Coal & Cedar

4.8

10 Reviews

$A41 to $A100

Cocktail Bar

Make a booking

2 people

5 Dec 2024

19:00

Booked 3 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
Website
http://www.coalandcedar.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Private party facilities
www.coalandcedar.com/master-class

Location
382 Hunter St 380, Newcastle, AU-NSW 2300
Area
Newcastle CBD
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Gluten-free Options, Vegan

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

4.6Food
4.5Service
4.8Ambience
4.7Value

Noise • Energetic

Diners' Choice Awards

Newcastle and surrounds
Most Booked

10 Reviews

OT
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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OT
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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D
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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K
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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J
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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OT
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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OT
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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OT
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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V
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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OT
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

5 Dec 2024

19:00

Booked 3 times today

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

Website
http://www.coalandcedar.com/
Private party facilities
www.coalandcedar.com/master-class

Coal & Cedar

Make a booking

Additional information

Menu

What 10 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

FAQs

How is Coal & Cedar restaurant rated?

Is Coal & Cedar currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information