Arno Deli - Newcastle, New South Wales

Brett C.

Beautiful and authentic Italian deli in King St Newcastle. The paninis are so packed with flavour. I had the rare roast beef which was dripping with salsa verde, red pepper and rocket. Delicious. Coffees were very good. We’ll be back.

Mick H.

Our son dragged us here after seeing Arno’s on TikTok!

We were not disappointed 😀

Great selection of toasted paninis including some one off specials and a few vegetarian options to keep the better half happy. Great coffee too and friendly staff. We will definitely be back 😀

Mike Y.

Considering all the pizza yarns in previous posts, you think one would’ve taken out the coveted honour of the Sopranos theme song. I’m thankful I waited for the penultimate Gabagooling to crown Arno Deli as the Undisputed Champion of Waking Up This (*Every) Morning for the eats here.

Every Newy local I ever met told me you HAVE to go to Arno’s… and I’m ashamed to say after 10 odd visits I finally made it to this legendary establishment. A brick and mortar deli in every sense of word, this spot is stocked to the gills with house made bread, meats and cures, childhood fare (classic lolly shop products, an underrated sub class of a deli), solid coffee all over marble bench and glass displays amidst a bustling atmosphere. If it were in a metropolitan city, you might be cynical in thinking the window dressing is faux passé. But this is real deal Holyfield with Chef/Owner/Auteur couple, Will and Bri O’Brien wearing their inspirations from their time in Florence, Italy on their sleeves and no doubt aprons and chef whites too.

The results can be seen at the heart of the shop, with their famous paninis being a revelation of composition, flavour and texture. The bread is house made, an ASMR wonderful with a beautiful tap-crunch on the outside and an airy, almost BIGA-like dough centre. Layman terms? Little pockets of holes in the the dough making for an awesome chew to the bite. We went one of the roast beef and one of the marinated salami. The beef with peppery rocket and the house vodka sauce might be one of the single best tasting sandwiches I’ve had on these fair shores. It’s a MUST with Calabrian chilis. I’m also still mystified by the marinated salami which has a mortadella quality to it unlike any salami you’re like to have had before … unless one been to Florence?

Dessert selection by Sweet Splits and yes, these cookies are fantastic. Definitely take the House’s recommendation to get them warmed up or DIY if they make the journey home. Arno’s also has a breakfast menu which we will have to go back for as it’s from open till 10am. Remember when you used to miss the Maccas breakfast run? Arno’s is here to restore that feeling as well.

Sarah C.

Now THAT was worth the hype! The place was buzzing, the service was friendly, we were warned of the wait (we grabbed some moorish cannoli and bomboloni, took our buzzer to the pub, so zero complaints) - as the tables were all snapped up we took ours to go and headed to the water.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Every bite!

James B.

Probably the best panini I've ever had! Superb preparation and excellent quality ingredients. This little deli is a gem.

Lachlan W.

This place never fails to impress. There is a reason it is constantly busy, the food, coffee and vibe is immaculate. There is often a bit of a wait but well worth it.

The sweets as well 🫨 literally criminal to serve sweets that good

Food eaten: #40 Hot Honey Pepperoni, #28 Parmigiana Panino

Nick G.

This is an awesome deli. The sandwiches are close to perfection, or at least the broccolini and the eggplant sandwiches are in any case. The coffee is also very good. An easy five star establishment.

susu J.

I've driven 2 and half hour to grab their sandwich from Sydney.
Of course it was worth getting there.
So good.