What's the best $4 you ever spent?
My answer, I've have to say, was buying a latte one day at Estabar cafe along The Esplanade across the street from Newcastle Beach. The coffee, service and ambience was pretty good as usual, but the moment turned magical when I spied a humpback whale jumping out of the water just off Newcastle Ocean Baths, not 300 metres away.
I'll drink to that, any day.
The Newcastle coffee scene has come a long way in the last two decades, to the point where coffee culture is a source of pride. And, like many things in Newcastle, it's custom-made.
Take Mr Sister, Garth Buchanan and his sister Bec Thomson suffer no fools when it comes to setting a benchmark for a quality coffee. Their new store in the East End development is an absolute cracker for coffee lovers.
And let's back up to Estabar again, owner Bec Bowie knows it's not just the coffee, but what you bring to the customer that makes it special.
The same rule applies at Common Circus, which expanded to two cafe stores (Hamilton and the original in Belmont) in 2021. Owner Lauren Henry makes sure the coffee and food are consistently good, and then offers an equally captivating retail environment of homewares and gifts.
Or Xtraction Espresso, on the corner of King and Bolton streets in the city, where owner Kenn Blackman starts every day with the goal of making the best coffee - and best street food - in the city.
We love our baristas and what they do. And we know readers feel the same. That why we took the time ask the top baristas about their own lifestyle. And took it further, asking 50 baristas what makes a great cup of coffee.
And take it us from, always make the time to your enjoy cup of coffee.
Jim Kellar
Weekender Editor
