If you're after a brunch spot that leans into its Greek roots without trying too hard, The Village Newcastle on Beaumont Street in Hamilton is worth a look. Sam Tsolakis took over the place in March 2017 and has leaned into his own Greek background to shape the menu, describing the whole thing as inviting people into his home. The vibe carries that through, and there's a hand-painted mural of Santorini on the wall to make the connection obvious.
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The menu is built around brunch and lunch classics with a Greek twist. The Greek Brekkie is the one everyone points to: lemon fried eggs, grilled halloumi, grilled tomato, olive tapenade, garlic mushrooms, spinach and sourdough, and you can add pulled lamb for a few dollars more. Alongside it sits a beetroot hummus on sourdough topped with avocado, poached eggs, sprouts and pistachio feta, plus the Village Bowl, which piles poached eggs, kale, spinach, avocado, quinoa, roasted pumpkin and house-made chutney onto sourdough. For something more substantial, there's pulled lamb served with potato fries, Greek salad, pita and tzatziki, and fried squid tacos with pickled onion, avocado, carrot, coriander, fried shallots, sriracha lime mayo and spinach.
Prices sit in the middle of the road for a cafe. The Greek Brekkie is A$22, with add-ons like pulled lamb at A$7, smashed Atlantic salmon at A$6 and smoked bacon at A$4. Eggs Benedict and the Village Bowl are both A$20, while the smoked corn and pomegranate fritters and the house pancakes come in at A$19. On the lighter end, there's house porridge for A$15, an acai bowl for A$16, smashed avocado on sourdough for A$16, and an egg and smoked bacon roll for A$9. If you're just after a coffee and a quick bite, the house bread of the week is A$9 and you can build your own breakfast for A$12.
Lunch starts at 11:30 am and the menu opens up a fair bit. A 200g scotch fillet is A$25, the pulled lamb A$22, and there's a range of wraps, burgers and salads around the A$14 to A$18 mark, from a dukkah-crusted pumpkin and falafel wrap to a southern-style chicken burger. The fish of the week changes and is priced at market rate.
Coffee is a genuine part of the draw here. The cafe runs a specialty blend from local roasters Crema Coffee Garage, pulling from Colombian, Guatemalan and Ethiopian beans for a medium-bodied cup with a sweet finish, and it claims to be the only place carrying that particular blend at the moment. It's the kind of detail that rewards someone who actually cares about their morning coffee.
Practicalities are straightforward. It's open every day from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, so it's as much a proper breakfast spot as it is a lunch place. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, and there's catering available for work luncheons, Christmas parties and other functions if you need to feed a group. It sits on Beaumont Street, not far from the Kent Hotel, in a stretch of Hamilton that's well known for its cafes and eateries. With a Google rating of 4.7 stars across more than 500 reviews, it's clearly holding its own among Newcastle's cafe scene.
