16 March 2023
6 mins Read
There are no traffic lights in Mudgee town centre, which makes it the perfect place to take your foot off the pedal for a short break. And while it’s only right that attention is lavished on the Mudgee region’s cellar doors, the satisfaction level of visitors to Central NSW is also enhanced when they eat out for breakfast and brunch.
The cafe scene is thriving thanks in more recent years to a slew of openings that give everyone from the avocado-on-sourdough set from Sydney to boujee Bathurst types more places to breakfast and brunch. Here are some of the best cafes in Mudgee for brunch and coffee.
The café scene in Mudgee is thriving. (Image: Destination NSW)
Although the cafes in Mudgee are somewhat of a sideshow to the main draw – its world-class wines – the region is becoming a go-to getaway for those who want to indulge in great food and wine and enjoy a change of scene. Althea by Zin is the love child of Lowe Wines and the Zin House and named in honour of chef Kim Currie’s mum, Althea.
Althea by Zin is the love child of Lowe Wines and the Zin House.
The cupboard-sized bakery and patisserie pumps out treats such as fresh berry tarts, canelé and Deluca coffee.
Address: Cnr Church & Horatio St, Mudgee
Indulge in fresh berry tarts, canelé and Deluca coffee at Althea by Zin.
From the minute you walk through the cobbled courtyard that was once an old horse stable and upstairs to the charming dining room housed in this 1850s building, it’s clear that Cade Kitchen + Bar has a foot in both the past and present. The artfully scuffed space has had a costume change, and while the history and heritage is still evident, the menu is up to the minute. Shazam the playlist while you wait for your confit duck with carrot puree, kale, ginger and honey to arrive.
Address: 97 Market St, Mudgee
Mooch down to the Butcher Shop Café in the main street of Mudgee and you’re sure to run into that local couple you met at the De Beaurepaire cellar door, one of the best winery experiences in the area. The café is housed in an old butchery built in the late 1800s that must have had, ahem, good bones, and it remains a hub for the local community. The Butcher Shop Cafe is also a popular place for coffee (it’s roasted in-house).
Address: 49 Church St, Mudgee
The café is housed in an old butchery built in the late 1800s. (Image: Destination NSW)
Alby & Esthers turns on the charm in a little cobblestoned corner of Mudgee. The courtyard cafe is tucked away down an alley outside an 1873 stone terrace and it’s this backdrop of heritage buildings that grounds you in the heart of historic Mudgee.
Alby & Esthers turns on the charm in a little cobblestoned corner of Mudgee. (Image: Amber Hooper/ @ambercreative and Amy Walker/ @thewifecreative)
It’s the perfect spot to spend the morning sipping coffee or kombucha and eating ham-and-cheese jaffles.
Address: 61 Market St, Mudgee
Order up the famous jaffles at Alby & Esthers. (Image: Amber Hooper/ @ambercreative and Amy Walker/ @thewifecreative)
Breakfast in the country should always be like this: a sun-dappled table overlooking the garden and the option to start your day right with cold brew or fresh-squeezed juice at the Coffee House at Parkview, the heritage-listed hotel believed to have been built in 1870-71. Enjoy the Mexican breakfast bowl, which will whisk you straight to Baja.
Address: 99 Market St, Mudgee
Enjoy breakfast overlooking the garden at Coffee House at Parkview in Mudgee. (Image: Connie Gurzeni)
There are plenty of delicious options to choose from on the breakfast menu at Coffee House. (Image: Connie Gurzeni)
The baristas at Mudgee Corner Store serve coffee and food to go from the kiosk window of this charming country café cum corner store between 7 and 8 am. But we recommend taking a seat at one of the communal tables inside when the café space is open so you can linger over the locavore menu. Inhale an unctuous ham and cheese toastie, then order a breakfast hamper to go to enjoy at your luxury accommodation the next day.
Address: 72 Lewis St, Mudgee
Take a seat at one of the communal tables inside. (Image: Destination NSW)
If you missed out on scoring one of just 22 limited tickets to the weekends-only Warakirri Degustation Dinner, you should come back the next day and commandeer a table at the Indigiearth Cafe for coffee. Founded by local Ngemba Weilwan woman, Sharon Winsor, from Western NSW, the Indigenous-run café is known for its bacon and egg brekkie burgers served with Warrigal greens.
Address: 83 Lions Drive, Mudgee.
The food looks like art in this Indigenous-run café. (Image: Destination NSW)
An unhurried coffee (by Fish River Roasters) on the verandah is best followed by brunch at Our Chow Cafe located two kilometres from Mudgee CBD. Graze over buttermilk pancakes and bloody Marys for brunch at the rustic cafe, all corrugated tin and worn wood, overlooking the idyllic vineyard at Burrundulla Wines. Mudgee Catering Co. also offers heat-and-serve meals to visitors staying in luxury guesthouses dotted around the region.
Address: 234 Castlereagh Highway, Mudgee
Yum Cha is the Cantonese tradition of brunch involving Chinese tea and dim sum. And the cash-only 29 Nine 99 Yum Cha and Tea House (named after the auspicious date owners Reg Buckland and Shaanxi-born Na Lan were married), does a cracking version of it in nearby Rylstone, a 40-minute drive from Mudgee. Yum cha purists travel from all over NSW to visit this colourful tea house so do book ahead.
Address: 28 Louee St, Rylstone
Yum cha purists travel from all over NSW to visit this colourful tea house. (Image: Destination NSW)
Go to Mudgee Honey Haven to stock up on picnic provisions such as sparkling mead, blueberry jam and yellowbox honey before settling in at this rustic cafe for raisin toast, scones, jam and cream or corn beef toasties. Top tip: when the sun is shining, make a day of it and take the kids for a game of putt putt on the property’s 18-hole golf course. You can also spy on the bees hard at work through a glass window that shows a cross-section of a working hive.
Address: 2 Hill End Road, Mudgee
Have a taste of freshly farmed honey. (Image: Destination NSW)
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