Goldbergs Coffee House — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

Food is always amazing! And the the coffee. But what has made a difference for me is the following... My mum is not well and has a walker. She can't stand around to wait for tables. Nothing to do with a sense of entitlement. She is just old and sick. My parents came up from Tassie to spend time with us. I rang Goldbergs and another popular place associated with monkeys to try and reserve a table. I got a young fella on the phone at monkeys who explained that regardless of my mums health needs they won't reserve or accommodate on weekends. I rang Goldbergs and got the owner. He said they normally don't reserve on weekends... But after I explained my mums situation - he said they would accommodate. The disappointing thing is I live on Dawson Street and eat at both cafes at least once or twice a month over the last ten years. Both have great food and coffee. Just really disappointed that Monkeys could make a compromise. I got breakfast there last week with my wife. Two meals and coffee was $80. Now my business will be with Goldbergs. Thank you for helping and understanding that I wasn't lying to try and reserve a table. But that my mum is actually really unwell. And I hope if I, you or a loved are sick and want to enjoy a meal that a restaurant may make an exception to help. It really means a lot and thank you Goldbergs. A bit of humanity... I actually went and visited both establishments after my phone calls. The staff at monkeys took my info to give to the owner and told me to ring him after 9.30am tomorrow. At Goldbergs I spoke durectly to the owner who showed me the note pad with my details on it for brunch tomorrow. Customer service, humanity and understanding make a difference....

For many years we visited for lunch or dinner when in Newcastle, and we thought of Goldbergs as something to look forward to whenever visiting Newcastle.

We revisited on Tuesday after 2 years, and were left wondering if something has changed? Ownership? Chef?

Firstly, service 5/5, attentive and friendly staff only too accommodating. Ambience 5/5, nothing wrong here.

Food 2/5, nothing wrong with it in terms of cleanliness or raw or anything, but we had the pork burger and veg burger. Small amount of filling and was mostly bun. No taste and remarkably dry. The pork burger came with a mediocre, small amount of neatly stacked chips.

Coffee: 2/5. Had a cappuccino and hot chocolate, the latter tasted like burnt milk. The cappuccino we used to look forward to but was only disappointing.

Value: 2/5. At $16.90 for a burger with minimal filling and an insultingly small amount of chips, I was wishing I went elsewhere.

Overall, I will return again, hoping that it was an off day. But perhaps this place has...

Had breakfast here on Sunday morning. We arrived early when it was still quiet, but the place filled up quickly, creating a great atmosphere. We sat in the courtyard, which was pleasant and had a nice vibe. While waiting for our coffees and meals, we played a quick game of Uno, which added to the relaxed experience.

As a larger group, our coffees arrived within a reasonable time, but the meals took a bit longer. The food was as expected—generally good—though we did notice an issue with the peaches in the waffle dish. They had an off taste and a tingling sensation, which suggested they may have gone bad. We mentioned this to the waitress, but unfortunately, we never received any follow-up. Hopefully, the message made it to the kitchen to prevent others from having the same experience.

On a positive note, the coffee was excellent. Overall, a solid experience at a well-established and reputable local spot. Would happily return, but a bit more attention to food quality and communication would make it...