Tim Atkinson and Kasia Idczak open Urban Deli and Bar on Newcastle's Darby Street

The venue is the creation of couple Tim Atkinson and Kasia Idczak, who opened it earlier this month with a menu highlighting the food and wine experiences that left an impression during their time working and travelling overseas.

A menu of freshly-made sandwiches, toasties, baguettes and salads are available for a quick lunch option during the day (along with cheese boards). Small and large share plates, cheese boards and signature cocktails are on offer for those looking to settle in during the evening or for lunch or dinner on weekends.

"When you live in London, you travel a lot, like a weekend in Spain, a weekend in Italy, and we loved that, having cheese and wine and jamon," Kasia tells Weekender.

"We wanted to create a casual place for the local community. We want to know our guests by name and know what they like, so we are very focused on the people and customer service, but also the quality products."

The pair first crossed paths in London while working at a pub in Belgravia and together shared a goal to operate their own venue one day.

"My background is mainly in running restaurants and Tim has had 20 years in the industry working front of house, but we have always worked for someone else," she says.

"We reached a point where we said, 'Enough, let's do something for us'."

They left the fast pace of London in favour of Sydney but after two years of living through COVID-19 lockdowns, the couple decided to relocate to Newcastle. They found a vacant space on Darby Street (previously home to Laneway on Darby and The Depot) and spent two months overhauling the venue into their dream deli and bar.

The small plates menu includes charred chorizo and morcilla with honey and grainy mustard; Portuguese prawns with chilli garlic, white wine and crusty bread; and beef carpaccio with grana padano, crispy capers and truffle oil.

Large plates include seared swordfish with macadamia, leafy greens and citrus beurre blanc; and blackened pork tenderloin with peach, seasonal veg and spiced cream.

A blackboard on the wall details an extensive list of cheese (including vegan options) and charcuterie to "build your own" board with accompaniments including locally-made sourdough from Uprising and crispbread leaves from Bacco's.

"We want guests to be able to build their own boards so that you can choose your favourites," she says.

"It's a good selection of local produce, with cheese from Hunter Valley Cheese Factory and meats from Hungerford Meat Co at Branxton.

"We also have imported products so you can do a bit of tasting and discover what the difference is."

Deli items are available for takeaway, including a range of pantry items. An extensive wine list includes drops from the Hunter region and other producers across Australia, as well as Spain and France.

"With the wine list, we want to offer the best the region has to offer and it's the same with Hungerford Meat Co," Tim says.

"It's just such incredible produce and we are lucky to have that at our doorstep."

Future plans include winemaker dinners, limited-release wine menus and one-off nights highlighting dishes from Kasia's homeland of Poland.

The cocktail menu is worth checking out, too. Signature creations include the liquid brunch with Avallen Calvados, avocado, agave, citrus, chilli and mint. It's a fresh, perfectly balanced concoction with a little hit of heat that is their take on the ever-popular avocado toast.

"We want to hit the brunch crowd for weekends so instead of avocado on toast, we have liquid avocado in the cocktail," Kasia laughs.

"That is our twist on breakfast."

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