Hippo Espresso — Restaurant in Newcastle-Maitland

My Wife Rhonda and I took my Daughter and her Husband for breakfast for her birthday this morning. Their 3 sons came with them. I note early in the rating that Wheelchair access is available from the rear of the restaurant - there needs to be more pressure put on Councils to provide better access to footpaths for folk being pushed along by a wheelchair - this is my situation. We have trouble getting up even the small lip on a driveway access to the footpath as all that happens is a crash of wheels against these lips. This issue needs to be fixed!It's good that Hippo provides this access into their premise for such folk as me! We all met inside and selected a table which had six seats and we required 7. I also had my carer with us as she is almost part of the family. It is a child friendly place with a special spot for them to go and play where they are in view of you if you sit in the chairs and tables to the rear of the restaurant. The menu is extensive, both adult and child menus are provided. Cost to our mornings' breakfast was $104 plus change. I had their standard breakfast which included 2 eggs how you want them, mushrooms fried, a potato cake, dried bacon and two slices of toast ( a special type I can't remember the type but it was nice and a bit fancy. There was an Evan larger one if you wanted including a steak, but the one I had was more than enough for me. Prices well:- for the 8 of us with a final bill of $104 - $105 is a good bill. Service was very pleasing bright and quick. It's well worth a visit and Renner Wheelchair access is from the rear of the shop. I liked it a lot was very pleased over all. I Hav to let my wife know what I wanted and let her carry out the transaction due to my disability. Would I suggest to my Wife to go there again? Most certainly I would go there again. Why did I not award 5 Stars... To get that 5th Star something extraordinary has to be there, something I would not expect? But YES I reccomend you go and pay them a visit I'm sure you won't regret...

When we walked in we were told to find a table and they would bring us a menu. Menu didn’t come. We went and found some ourselves. Offered no table water. Offered no instructions on how to order with the scan thing on the table. The service nowhere to be found, however staff were all chatting to each other and one was chatting to a large table near us for a very long time and seemed they knew each other.

I told my husband to go and order at the counter rather than try to work it out! Was charged more than the total should have been and when I went to ask why we were overcharged, was told very bluntly that it was a card surcharge!!!! You cannot charge a fee (for paying?!) without telling the customer you’re going to charge it!!!!

Ordered omelette between us and it was fine. Not what it used to be. As we were finishing up someone started clearing our table without making any eye contact or saying a word!!! So awkward. There was no ‘are you finished, may I clear your plates, how was your meal’???? It was so uncomfortable that I said ‘HI’ and she replied ‘hi’ and walked away.

What a treat, to go out and...

Arrived at 12.20 to be told by a rude young staff member that we were "not allowed in the carpeted area" in the back half of the cafe because she had to vacuum to get it ready for closing, even though lunch had barely begun and the experience went downhill from there. Sticky, dirty tables, we weren't allowed to order at the counter, we were sent back to our table like naughty school children to order via the app. Ordered via the app and then had dietary requirements completely ignored and my son's meal came out slathered in sour cream despite asking on the app to have it left off. Meal got taken back, sour cream scraped off and redelivered, not remade (thank goodness it was an intolerance not an allergy we were dealing with). Rest of our meals average and bland, asked for water 3 times, never came so in the end had to stand at the counter until someone handed me a bottle and some glasses. Service has never been amazing here but food used to be good at least, with so many other places to choose from on the same block I won't be bothering with...