Five of the best spots for food and coffee in Wickham and Newcastle's west end

Here are five places to try for a caffeine fix or lunch-on-the-go in Wickham and the west end:

Dark Horse has been a favourite in Wickham for almost 10 years. It upgraded from a hole-in-the-wall coffee pit stop to a modern, intimate cafe last year when it teamed with former neighbours, fashion and homewares store House of Lita, to move into a shared space in Greenway Street. "The owners approached us and told us they had bought this space and said they would love to have us move in, so we jumped on that opportunity," says Stacey Oreo, who took over Dark Horse with partner Levi Valo almost three years ago. The move has made way for an expanded menu with a focus on all-day brunch: bacon and egg brekkie rolls, hotcakes and toasties. Newcastle roastery Darks Coffee Roasters' U47 is the house blend. Once you're done, walk through to House of Lita for a bit of retail therapy.

Dark Horse is open Monday to Friday 6am to 2pm, and Saturday from 7am to 1pm.

Weekender featured this new takeaway-only sandwich shop a few weeks ago and it is indeed a prized addition to the west end. Hot and cold filled baguettes are the drawcard here - available in two sizes - with lunch and breakfast options on the menu. All the meats are freshly sliced and lots of effort from owners Ali and Gem Downer goes into making every sandwich delicious, from slow-cooked meats and house-made beer-braised onions. Find these guys directly across from the Newcastle Interchange platform.

Open weekdays from 7am to 2pm.

The cafe chain recently opened on the ground floor of the Stellar On Hannell apartments on Hannell Street, offering an extensive and uncomplicated menu of breakfast, all-day brunch and lunch favourites, including vegan options. As well as coffee, the cafe has a huge drinks list, including shakes, protein smoothies and booze. The premises are shared with another chain, Burgers With Bite, so you can order from The Coffee Club menu during the day before they take over the kitchen in the evening, serving up big, juicy burgers. From classic cheeseburgers, Caesar and spicy fried chicken burgers, the menu also has beer, wine and cocktails. Open daily from 6.30am until late. (Tip: if you do have a hankering for a burger during the day, just ask for the Burgers With Bite menu and they'll sort you out).

Originally at home in a coffee van in the car park at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle West, Transient Tea and Coffee has since moved across the tracks to Wickham where couple Tony Langford and Sara Cooley have set up a permanent spot on Bishopgate Street. Inside a garage on an industrial corner block, there is plenty of covered outdoor space to pull up a crate and enjoy their coffee (beans from Newcastle-based coffee roastery, Glitch). For those who prefer English Breakfast over a cup of joe, Transient has a selection of fragrant and flavoursome loose leaf teas from Blackwood Apothecary. Expect a great brew, friendly chat and good tunes pumping out of the speakers. Open Tuesday to Saturday 7am to 2pm.

One for those who take their coffee seriously, the crew at Brew Tales are passionate about their product. The Throsby Street cafe has a rotating range of specialty coffee and single origin, so there is always something new to explore. Owner Ben Stephens uses his expertise in coffee to offer a number of alternative methods to create brews. As for food, there is a menu of brekkie and lunch options, and baked treats. Open daily from 6am.

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