Met up with a business colleague for a chat and sign papers. I ordered a hot chocolate and I was not 100% impressed with it. I also ordered a muesli for breakfast and it was quite filling. The service was nice all round.

I dined at the Rolador cafe recently with a friend for lunch, we have been there many times it is our favourite spot to eat in Hamilton. I love the quirky atmosphere at Rolador, it has this trendy arty kind of feel to it with all kinds of interesting decor like mismatched chairs and strange ornaments and I think I even spotted a collection of vintage spoons on display there once. The menu really matches the whole feel of the place, with all kinds of varied options to suit almost everyone, if you have any specific dietary requirements or are on a strict diet this would be a good place to go as they have lots of vegetarian and vegan and gluten free options and some organic things too. Everything on offer seems to be pretty healthy and even the sweet things like the muffins tend to come with nuts or berries in them or wholegrain or that kind of thing. My friend had her toddler with her for lunch and they actually had a little basket of kiddy toys and books which was great to help keep them entertained. I ordered a polenta loaf which is a light lunch option and it comes with some avocado and salsa on top. The food came out quite quickly on this occasion as it was reasonably quiet day but normally I tend to find that there is a bit of a wait as they are generally very popular and I have often tried to go there for lunch and they are full. Unfortunatly there was a mistake made with my order, I was given a similar dish to the polenta which is avocado salsa on Turkish bread, which was still quite tasty and I didn't mind it but I would have preferred the polenta. The lady was very nice and polite about it though and offered to replace it with the right dish, but I was simply too hungry so I just opted to have the Turkish bread instead. Rolador can be fairly good value with decent portion sizes, it just depends what you order really and there are often daily specials up on the chalk board. I love this place for the food and atmosphere but my only issue is that often there can be a wait they could do with some more staff at busy times.

I've always been pleasantly surprised by how quickly the Rolador staff manage to get through the peak hours - which I always find myself at Hamilton Station in. Though their coffee is also excellent, it's the smoothies that I keep coming back to - I highly recommend the banana chai smoothie for something a little different but amazing.

I left Newcastle 8 months ago and I am still pining for this place. They gave me the taste for Ristretto style coffee that i carry with me today and the passion for Mexican food which will see me opening my open cafe along similar lines in the future.
The menu is really well balanced, and they mix it up with the seasons, adding a few items to compliment the perennial favourites. The Spinach and Pumpkin polenta loaf is sumptuous, complimented with avocado and fresh chopped salsa, it is my idea of a perfect breakfast. The Semi-Sweet carrot loaf with Cinnamon Pistachio Ricotta is mind altering, i can't look at banana bread ever again without thinking "you could be so much more!"

More often than not the place will be packed, and on occasion we've had to wait to be seated and served, so if you've got time constraints or small children it can get a bit much during the busier times.
Prices have gone up a little in the time that I've been away, but it's still within mid to low cafe prices. As with it's other 'third wave coffee' cousins you are paying for the ethical treatment of animals and the sustainable practices.
Their roster of single origin coffee's have been brilliant over time, showcasing some really interesting flavours. Once the barista refused to serve the single origin because the beans hadn't had the time to warm up and they couldn't be relied on to produce quality espresso. That attitude towards their standards is reflected in all they do.
The best Cafe in Newcastle.

Approximate cost: $13 - $15

Quality of the coffee is fantastic. STRONG, VERY STRONG.

The food has a quirky spin - but is really yummy.

Recommend: the bircher muesli with poached fruit, breakfast tortilla and the pesto and pine nut eggs.

Approximate cost: $15 all in