If you're after a spot that doubles as a cafe, restaurant and bar, The Happy Wombat is worth knowing about. It sits at 575 Hunter Street in Newcastle West, tucked under the Quest Apartments at the west end of Hunter Street, and has been going since 2014. The name comes from a mate of the owner, Luke Tilse, whose Puerto Rican backyard bar shared the same handle; Tilse picked it precisely because it sounded a bit daggy, with the aim of building an institution rather than a passing trend. He's signed an 18-year lease with two five-year options, so it's not going anywhere.
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The place bills itself as a local lounge room, the kind of community hub where you can drop in for a meeting, a coffee or a beer, and the vibe is warm and welcoming with a bit of a grungy, industrial edge. The food is contemporary Australian, leaning on native ingredients and sourcing ethically grown, free-range meats and produce from Australian-owned, independent businesses. There are more than fifteen large and small dishes spread across breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, plus a dedicated snack menu and an aperitif list with cocktails. On the drink front, it's one of only 11 venues in Australia pouring beers from Wellington breweries, and the taps lean heavily on craft beer and cider, with local Hunter Valley wines and indie Australian and New Zealand labels filling out the rest.
It's not all smooth sailing, though. During the COVID restrictions, the venue was forced to close and had to cancel the Newcastle Beer Fest, which Tilse co-owns. The team pivoted by running a mini beer fest inside the venue, shutting the doors for a week, reopening with the Little Burrow coffee cart, launching Chipz and Snitz, and eventually completing a major renovation that opened up the dining areas into one big space for breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon beers. That history is part of why the place feels the way it does.
Behind the scenes, there's a personal side to the business. Tilse is a Newcastle hospitality entrepreneur who also owns the Young Street Hotel in Carrington, a century-old pub he picked up in the middle of the pandemic, and co-founded Apple Truck Cider with his uncle Stephen, whose orchard at the foot of the Barrington Tops has been in the family since 1916. He's also co-owner of the Newcastle Beer Fest. Much of the drive comes from home: he has three sons, and one of them, Charlie, was born with Down syndrome, so a lot of the business motivation is about securing his future. Ben Andrews, who also has Down syndrome, has worked at the bar and restaurant for the past three years after completing an RSA course in Gosford as an NDIS participant.
On paper, the place is well-regarded, sitting at 4.5 stars from around 1,750 reviews, with people pointing to the welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, tasty food and fair prices. A good chunk of the trade comes from guests staying in the Quest Apartments upstairs, but it still fills up on an unremarkable Wednesday night. It's open Monday to Thursday 10am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to midnight, and Sunday 10am to 6pm, with food served Monday to Saturday 10am to 9pm and Sundays limited to breakfast and lunch from 10am to 2pm, brunch before midday. Takeaway is also an option if you'd rather eat at home.
