The Pourhouse

The Pourhouse is a bar and bistro on High Street in Maitland, Newcastle, combining in-house prepared food with a broad drinks focus. Its food offering spans familiar pub classics and tapas influenced by local and native produce as well as world cuisine, giving diners a choice between a more traditional pub meal and a selection of smaller, more varied plates. The drinks list centres on craft beer, cocktails and other alcoholic options.

The venue also presents itself as a place for live music, alongside food and drinks. That makes it suited to visitors looking for more than a meal alone, whether they are settling in for an evening out or stopping by for a drink in central Maitland. The website’s description points to a relaxed, social bar-and-bistro setting, although it does not provide further detail about the layout or specific events.

The Pourhouse occupies the former Exchange Hotel, a building established in 1866 that operated as a hotel until it closed around 1990. After spending many years as an antique shop, the building was returned to hotel use in 2013 when two friends began renovations, driven by an interest in craft beer and a desire to help reinvigorate central Maitland. Today, its combination of food, live music and drinks has earned a 4.5-star Google rating from 395 reviews.