drinks. The Amaretto No 1 cocktail is my new favourite. We can't wait to go back.

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  4. Kirby

    Melbourne

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 29 August 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great vibe and the drinks and 👌🏼, will be back next time I’m in newy

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  5. Jayde

    New South Wales

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 3 August 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I've wanted to visit The Coal and Cedar since it first opened but felt like I needed a special occasion to do so. We finally celebrated our anniversary there, and now it's without a doubt going to be one of our regular spots. The drinks are great, the staff are fantastic, the cost more than reasonable. But what really made the night was the atmosphere. There's no way to fully describe it—happy, comfortable, safe... Nothing does it justice.

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    New South Wales

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 27 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The service was exceptional always very polite and energetic. Drinks were all very good would recommend to anyone who likes a a group night out or just a scene after a romantic dinner.

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    New South Wales

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 26 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved the music choice last night. A bit of country always works. ANOTHER great evening

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    New South Wales

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 16 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Tuesday evening drink. My wife and I went early (730pm) for our 830pm booking and were still given a table as it was quite free (tuesday evening expected). The drink quality was great and reasonable price. I had two medium range whiskies which tasted great and my wife had a cheese /cracker platter and cocktail. All good. Its a little bit loud but you can still have a comfortable conversation (might be a bit harder in groups though)

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  9. Vicky

    London

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 4 May 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Good drinks, but the bar is a little loud for a speakeasy vibe. We had initially friendly service but it was spoiled when we were leaving and one of the bar staff pursued us out to the street claiming we hadn’t paid the bill. As I showed her proof on my phone that we had, another waiter appeared to confirm we had paid. She didn’t apologise. Please be sure of your facts before you embarrass your customers and harass them in the street!

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    New South Wales

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 26 April 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful experience . Terrific range of Gin available

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FAQs

Coal & Cedar is rated 4.8 stars by 10 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
Google Map for Coal & Cedar

382 Hunter St 380, Newcastle, AU-NSW 2300

Additional information

  • Area
    Newcastle CBD
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–1:00 am Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–2:00 am
  • Price
    $A41 to $A100
  • Cuisines
    Cocktail Bar, Speakeasy, Dining Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Vegan
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
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