This is, hands down, the best place to break bread in Newcastle. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the restaurant’s unassuming shopfront, but Subo is a gem. And the bread you’re breaking is local Baked Uprising sourdough with butter, caramelised garlic and chive salt. It’s so good you’ll want seconds, but hey, there’s an artfully presented five-course feast to follow. A steamed pork dumpling in a pool of punchy pepper, soy, ginger and chilli sauce packs a wallop of flavour, and Cape Grim Scotch fillet is another highlight, rubbed in black bean and sake and perfectly pan-roasted and rested. Jasmine-infused poached peach is a grand finale and works beautifully with almond cake, white chocolate ice-cream, and Earl Grey and lemon granita. This is fine dining without the stuffiness: locals turn up in T-shirts, staff are friendly and informed, and there’s a good selection of Australian and international wines. Bump it up the to-do list.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Food: ★
Wine: ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
Subo
551d Hunter St Newcastle West, Newcastle, NSW Australia
