Essence Cafe Nelson Bay

The loveliest surprise during a week away in Nelson Bay. The café is warm and thoughtfully styled, with local art, great books for all ages, and coffee-related humour throughout — the longer you look around, the more small, clever details in the signage and artwork you pick up, giving the space real personality. Roxy and her entire team were personable, welcoming, and incredibly efficient — a level of consistency that’s a real credit to excellent leadership for a small local cafe. The food showcases fantastic local suppliers and produce, with the Double Sausage Muffin being a standout. The front cabinet was also hard to miss, filled with an impressive and visually appealing selection of sandwiches, cakes, pastries, and muffins. An outstanding local café that’s clearly doing a lot of things right. Can’t wait to come on the next visit to the area.

We came for a team trip away in peak season and had 3 absolutely fantastic experiences at this cafe. Stayed in Nelson Bay for a week and this was by far the best place we had breakfast. The staff and owner (we think, lovely lady who said hello to us everyday) were all brilliant and very friendly. The food was 5/5 The coffee and tea was 5/5 The people and staff 5/5 Do yourself a favour and come here next time you’re in Nelson Bay.

Boat trip cancelled so compensatory breakfast out. Essence appears non descript, family style cafe. Son ordered a double sausage and egg muffin which looked amazing. He wouldn’t let me taste! Wife and I shared a scrambled eggs on Turkish with sides of halloumi and wilted spinach. Big serve so shared well. Scrambled was amazing with rich butter taste and soft texture throughout. Halloumi batons were well coloured and rounded off the richness of dish. Coffees were 2 large lattes and a small double shot cappuccino- delicious.🤤

Dropped into Essence Espresso for breakfast on Anzac Day, looking for a casual spot near the centre of Nelson Bay. The café has a nice vibe and a convenient location. The coffee was good, though not as hot as I would have liked—a small detail but something that makes a difference, especially on a cool morning. I ordered the shakshuka baked eggs, which was a special on the day. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. The onions were undercooked, and the overall flavour was a bit too sharp rather than rich and balanced. While the service and setting were nice, based on this experience, I wouldn’t rush back

What fails is the ratty, torn, faded, dirty chair cushions that can't even be washed of the crud that lays within . I felt like I would contract pubic lice or intestinal worms!!!!!!!!! However a spacious cafe with local art pieces and curious pieces. The food was nice and reasonably priced.