Mudgee cafes have a lot to offer when it comes to places to enjoy breakfast and brunch thanks to the bounty of the Central West region of NSW.

There are no traffic lights in Mudgee town centre, which makes it the perfect place to take your foot off the pedal for a short break. And while it’s only right that attention is lavished on the Mudgee region’s cellar doors, the satisfaction level of visitors to Central NSW is also enhanced when they eat out for breakfast and brunch.

The cafe scene is thriving thanks in more recent years to a slew of openings that give everyone from the avocado-on-sourdough set from Sydney to boujee Bathurst types more places to breakfast and brunch. Here are some of the best cafes in Mudgee for brunch and coffee.

1. Althea by Zin

Although the cafes in Mudgee are somewhat of a sideshow to the main draw – its world-class wines – the region is becoming a go-to getaway for those who want to indulge in great food and wine and enjoy a change of scene. Althea by Zin is the love child of Lowe Wines and the Zin House and named in honour of chef Kim Currie’s mum, Althea.

The cupboard-sized bakery and patisserie pumps out treats such as fresh berry tarts, canelé and Deluca coffee. The cafe also morphs into a pop-up Roman pizzeria every Monday from 5.30pm-7.30pm.

Address: Cnr Church & Horatio St, Mudgee

2. Cade Kitchen + Bar

From the minute you walk through the cobbled courtyard that was once an old horse stable and upstairs to the charming dining room housed in this 1850s building, it’s clear that Cade Kitchen + Bar has a foot in both the past and present.

The artfully scuffed space has had a costume change, and while the history and heritage are still evident, the menu is up to the minute. Shazam the playlist while you wait for your Cattleman’s Plate to arrive and pick up flatbread pizza to go. It’s enough to edge Mudgee ahead in the Orange versus Mudgee stakes.

Address: 97 Market St, Mudgee

3. Butcher Shop Cafe

Mooch down to the Butcher Shop Café in the main street of Mudgee and you’re sure to run into that local couple you met at the De Beaurepaire cellar door, one of the best winery experiences in the area.

The café is housed in an old butchery built in the late 1800s that must have had, ahem, good bones, and it remains a hub for the local community. The Butcher Shop Cafe is also a popular place for coffee (it’s roasted in-house).

Address: 49 Church St, Mudgee

4. Alby & Esthers

Alby & Esthers turns on the charm in a little cobblestoned corner of Mudgee. The courtyard cafe is tucked away down an alley outside an 1873 stone terrace and it’s this backdrop of heritage buildings that grounds you in the heart of historic Mudgee.

It’s the perfect spot to spend the morning sipping coffee or kombucha and eating the famous Esthers Jaffle with smoked leg ham, free-range eggs, Swiss cheese and tomato relish. Locals come for breakfast but they don’t leave until after lunch: do as they do and order the lamb burger with greens, beetroot relish and tzatziki on Turkish bread.

Address: 61 Market St, Mudgee

5. The Coffee House at Parkview

Breakfast in the country should always be like this: a sun-dappled table overlooking the garden and the option to start your day right with cold brew or fresh-squeezed juice at the Coffee House at Parkview, the heritage-listed hotel believed to have been built in 1870-71.

Enjoy the Mexican breakfast bowl, which will whisk you straight to Baja or the cinnamon waffles drenched in maple syrup with blueberries, peach compote and ice cream.

Address: 99 Market St, Mudgee

6. Mudgee Corner Store

The baristas at Mudgee Corner Store serve coffee and food to go from the kiosk window of this charming country café cum corner store between 7 and 8 am. But we recommend taking a seat at one of the communal tables inside when the café space is open so you can linger over the locavore menu.

Inhale an unctuous ham and cheese toastie and follow it up with a petite piccolo and slice of chunky fruit loaf. Those staying in luxury accommodation in Mudgee should order a breakfast hamper to go to enjoy the next day.

Address: 72 Lewis St, Mudgee

7.  The Little Cooking School and Commissary

Cooking classes seem to be a magnetic lure for visitors to the country. Benefit from the passion, skill and experience of passionate foodie Tamara who utilises a basket of local grown ingredients bursting with flavour to inspire a fun and educational cooking experience.

Learn the basics of pulling together an Italian feast at the intimate cooking school and then get the opportunity to enjoy the meal you have prepared with your new-found friends. BYO eco bag to stock with hard-to-find ingredients and utensils from the adjacent commissary.

Address: Shop 7, 69 Market St, Mudgee.

8. Our Chow Cafe

An unhurried coffee (by Mudgee Catering Co) on the verandah is best followed by brunch at Our Chow Cafe located two kilometres from Mudgee CBD. Graze over buttermilk pancakes, brekky bruschetta and bloody Marys for brunch at the rustic cafe, all corrugated tin and worn wood, overlooking the idyllic vineyard at Burrundulla Wines. Mudgee Catering Co. also offers heat-and-serve meals to visitors staying in luxury guesthouses dotted around the region.

Address: 234 Castlereagh Highway, Mudgee

9. 29 Nine 99 Yum Cha and Tea House

Yum Cha is the Cantonese tradition of brunch involving Chinese tea and dim sum. And the cash-only 29 Nine 99 Yum Cha and Tea House (named after the auspicious date owners Reg Buckland and Shaanxi-born Na Lan were married), does a cracking version of it in nearby Rylstone, a 40-minute drive from Mudgee. Yum cha purists travel from all over NSW to visit this colourful tea house so do book ahead.

Address: 28 Louee St, Rylstone

10. Mudgee Honey Haven Cafe

Go to Mudgee Honey Haven to stock up on picnic provisions such as sparkling mead, blueberry jam and yellowbox honey before settling in at this rustic cafe for raisin toast, scones, jam and cream or corn beef toasties. Top tip: when the sun is shining, make a day of it and take the kids for a game of putt putt on the property’s 18-hole golf course. You can also spy on the bees hard at work through a glass window that shows a cross-section of a working hive.

Address: 2 Hill End Road, Mudgee

11. Byron Perry

Byron Perry is the new informal Mudgee cafe offering a wide range of brekkie and lunch options for those who are gluten-free. The menu here is 100 per cent certified gluten-free which is a big factor for those who are highly sensitive to gluten.

Walk through the farmers’ market in Mudgee to get an idea of what you might find on the Byron Perry menu. Head to the deliberately low-key restaurant for bacon and egg rolls and gluten-free pancakes and to get a sense of Mudgee’s cherished country spirit. The menu also includes handmade gelato, which is getting a good rap from GF customers.

Address: 13 Perry St, Mudgee