Overlooking Lake Macquarie, nestled along the Warners Bay Esplanade is regular favourite, Hippo Espresso. Shiny black tiles, honey coloured wooden floors and polished steel trimmings make for a friendly, comfortable environment, ideal for a catch up with family or friends over hot coffee and sumptuous café fare. For lunch, perhaps sample some crispy beer battered flathead fillets with house salad, beer battered fries and creamy tartare sauce, or a juicy steak sandwich with slow cooked scotch fillet, salad, cheese and beetroot relish on a home style bun. To complete the picture, glowing shelves stacked with indulgent looking artisan cakes wait to be scooped up and enjoyed by passing patrons; a dark and white chocolate mousse cake also pairs well with a Toby’s Estate gourmet coffee.