Stopped here for lunch after visiting both the aqua golf and putt putt while wandering the gardens…read more A fairly nice restaurant with lots of outdoor seating, and very casual. Order at the counter and they bring it out to you. Looking at the menu there was a few thing to choose from. I chose something a bit more traditional and got the beef (added bacon) burger. The chips were quite nice and the burger... okay. It wasn't anything amazing. A little boring is all I could gather. It needed something like ranch or tangy aioli to give it a bit more zing. Overall a decent place to stop for food and for a reasonable price. But nothing totally amazing.

Arguably the most popular spot in the HVG Village. Offering breakfast and lunch. Dine indoors or…read moreout but I'd suggest out on the verandah. My partner and I had lunch here after playing putt putt and Aqua golf. It had gone 2 pm and since it was a Tuesday it wasn't as busy as I've seen it in the past. Weekends can be a rush. I ordered a chocolate thickshake which came in one of those massive metal mixing cups. I love spooning out the ice cream before sipping my way to a full milk belly. It was delicious! My roast chicken wrap was pricey for the size. $18 with no accompanying chips but it too was tasty and I enjoyed the combination of the mellow tasty cheese with the red onion and roasted capsicum. An ice cream shop adjoins the building; I think they are both linked under Oscars.

Outstanding service Food was amazing…read moreGreat atmosphere and excellent view 10/10 experience

A perfect 5 star experience all thanks to an amazing location, outstanding food and a manager named…read moreSharon who made my recent visit something to rave to friends about! After touring some of the wineries in the area, I wanted to sit outside, enjoy the beautiful scenery and have some terrific food and wine. The Verandah, located at the Calais Estate, was the perfect solution with their wrap around upstairs porch overlooking the rolling estate. There were two choices for lunch- a pre selected "Tapas Tower" which is a feast for two with several daily selections ($80) or a la carte tapas items listed a few pages back in the menu. I went with the latter and had a chance to taste a wide range of their offerings and all were amazingly good. My favs were the polenta coated soft shell crab, the mushroom aranachi, and the jambon. They also had a nice wine list and were able to find me a local Cabernet that was quite nice! The service staff was super helpful, even re directing the fan my way given it was a very hot day on the veranda. But my visit was really topped off by the welcoming nature of Sharon, the manager. She kept stopping at my table to ensure all was well and even related a story about her recent trip to Chicago where someone went out of their way to help her and her husband. It made for a great visit. So I'll end where I began. If you want a great location, outstanding food and a staff that cares, look no further than The Verandah. It really will make your entire experience in the Hunter Valley one to remember!

With so many gun barrel eateries along Darby Street it can be hard to make a choice or…read moredifferentiate where one ends and another begins. But Frankie's Place with its aqua exterior really stands out and provides the relaxed feel you would expect from a beach city. Catching up with my brother for lunch and both being on and off conscious of diet we chose the roast pumpkin salad with chicken for an extra $4. The best salad I have ever ordered. EVER! I truly can not fault it. The honey mustard dressing was superb and the goats cheese and avocado were a great creamy addition. The pepita seeds were the cherry on top providing that crunch of texture salad sometimes needs. After drinking an awful smoothie recently in Sydney I was hesitant to order the banana version and settled on the Prince frappe consisting of mango, raspberry and pineapple. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! And so refreshing. My brother ordered the healthy super smoothie which I had been turned off as soon as I read spinach but after trying a sip, will not be deterred again. As good as the Prince, only $2 more at $9. A great place for lunch in Newcastle.

Our order was delivered to the table on a book. The Magic Pudding to be precise. Frankies Place was…read morealready pretty up there in terms of cool, but I think their latest serving trays will leave a definite hipster taste to your coffee. Regardless, it remains one of my "go to" cafes when in Newcastle for a consistently good breakfast (try the salmon - you'll never turn back) and a coffee. There's a gorgeous outdoor courtyard or upstairs area to dine in. Be warned though, this is one popular lady so she fills up quickly during peak dining times. On my last visit I feel like they'd maybe changed ownership as although still good it didn't pack as much of a punch and the whole book serving was a new thing. Frankies' don't disappoint me now!

Cafe Enzo is part of Peppers Creek Village and Peppers Creek winery…read more They have breakfast, lunch, and a cheeky "in-between" menu. The place was busy with high spirits and we were still seated right away. Food came pretty quick which was nice because we had wine tasting appointments to be mindful of. Egg and Bacon Roll 2 fried eggs, plus bacon on a pita roll, with homemade sweet and tangy tomato chutney. Great combo sandwich - larger than expected. "Enzo" Big Breakfast 2 eggs (seemed like at least 4 actually) your way, bacon (more like rustic farmhouse style American ham), whole mushrooms and roasted whole tomatoes on two thick slices of toast. This is like a big boy chunky style brekky - you have to cut everything but it is hearty and delicious. Make sure you're hungry! Cappucino - frothy, large and smooth! Love this place, there's really nothing to be picky about here. Expectations exceeded, service prompt, helpful and nice, yet efficient. That's all...

Brunch with a beautiful view was perfect!…read more I ordered the Ham Breakfast Board w/ a side of Smoked Salmon (Poached eggs, Berkshire ham off the bone, Avocado, Binnorie feta, Roast cherry tomatoes, Pistachio red pesto, Sourdough). It was VERY filling. Our server was delightful. She checked on us regularly & made sure we were okay.

With good coffee, friendly staff, a very tempting selection of local and imported cheeses for sale…read moreand De Iuliis cellar doors next door, this place is well worth a visit. The German breakfast was pretty good. The. Black Forest bacon was awesome and the mushrooms very good. To boot, my breakfast, the wife's eggs on gluten free today with mushrooms, the daughter's cheesy today with tomatoes on top and 2 coffees added up to only $38, making this place pretty good value for the Hunter. :)

Great service with good food and wine. I would highly recommend the cheese. The red wine tasting…read moremenu was a great choice for a light lunch. There is both inside and outside seating which was great for us with the dog

This place has been around forever. Was the first place I ever got a decent coffee milkshake with…read morean espresso shot. I do like this venue a lot and the decor. Main eating areas inside and out, along with some quirky spots. I imagine the evening ambience to be quite nice. I have eaten here much as it tends to be on the dearer side but I've liked what's been presented. The staff all seem fairly young, possibly uni kids who engage each other more than worrying about patrons. But they are nice non the less. The outside area is great for those who want a little something and have your dogs with you.

Excellent breakfast place, very tasty creations, well balanced and well spiced. Really loved it…read more Slooooow service though, so prepare for a bit of a wait :-)

This was the second winery of three on our Hunter Valley wine tour. I thought it was a really…read morestrange location considering it's a beer spot. There are multiple bachelorette parties happening while we were here. We were seated it to very long tables, unfortunately I pick the seat really far from our host and couldn't hear any of the exclamations even though she tried to speak over the noisy patio. We were given cheeses that accompanied each of the four tastings. The tastings were ridiculously tiny so little I really didn't get a feel for any of the wines so I have no opinion on any of them. I did like that they paired up with certain cheeses that that was nice. I bought one bottle to go just because I said I would buy at least one bottle at every location. The other patios beautiful there is an indoor seating area and a separate retail/counter tasting area.

Walking in, we were greeted with 12 of their craft brews on tap. And yes you can sample them. This…read moreis how it works. For $15 you get to choose from 2 groups of 6 of their 12 craft brews to sample from Ginger Ale, Lager through to Cider, which they present nicely on a paddle. You will also get Tasting notes with it. And when you finish sampling, return the paddle and you can swap it with a medium size of your favourite brew for free. The foods were delicious. If you do have lunch there, you have to try their Crisp Pork Belly with spiced Chats potato, pickled cabbage, candy apples and Cider Jus. It's tasty, the candy apples and the crispy pork belly just go together beautifully, and the jus just complements the dish. The pickled cabbage You can go without, it didn't add anything to the dish. The Prawns with garlic, tomato, chilli and handmade Pappardelle is also delicious. They also have kids' menu. The place is spacious with plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. I will definitely come again for a nice relaxing lunch the next time we're in the area.

Went for lunch with some friends and our 18-month old son - cannot fault the service. From the…read moremoment the front door was held open for us, the service was impeccable. Warm, friendly and attentive, without hovering or being overbearing. The tasting menu was absolutely delicious, with the chicken being an absolute standout, followed by their signature coconut dessert. The pairing and quality of the wines really added to the experience, but I strongly suggest you have a designated driver if you are doing the matched wines - they don't pour short.

As an adjunct to the multiple-hat rated Muse Restaurant, we were very happy to stop in here for…read morelunch on our Winery Tour. From welcoming service to wonderful food, being able to get a good quality feed in the Hunter at lunchtime could not have been better. Watch for the full-body prawns! My gnocchi was so nice, my partner had to snag some after beheading her prawns.