Coal River & Co - COOKS HILL

My wife took me here for an early (6pm) dinner for my birthday and as it had been a very warm winter's day (it got to 28 degrees C) and we had our little dachshund in tow, we sat at one of the outside bench tables with high stools on the footpath, which as my wife noted may not be conducive for a long drawn out meal. Nonetheless we were comfortable and very well attended to by our friendly blonde Norwegian waitress.With our puppy settled in on his rug under our feet we ordered the lightly friend crumbed mozzarella balls as an entree to share, my wife went with the cannelloni as a main and I had a special of fettuccine with crab, zucchini flowers and lemon.And a bottle of NZ pinot noir called Baby Doll.All our meals were delicious and flavoursome and cooked with a delicate touch. And the pinot was also very nice. We had a very nice evening and chatted to the table next to us where their patriarch was also celebrating his birthday.A very enjoyable meal and definitely recommended.

Really enjoyed the Mozzarella balls as an entree & the Cannelloni was delicious! We enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching the chefs cook.

Perfect for a cold Wednesday night, sat up on the counter with a friend from abroad, great professional staff with warmth. good selection of wines that match the menu and most importantly always al dente. My go to for great pasta in Newcastle!

Had dinner Thursday night with 4 other girlfriends and was blown away with this restaurant. Its seating capacity is on the small side, but has tables outside and I noticed 2 people sitting at the bar. I had the risotto which was delicious! The rice was cooked perfectly. My fellow diners all ordered pasta, which was homemade and bursting with flavoursome sauce. This particular Thursday night was busy and had a great vibe. Can't wait to return and try out the other dishes!

We stumbled upon this place after finding ourselves stuck in Newcastle with a craving for pasta. The old Italian neighborhood of Hamilton was a let down (when did Mexican food become so popular - and why?) so we headed into Darby Street. We had the spiral pasta with chorizo, the beef cheeks with gnocchi and the meatballs. All were a revelation. The pasta was fresh and cooked to perfection. The beef cheeks were melt in your mouth (or cheeks) and the the chorizo was spicy and delicious without being too caliente. The charming Swedish hostess and her heavily inked partner were the consummate hosts. Not cheap, but worth every penne.