20 of the best Hunter Valley cafes for a top-notch breakfast

We’ve done the legwork for you to round up cream-of-the-crop cafes that scream ‘breakfast Hunter Valley’.

The best places for breakfast and brunch in the Hunter are not just places to refuel between visits to the region’s best wineries. What we’re looking for is varied. Be it a shot of dark-roasted espresso brewed to order. A vego breakfast board. Or a decadent lunch designed to help you power through your epicurean itinerary. Here are 20 of the best cafes for breakfast and brunch in the Hunter Valley.

1. Arthur’s Pantry

Best for: Bircher muesli with green apple, yuzu, seasonal berries, granola and coconut flakes.

The menu at Arthur’s Pantry is firmly tethered to the Hunter Valley. And brunch in the minimalist space is as clean, bright and fresh as the fit-out. It might start with chilli scrambled eggs or beef brisket toastie. But it should always finish with a cold-pressed orange, carrot, pineapple and ginger juice. It’s a compelling crescendo. While the menu at Arthur’s is both comforting and familiar, it’s bolstered by hyperlocal seasonal produce that sings of the cafe’s surrounds. The narrow dining room is a cosy, convivial corridor and eating here is a relaxed, informal experience.

Address: 1E Cooper Street, Cessnock

2. Bikesmith Espresso Bar

Best for: A salmon and rocket bagel with cold brew to go.

You will find a motley crew of MAMILs (Middle-aged men in Lycra) geeking out over the cycling accessories while downing countless espressos at the Bikesmith Espresso Bar.

Coffee-loving bike-packers are also catered for with merch including everything from mini espresso machines and compact coffee grinders to grab-and-go cold brews. This bicycle shop and cafe is the absolute bomb for those who are passionate about indulging their love for both pursuits. Put some air in your tyres with a few sweet treats.

Address: 326 High St, Maitland

3. Sherwood Coffee

Best for: Berry smoothies, milkshakes, banana bread and Reuben toasties.

Short on time while road-tripping around the Hunter Valley? No problem. Download the Sherwood app and place your order ahead of time. Don’t let the friendly relaxed staff fool you; this is a skilful operation run by a professional team who care about the outcomes. The breakfast menu at the Hunter Valley cafe is small and concise: think avocado on toast, BNE deluxe, fruit toast and granola cups. But it’s the toasties that make this a destination worth detouring for. Wide, springy slabs of sourdough are used for toasties such as the Danger Mouse (leg ham, house onion jam and cheddar) and Funguy (mushroom, spinach and feta).

Address: 1/353 Cessnock Road, Gillieston Heights

4. Lovedale Smokehouse Cafe

Best for: A smokehouse rueben toastie with a boozy hot chocolate.

The family-owned Lovedale Smokehouse Cafe is perhaps the most pet-friendly cafe in the Hunter Valley. So much so it even has a dedicated menu for dogs. If you’re looking for a casual feed, the menu at the Lovedale Smokehouse features meats cooked low and slow over fire such as ribs, brisket and burgers. The casual venue is one of the most convivial places to eat and drink in the Hunter Valley thanks to the friendly crowds who roll in for house-made charcuterie. Order a Philly cheesesteak burger for yourself and a doggy donut with a puppacino for your four-legged friend.

Address: 64 Majors Lane, Lovedale

5. Lucky Duck @ Leaves & Fishes

Best for: Korean spiced chips and bo ssam (chilli-marinated pork belly) with cos and kimchi.

Leaves & Fishes is a local institution. It’s part wedding venue, restaurant, events hub and accommodation. Sit in the bustling dining room of Lucky Duck, which is saturated in sunshine, and order beef skewers with pickled cucumber and char siu pork pancakes. Vego diners can also feast on healthful salt-and-pepper-fried silken tofu with miso slaw. Salads such as the roast pumpkin with chilli, ricotta and macadamia praline also err on the side of fabulous. The rustic eatery is housed in an old boathouse on the site of a former fish farm. It overlooks what is now a pretty pond, making it one of the most popular family-friendly cafes in the Hunter Valley.

Address: 737 Lovedale Road, Lovedale

6. Common Grounds

Best for: French toast served on a brioche bun with bacon and maple syrup.

This cute little cafe in the main street of Morpeth is a must-stop. Located alongside the Hunter River, the cafe has literally got The Goods (a blend by Glee Coffee Roasters), which is served alongside daily specials such as sweet fruit-filled muffins and a knock-your-socks-off breakfast wrap with spicy chorizo, bacon, spinach and scrambled egg. Weighing in on the best breakfast in the Hunter Valley debate is fraught; but we stand by Common Grounds as a worthy addition to your list. Book accommodation in the Hunter Valley that makes a mooch back to Morpeth a cinch.

Address: 4/142 Swan St, Morpeth

7. Acacia Dining

Best for: Sweet fritters and a piccolo using beans from Floozy Coffee in Newcastle.

This pretty riverfront eatery is one of the most talked-about venues in the Hunter Valley. What matters at Acacia Dining, open for breakfast, brunch and lunch from Sunday to Thursday and dinner (only on Friday and Saturday nights), is that the ever-changing menu relies on hyperlocal ingredients that speak for themselves.

The restaurant at the iconic Riverlink building is led by ex-Masterchef contestant Reece Hignell and his longtime friend chef Tori Tokpah. Embrace the pair’s keep-it-simple philosophy with a deep-dish hotcake or smashed avo on sourdough dubbed ‘the hipster’s dream’.

Address: 396 High Street, Maitland

8. Cafe Enzo

Best for: Scones with strawberry jam and cream and a pot of tea.

Do everything in your power to secure a booking at Cafe Enzo when you’re heading to the Hunter Valley. It’s one of the best-known Hunter Valley cafes for breakfast for a multitude of reasons. For starters, the romance of the region is keenly felt in the courtyard, which has a magical Midsummer Night’s Dream vibe. It’s also located within the confines of the ultra-charming Peppers Creek Village. And it has the most artfully presented breakfast board on offer. Pamper yourself and book a stay in Enzo Cottage so you can bookend your day with a beautifully styled cheese platter.

Address: Broke and Ekerts roads, Hunter Valley

9. Wholefoods Market & Cafe

Best for: Procuring produce for your Hunter Valley picnic.

Balance out all those hedonistic breakfast Hunter Valley cafe experiences with food to nourish from The Wholefoods Market & Cafe. The Maitland institution has been a beacon for devotees of organic produce since it was established in 1997. There are endless diversions on offer here, from fermentation classes at the Inner Health Centre to the display cabinet filled with biodynamic Urban Mill baked goods. Stay focused on your baked egg shakshuka and then fill your eco bag with organic produce and artisan goods and a baked sourdough baguette to boot.

Address: 10-12 William St, East Maitland

10. The Breakfast Room at The Mill

Best for: Belgian waffles with blossom honey, fresh berries and whipped mascarpone.

Why visit Hunter Valley wine country for just one day when you can spend a few nights? You can eat and sleep at Estate Tuscany or just belly up off your own bat to The Breakfast Room at The Mill, where the team have curated a menu designed to make that first meal of the day a special one. Go the whole hog and order the Tuscan breakfast of grilled bacon, pork chipolata, wilted spinach, slow-roasted Roma tomatoes, Estate baked beans, butter-poached mushrooms, sourdough and hash brown.

Address: Cnr Hermitage road & Mistletoe Lane, Pokolbin

11. The Deck Cafe

Best for: The all-day brekkie B&E roll.

Locavores love the concept of Hunter Valley cafes that look out over the landscape. The Deck Cafe is tucked away amid a tangled knot of forest bushland overlooking a dinky little dam in Lovedale. Expect to find seasonal delicacies on the breakfast menu here alongside coffee using Piazza D’oro beans. Half the fun of a visit to this Hunter Valley cafe in the early morning is watching the sun rake through the trees and listening to the birdsong. The success of this cafe has a lot to do with chef Matt Dillow’s attention to sourcing quality ingredients. Keep it simple and order French toast with fresh strawberries and Chantilly cream and maple syrup.

Address: 701 Lovedale Rd, Lovedale

12. Worn Out Wares

Best for: Breakfast Hunter Valley style with a folded cheese omelette.

The Wow Flower family is behind Worn Out Wares, considered one of the best Hunter Valley cafes for breakfast. The cafe is a colourful blend of flowers, coffee, food and a carefully curated range of bags, baskets, books, candles, chocolates, cake and beautifully bespoke bundles for everyone from bubs to blokes. Are you a budding botanist or flower-lover? Perhaps you’re a caff-fiend. Or maybe you’re simply in need of some serious retail therapy. Whatever it is, Worn Out Wares is the place to go to ooh and ahh. Although the family-owned store has been a stalwart in Singleton for almost two decades, it has evolved over time to include up-to-the-minute almond milk turmeric lattes alongside crumpets with passionfruit curd.

Address: 41-43 George Street, Singleton

13. The Icky Sticky Patisserie

Best for: Blueberry cream cheese Danishes and caramel croissants.

We will never reach peak profiterole, which the patissiers at The Icky Sticky Patisserie are all too aware. This lovely Lorn patisserie draws crowds on their way to the Hunter Valley for signature baked treats such as the pistachio tarts loaded with raspberries and white chocolate or the pretty passionfruit meringues. The counter at this popular patisserie is filled with pastries that have been coiled and laminated into crisp pastry treats that are puffed in the oven and glazed until golden. The Icky Sticky Patisserie is only open Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 2pm.

Address: 2/27 Belmore Rd, Lorn

14. Mr O Wholefoods

Best for: Lemon slice and lattes.

Mr O is the go for coffee by Glee Coffee Roasters and an all-day breakfast menu with options such as loaded bagels with peanut butter and banana, a Hungerford ham toastie and a guilt-free brekkie bowl. You will find local creatives consorting in the cafe, which has played a central role in the invigoration of Cessnock’s Eat Street. The latte art is next level, as is the fact you can pick up some healthy organic snacks for the drive back home. Closed on weekends.

Address: 41 Vincent St, Cessnock

15.  The Rigby

Best for: Great coffee and mushies on toast.

The Rigby is a popular place with Hunter Valley locals and visitors. It’s one of many cool places to eat and drink in Maitland, a history city on the banks of the Hunter River. The Rigby also mirrors the makeover that Maitland has undergone. Housed in a former high-end drapery store, The Rigby is all exposed bricks, Chesterfield couches, mood lighting and pops of hot pink.  The family-owned bar and bistro morphs from Maitland cafe by day to bar and bistro by night. Flip a coin to see who’s going to be the designated driver and order boozy jam crumpets and a poached pear mimosa.

Address: 307 High Street, Maitland

16. The Conservatory

Best for: The full big breakfast of bacon, eggs, mushroom and spinach.

The joy of settling in for a long, lazy Hunter Valley breakfast at The Conservatory at voco Kirkton Park cannot be underestimated. The light-filled dining room at this atmospheric IHG hotel leans into the Australian countryside and the entire menu is typically inspired by ingredients that can be sourced within a 50-kilometre radius. The breakfast buffet here is a civilised affair: sit at a table close indoors to enjoy the best of the hot and cold options from the menu while drinking in views of the rose garden and craggy spine of the Broken Back Range.

Address: 336 Oakey Creek Road, Pokolbin

17. Garden Terrace Cafe at Hunter Valley Gardens

Best for: Lamingtons and lattes

The Hunter Valley Gardens serves as a muse for the casual Garden Terrace Cafe, which celebrates its leafy outlook over the Oriental Garden, one of the prettiest pockets within the 14-hectare grounds. Feast on the sensuous pleasures of the manicured Hunter Valley Gardens, which continue to capture the imagination of landscapers and green thumbs from around the land. The Garden Terrace Cafe is a top spot for morning tea or lunch in Hunter Valley Wine Country.

Address: Broke Road, Pokolbin

18. Cocoa Nib

Best for: Bonbons, blocks and barks.

Cocoa Nib is, hands down, one of the best places for a cup of tea or coffee in the Hunter Valley. This is in part due to the fact you can pair a hot beverage with award-winning hand-crafted chocolates from this outlet at Keith Tulloch Winery in Pokolbin.

The coffee blend of choice here is one sourced from Silverskins Coffee, a micro roastery based in nearby Newcastle. Order a cappuccino at Cocoa Nib and it will arrive showered with shavings of 60 per cent dark chocolate made from renowned French chocolate Weiss. The hot chocolates here are next level, obviously.

Address: 989 Hermitage Rd, Pokolbin

19. Restaurant Cuvee @ Peterson House

Best for: Mexican wagyu beef benedict and a glass of pink blush.

Find a tranquil spot on the sun-splashed terrace at Restaurant Cuvee at Peterson House to enjoy a Bubbly Breakfast before a hot-air balloon ride. It’s one of the best things to do in the Hunter Valley. This top Hunter Valley breakfast spot is always buzzing with visitors who are about to launch into their day. Drift into the air above the Pokolbin cafe at sunrise with Balloon Aloft while looking out over the vineyard, which is pure Hunter Valley. Pancakes with berry compote, honeycomb and Chantilly cream is a great option for a Hunter Valley breakfast done right.

Address: Corner Broke Road and Wine Country Drive, Pokolbin

20. The Whistler

Best for: Spiced pea and courgette fritters with a lean, green smoothie.

The Hunter Valley is the perfect place for a pub crawl. But that doesn’t mean you need to start sinking a few schooeys before lunch. Although you can certainly loop The Whistler into an ale trail around the Hunter Valley, it’s a brekkie roll golden with fresh egg yolk, laden with bacon, rocket and relish we’re dreaming of. You can indeed have a hair of the dog here just after daybreak. But put a bit of wellness back into your weekend with a freshly squeezed juice or kombucha instead.

Address: 436 High St, Maitland

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