Bar Mellow — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

What a hidden gem.

Looking at the menu, I can't wait to actually spend some time here on a return to Newcastle. What stood out to me most was the immediate and friendly greeting as you walk through the door. Personally seated, and provided with cold water and delicious Sicilian olives. We said we were short on time and the bartender made suggestions to ensure he could get the drinks out (for three) and allow us enough time to enjoy them.

We all decided on the in-house-made aperol spritz off the tap which was turned around within a couple of minutes. When paying the bill I snuck a delicious shot of Mr Black Amaro on the way out.

In and out in 25mins to grab a train, but I'm chomping at the bit to come back for a cheese and meat platter accompanied by some of their listed shaken cocktails. Service is huge for me, and this is by far the best venue for it that I've been to in years. Well done.

The above aside, great looking venue. Ambient low-lighting with sky high ceilings; and a relevant painted backdrop to a well-stocked bar. Modern vintage in the decor on the booths and an opportunity to sit at the bar stools if wanted. Only reason I've downgraded the atmosphere is due to the lack of patrons for a Saturday night, but that's what makes this a supremely hidden gem to me as well. 5+ stars for everything else; 11/10...

(4.5 stars) Tangerine dreams are a given after a visit to Bar Mellow in Newcastle West. The bar is housed in the spacious surrounds of the heritage Bank Corner with a central bar sitting where the bank counter once would have been. The curved room is ringed by tangerine padded booths and lit by low hanging white pendant lights and late afternoon light streaming through the high-set windows.

You’re greeted at the door and seated by friendly staff who get menus and a bowl of excellent Sicilian green olives onto your table in short order. The star of the drinks is the savoury Moore’s Distillers Cut Gin martini ($24) dirtied up with caper berry brine, dry vermouth and garnished a stick of caper berries. The other star was the Tropika ($19) which reads as if it will be sweet with Scotch whisky, pineapple, macadamia orgeat and ginger, but drinks like the unholy union of a Mai Tai and Penicillin.

Even as someone who shies away from rockmelon, the Sunbeam ($20) wooed me with blanco tequila, bitter orange, rockmelon and a tangy salt rim. Cool Collins ($18) updates the lemon-based classic with grapefruit and well-balanced elderflower, making it a good, tall hot day quaffer. And finally, if you need a chaser, stick to the colour palette with The Grifter pale ale ($10), an affable craft brew that arrives in...

This evening, 10 October, my husband and I attended Bar Mellow for trivia and a cheese and charcuterie plate, as well as some wine. Their system we were told was bar service, so we ordered and paid at the bar for what we wanted. All good. At the end of trivia we left immediately to catch our bus home as we’d had a long day. As we were waiting at the lights to cross the road to the bus stop, to our astonishment and humiliation a male staff member of Bar Mellow chased us out of the venue and asked us if ‘we’d like to pay for our food’. At the risk of missing our bus I had to go back inside to show the young man the receipt for our purchases that we had left on our table, which he could have seen for himself. Under the system it is impossible to see how we could have stolen anything, having to pay before we received anything. Either this is an organised scam whereby the venue embarrasses people into paying twice, or they just don’t care whether anyone comes back again given their systems are so chaotic. I have never been so insulted in my life. How dare you? I will make sure everyone I know is aware of this potential scam unless there is some reasonable explanation and suitable apology. This...