Five years in, HUMBUG is looking back at the dishes that shaped it
When HUMBUG first opened on Hunter Street almost five years ago, it wasn't trying to be an Italian restaurant.
It was a modern wine bar built around handmade pasta, snacks, and global influences, shaped by Executive Chef Mike Portley's experience in kitchens like Bodega and Africola. Menus shifted constantly, ideas evolved, and experimentation was part of the appeal.
Today, the restaurant has found its stride.
Three consecutive Good Food Guide Hats later, HUMBUG has established itself as one of Newcastle's leading restaurants, known for handmade pasta, artisan antipasti, and produce-driven cooking.
"As we've spent more time making handmade pasta and refining our antipasti program, we've naturally drawn closer to classic Italian traditions," owner Stephanie Wells said.
"We've arrived at a place of quiet confidence."
To celebrate both where they've been and where they're headed, HUMBUG is introducing Favourites 2.0 – a retrospective menu bringing together some of the dishes guests have loved most over the past four and a half years.
Launching on July 15 and running until the spring menu arrives, the limited menu is less about nostalgia and more about celebrating the evolution of the restaurant.
The return of familiar favourites
Rather than introducing an entirely new seasonal menu, the team has looked back through years of menus to revive the dishes diners still ask about long after they've disappeared.
Leading the list is the Rib Sando, officially crowned HUMBUG's number one favourite by guests. The stacked sandwich returns alongside a collection of dishes that showcase just how much the kitchen has evolved.
Handmade pastas remain at the heart of the menu, with plates including:
→ Campanelle with Yamba king prawns, chilli and fennel,
→ Cassarecce with duck sausage, porcini and cavolo nero,
→ Macaroni with mushroom and soy-cured yolk, and
→ Mafaldine with rib and brisket ragù, gremolata and aged gouda. Select dishes can also be elevated with freshly shaved black truffle.
The grill continues HUMBUG's produce-first philosophy with
→ BBQ Murray cod,
→ Barnsley lamb chop, and Eggplant Parmigiana
Signature snacks such as the
→ Spicy Tuna Crudo
→ Mushroom Dumplings with Mushroom XO,
→ Sydney rock oysters and 48-hour sourdough focaccia also make an appearance.
For those dining plant-based, a dedicated vegan menu ensures favourites aren't reserved solely for meat eaters.
A menu made to linger
The menu expansion comes alongside a growing drinks program that leans into Italy's long-standing aperitivo tradition.
Guests can explore a selection of amari, vermouths and dessert wines designed to begin or finish a meal, including HUMBUG's own house aperitivo created with sister venue Papalote and Red Mill Rum.
Desserts continue the Italian-inspired direction, with the returning Cornflake Cake featuring pear, walnut and salted dulce de leche, alongside Pumpkin Beignets with winter citrus, caprino and amaro. A coconut gelato affogato rounds out the menu, with optional additions ranging from Mr Black to Gospel Whiskey.
The restaurant's popular Feed Me experience also remains available, allowing guests to leave the decisions to the kitchen while exploring a cross-section of the menu.
The beginning of a new era
While Favourites 2.0 celebrates the dishes that helped define HUMBUG's first chapter, it's also a marker of what's next.
The retrospective menu will be followed by Friday Aperitivo Hour and a series of Regional Wine Dinners throughout August, exploring both Italy's celebrated wine regions and favourite Hunter Valley producers.
For owners, Steph and Mike, it's another step in a journey that's gradually become more focused.
Years of research, refinement and countless plates of handmade pasta have brought HUMBUG to a place where classic Italian cooking meets a distinctly Newcastle approach.
For regulars, Favourites 2.0 is a chance to revisit the dishes they've missed. For first-time diners, it's an opportunity to experience some of the plates that have helped shape one of Newcastle's most awarded restaurants before the next seasonal menu arrives.
Photo credit: Dom Cherry
