Light rail is a neat way to get around, up and down Hunter and Scott streets. If you're hungry or thirsty, there are options galore, whether for a quick bite or leisurely drink.

Running from 5am to 1am daily, the light rail circulates around the six stopping stations every seven minutes from 7am to 7pm, and every 15 minutes in the early morning or later evening hours until 1am. It stretches for 2.7km, from Wickham in the west to Pacific Park in the East End.

Travellers need a credit card (or EFTPOS card) or Opal smartcard that can be tagged at any of the stations ($2.20 per journey). So, without further ado, here's a punter's guide the best places to feast, socialise and imbibe along the new line, stop by stop.

The West End is the weakest link, as there are few eateries around - yet. If you are looking for a tasty lunch try Umami, 792 Hunter St, where the Floozy coffee is good and the evolving menu is full of healthy, yummy sandwiches and salads. Bank Corner, 2 Bellevue St, still stands out for its unique city streetscape, where you can enjoy a glass of fine wine with a meal.

Cosy Hunter Street favourite Happy Wombat, 575 Hunter St, is known for its casual vibes, crafty beer taps and tasty share plates. Enjoy a cold beer, warm marinated olives ($9) or arancini of the day ($15). Owner Luke Tilse always has Tilse's Apple Truck cider on tap. Boiled and baked on site, the bagels at Papa's Bagel Bar, 569 Hunter St, are a meal. Best tip: a fresh NYC bagel ($15) with house-smoked pastrami, avocado, onion, black garlic and rocket. Subo, 551D Hunter St, is a star of Newcastle dining. It has long held a chef's hat in The Good Food Guide. Koutetsu, 555 Hunter St, is one of the coolest speak easy bars around. Around the corner, Antojitos, 11 Steel St, does Mexican with style and speed, and cold beer!

Breakfast fiends will find tasty solace at Blue Door Cafe, 363 Hunter St, which opens on to Wheeler Place. Begin your day with Nasi Goreng ($18), loaded with the gluten-free freshness of crispy veggies, rice, chili, coriander, and a runny golden egg. A favourite of uni students, The Press Book House, 462 Hunter St, cafe offers excellent coffee in the eclectic surrounds of book shelves and board games. 

Newy Burger Co. (NBC), 459 Hunter St, is an oasis for famished fans of the burg. The Bar Beef Burger comes loaded with bacon, cheddar, tomato, barbecue and jalapeño white sauce ($13). Burger outpost Rascal, 1/266 King St, offers a fried chicken Milky Joe with coconut sambal and jungle curry sauce ($15) - probably the freshest burger on the planet.

The boardwalk at 1 Honeysuckle Dr offers several options. Nothing's better than a pulled pint of Suntory pilsner with a plate of pork and prawn gyoza ($16-$19) at Nagisa. Money Penny serves classic cob loafs ($18) and fresh AF cocktails under the dazzle of a disco ball. The Dockyard has $15 lunch specials and a great bar vibe. The outside bar at The Landing has a direct view to Nobbys Lighthouse. Silo is a long-time local favourite.

Coal & Cedar, 380 Hunter St, pours a fine selection of gin, whisky, and rum within a prohibition-era style saloon. The art-deco influenced Clarendon Hotel, 347 Hunter St, has a good selection of trendy beers.

If you prefer to eat mindfully, you will find peace in the colourful bowls and plates at Momo Wholefood, 227 Hunter St. Tofu Báhn mì, braised lentils, soba noodles and ultra-fresh salads ($8.5-$19).

The Lucky Hotel, 237 Hunter St, is known for its smoked meat feasts, primo pastas and cool dude food like hot buffalo wings, deep fried pickles and beef brisket tacos ($10-$16).

If you do choose to land at Flying Tiger 231, 231 Hunter St, the main menu is worth a peruse. Otherwise, a quick fly by for a drink (Tiger Shark cocktail) and some skewers, frites and squid-like snacks, ($9-$16) will suffice. Poke your mates to check out Lulu's Cafe, 3 Crown St, for a Hawaiian Island poké bowl, filled with sashimi, edamame, avocado, cabbage, cucumber, and carrot.

East toward Newcastle Mall you'll the find the sports-oriented Crown & Anchor Hotel, 189 Hunter St, with Sprout Dining offering quality meals. Nearby is One Penny Black, 196 Hunter St, one of the first and longest-established homes of good coffee and creative snacks.

A few steps further, King Street is alive. Napoli Centrale, 173 King St, first you get the gnocchi, then you get the pizza ($15-$22), perhaps the city's best. Babylon, 145 King St, has 100s of whisky choices, smart cocktails and a serious craft beer list as well as food to match. Foghorn Brewhouse, 218 King St, is recognised as one of the best craft brewers in the nation. Asa-Don, 179 King St, is a small Japanese restaurant with delicious dishes, with courtyard seating in the back. Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant, 181 King St, offers an African experience, including eating with your hands.

Just a short walk from the same stop that nearly bears its name, the Queens Wharf Hotel, 150 Wharf Rd, offers family friendly pub grub by day and classic Newy night life after dark. Cold beers, harbour views, stunning seafood, especially the Barra burger ($18). Also on the Wharf Rd waterfront: Six Degrees, pizza and seafood and drinks with a view; Cielo, with $10 cocktails from 3 to 6pm Wednesday to Saturday; stylish fish specialist Scratchleys, 200 Wharf Rd, and its tapas bar sister Battlesticks, offering window seats as close to the passing cargo ships as you can get. For novelty, Harry's Cafe de Wheels, 199 Wharf Rd, offers the best-priced hot dog money can buy.

At Three Bears Kitchen, 2 Market St, there's at least 12 excuses to keep coming back for the all-day breakfast; the Full-Irish, the Welsh Buck, Moroccan Eggs, Waffles or Pancakes ($15-$24). The Oreo Shake is special.

The Basement Bar, 2/2 Market St, a model of urbane and chic; part bar, part tapas joint, all charm and sophistication. Smash a Ron Burgundy cocktail ($20) and eat the Med-inspired lamb leg ($28). Around the block find Reserve Wine Bar, 102 Hunter St, where cork dorks gather at night over a glass or four. Tip: Tuesday Steak Night; T-Bones, chips, salad, bottle of wine ($85). There's also Cirque, 8 Bolton St, offering excellent breakfast. Still on Bolton, Xtraction Espresso, 36 Bolton St is at the top of the list for coffee and creative cuisine (and that's only breakfast and lunch items). Bolton St Pantry, 45 Bolton St, is at the top of town but offers a comfortable, cool setting and relaxed menu to go with it.

At the end of the line you can see the beer drinker's mecca on the corner: take a short walk to find cold beer, independently brewed, sourced and served at The Grain Store, 64 Scott St. Throw them back with some custom fries ($9) that crunch so loud, and fire starter wings ($14) that'll need dousing with yet another beer before you even know it.

It's another 100 paces to Scotties Seafood and Bar, 36 Scott St: Order fish 'n chips ($15-$20) through a hole in the wall and chill on the lawn. Or head inside for a seafood menu to die for; oysters, kingfish, octopus, squid, crab, and dumplings.

At the corner of Pacific and Scott, 23Hundred serves great coffee, fresh pastries, yummy pies at reasonable prices, and the best vanilla shake in town. Nearby, enjoy the dive-bar chic that is The Falcon, 10 Pacific St, offering adult drinks and tasty southern comfort foodstuffs, served to classic rock hits. The Jambalaya ($27) is great. Moor, 33 Hunter St, is a favourite East End haunt, combining the best of Spanish, Moroccan and Middle Eastern food and fare. Have the Soul Smoothie Bowl ($15) for breakfast and the wood smoked salmon for lunch ($22).

East End Hub, 3/3 King St, has a relaxed outdoor vibe in the Royal Plaza and Bocados, 25 King St, is the best-known Spanish-style tapas restaurant in the city.

At Newcastle Beach, besides the funky Kiosk, there is Estabar, 61 Shortland Esplanade - ocean view, creative food, Single O coffee, staff who can make your day. Customs House Hotel, 1 Bond St, offers a spot to relax in the sun or eat, drink and unwind by night. Snack on hommus and baba ganoush ($12.5), feast on black Angus brisket ($33).

Every Newcastle Herald food review