11 of the best Bendigo pubs and bars to let your hair down at

Cheers Central Victoria’s remarkable gold rush heritage with a solid session at the most rocking Bendigo pubs and bars.

Contemporary draws readily lurk among Bendigo’s historic streets, and chief among them, arguably, is its captivating cocktail o’clock scene. From grand old pubs restored to their former glory, to basement dive bars, sun-licked beer gardens, rooftop cocktail bars and piano bars with drag queen hosts, parties kick on right across town. Here, we collate the best Bendigo pubs and bars for your go-all-night amusement after a day of exploring the city.

1. The Dispensary Bar & Diner

a bartender pouring tap beer into a glass at The Dispensary Bar & Diner, Bendigo — The Dispensary Bar & Diner pours top-notch beer. (Image: The Dispensary Bar & Diner)

You’re a fair way from Melbourne but Victoria’s laneway life is alive and kicking in Bendigo, home to The Dispensary Bar & Diner . Complete with artistic murals, fairy lights, outdoor heaters (thank goodness) and local homebrew, this Bendigo bar is about as quintessential-culture capital as they come in Central Victoria. If it’s a super special occasion, an extensive champagne list, where a 1996 Cristal has been known to frequent and sparkling wines also show face, will sort you. Otherwise, there’s signature cocktails, excellent wines, all the spirits and a load of beers to choose from. Sensible patrons will also line their stomachs with picks from the food menu, which offers a $56 Lucky Seven selection of Modern Australian dishes, as well as a $79 Dispensary Experience set menu curated entirely by the expert team.

2. Wine Bank On View

a look inside Wine Bank On View bar in Bendigo — The dimly lit heritage-style bar is housed in a former bank. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Stellar drops served inside the heritage-listed walls of a former bank? Sign us up for vino and bites at Wine Bank On View , a Bendigo bar built in 1876. The space also serves as a wine merchant, so it’s where you go to grab the really special stuff, but stick around to knock back quality vintages from the likes of Heathcote’s Jasper Hill, Western Australia’s Cullen Wines and Mount Langi Ghiran in the Grampians, on site. There’s also a lovely menu of main meals to wash your vino down with, plus Wednesday ushers in regular wine tastings with a rotation of weekly features.

alfresco setting at The Social Bendigo — The Social Bendigo is a prime setting for a relaxed afternoon. (Image: Supplied)

Pick your poison from more than 400 spirits at The Social , a Bendigo bar and eatery located in the middle of town opposite Rosalind Park. Too early for the hard stuff? 12 tap beers, a host of cocktails and a tight edit of local wines will edge you in gently. If you’re visiting on a Saturday, launch your festivities from midday when a bottomless brunch, which includes food, swings into gear. You’ll also find a large food menu on hand, inspired by Asian flavours, like house made dumplings, Karaage chicken bao buns and Thai pork skewers designed to generously share.

4. GPO Bar & Restaurant

A local’s haunt shaking up some of the most smashable cocktails in town, GPO Bar & Restaurant is always on fire. Festoon lights hang from the ceilings as dim mood lighting sets a slick adults-only scene while various nooks and alcoves provide plenty of opportunity for intimate catchups. All your classic tipples are on the menu, some even laced with rainbow-hued confectionery, while local craft beers and wines also do the job. When hunger strikes, share plates like stone-baked pizzas, tapas and giant paella pans provide mouth-watering fixes. These guys also love a boozy bottomless brunch, rolling out a $69 deal every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm.

5. Rifle Brigade Hotel

empty stools at the timber bar of Rifle Brigade Hotel, Bendigo — Rifle Brigade Hotel offers a warm welcome to visitors and a taste of local heritage. (Image: Rifle Brigade Hotel)

Every city needs a failsafe pub where you can return again and again, safe in the knowledge you’ll eat well, drink well, and enjoy the setting. Rifle Brigade Hotel is Bendigo’s go-to. A Victorian-era boozer that occupies a sizable corner block, there’s nothing ground-breaking about this spot, known by locals as the ‘Gun Club’, but that’s all part of the charm. On the food menu, you’ll find standard pub fare (think burgers, pizzas, steak and seafood), while the drinks menu pays homage to Victoria’s wine scene. There are several spaces to choose between depending on your mood (and the weather), from the sizable courtyard at its rear to one of the tables spilling out onto the pavement out the front. Or just pull up a stool at the beautifully worn timber bar.

6. Handle Bar

the interior of Handle Bar with festoon lighting — Enjoy drinks al fresco at this laidback Bendigo hot spot. (Image: Handle Bar)

When the sun’s out, there are few better spots in the city to idle with a drink in hand than Handle Bar . The main calling card at this rustic, laidback Bendigo bar is its sizable, string-light-festooned backyard. Featuring a mishmash of astroturf, and brick and timber flooring, the piecemeal beer garden is a charming spot for sundowners with friends. Handle Bar’s origin story is equally appealing, the result of a 2014 crowdfunding campaign that brought together more than 30 local donors who co-founded and now own the space. Handle Bar’s raison d’etre is simple: a relaxed setting that offers independent beer and regular free entertainment.

7. Piano Bar Bendigo

friends enjoying wine at the Piano Bar Bendigo — Piano Bar Bendigo is loved for its cosy, stylish setting.

A run-of-the-mill watering hole this ain’t. If a night spent propping up the bar down the pub feels a touch too pedestrian for you, might we recommend Piano Bar Bendigo ? There’s perhaps no other Bendigo bar that boasts the same intoxicating mix of cocktails and carousing as this joint, which promises piano and vocalists, with songs played at your request, plus an alluring roster of drag queen-led events, from bingo to trivia and comedy sketches, with audience involvement very much encouraged – sing along and dance to your heart’s content. If you’re keen to give it a real nudge, head upstairs to Rumours Upstairs , a club on the top floor of Piano Bar that’s open every Saturday from 9pm. It’s the place to dance all night — trust us.

8. Babylon Lounge & Garden Bar

iced beer bucket at Babylon Lounge & Garden Bar — Sip craft beers and local brews.

Gunning for the title of Bendigo’s most hipster bar (until the sun sinks where it’s a whole new venue, practically) is Babylon Lounge & Garden Bar , a central oasis. The greenhouse-style ‘garden’ area is drenched in greenery and bathed in natural light, while the lounge area is as snug as can be, featuring forest green velvet sofas, dim lighting and a few quirky touches (hello faux fireplace and mannequin swinging from the ceiling). There’s a mezze menu for when hunger strikes, and a solid range of craft beer, both on tap and in tinnies. Once night falls, prepare to rage as this Bendigo bar is renowned for its dance floor and DJs, open all the way until 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

9. Nimbus Rooftop

friends hanging out at Nimbus Rooftop bar, Bendigo — The rooftop offers city views and stellar cocktails. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Bendigo’s first rooftop bar, Nimbus offers sweeping city views, as well as stellar cocktails. You’ll find all the garden variety concoctions at this third-floor haunt (pina colada, moscow mule, bloody mary, margarita etc) as well as a couple of off-kilter options. The fluorescent Japanese Slipper, for example, encourages serious fun – a heady mix of Midori, triple sec and lime. Keep an eye on their Instagram page, as the venue often hosts masterclass events and live music.

10. Gold Mines Hotel

the building exterior of Gold Mines Hotel, Bendigo — The historic Gold Mines Hotel dates back to 1872.

Few other Bendigo pubs boast a setting as stately as the Gold Mines Hotel . With its fretworked verandahs dripping with wisteria, a grand cedar staircase, Baltic pine floors, archways embellished with gold-leaf, stained-glass windows, and nearly a dozen fireplaces – this National Trust-listed property is a fine spot to linger over a drink. Come summer, nurse a glass of Pimms in the expansive, leafy garden. When winter rolls in, cosy up by one of the many fireplaces with a bottle of shiraz. This historic two-storey edifice, built in 1872, moves beyond an impressive beer and wine selection, as a decent array of cocktails, warm and friendly country hospitality, and a red-meat-heavy menu (think beef burger, confit duck leg, grass-fed porterhouse, and lamb rump to name a few past hits) keep crowds returning.

11. The Foundry

an open-air cocktail lounge at The Foundry, Bendigo — Grab a chair at the open-air cocktail lounge. (Image: The Foundry)

Another easy-going pub where locals love to gather, The Foundry is the place to catch live sports given the 20-odd big screens that line the walls. Its dedicated Mister Bobs sports bar is probably going to offer the most electric atmosphere, but it’s rivalled by an outdoor courtyard where games are also streamed live and loud. Miss Molly is the Bendigo bar’s cocktail lounge and if you’re there on Saturday between 4pm and 5pm, take advantage of Martini Madness which offers three delicious variations for just $15 a piece. The Bistro, a little more family-friendly than Miss Molly with its own kids’ menu, is the place to find a feed as pub classics are nailed with flair.

Originally written by Chloe Cann with updates by Kristie Lau-Adams

Discover the best restaurants in Bendigo

Located just an hour north-west of Melbourne, the largely undiscovered Macedon Ranges quietly pours some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines and serves up some of Victoria’s best food.

Mention the Macedon Ranges and most people will think of day spas and mineral springs around Daylesford, cosy weekends away in the countryside or the famous Hanging Rock (of enigmatic picnic fame). Or they won’t have heard of the Macedon Ranges at all.

But this cool-climate destination has been inconspicuously building a profile as a high-quality food and wine region and is beginning to draw serious attention from oenophiles and epicureans alike.

The rise of Macedon Ranges wine

liquid gold barrels at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — Barrels of liquid gold at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

With elevations ranging from 300 to 800 metres, Macedon Ranges vineyards are among the highest in the country. This altitude, combined with significant day/night temperature swings, makes for a slow ripening season, in turn nurturing wines that embody elegance and structure. Think crisp chardonnays, subtle yet complex pinot noirs and delicate sparkling wines, along with niche varietals, such as gamay and nebbiolo.

Despite the region’s natural advantages – which vary from estate to estate, as each site embodies unique terroir depending on its position in relation to the Great Dividing Range, soil make-up and altitude – the Macedon Ranges has remained something of an insider’s secret. Unlike Victoria’s Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula, you won’t find large tour buses here and there’s no mass marketing drawing crowds.

Many of the 40-odd wineries are family-run operations with modest yields, meaning the wineries maintain a personal touch (if you visit a cellar door, you’ll likely chat to the owner or winemaker themselves) and a tight sales circle that often doesn’t go far beyond said cellar door. And that’s part of the charm.

Though wines from the Macedon Ranges are just starting to gain more widespread recognition in Australia, the first vines were planted in the 1860s, with a handful of operators then setting up business in the 1970s and ’80s. The industry surged again in the 1990s and early 2000s with the entry of wineries, such as Mount Towrong, which has an Italian slant in both its wine and food offering, and Curly Flat , now one of the largest estates.

Meet the new generation of local winemakers

the Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. — The Clydesdale barn at Paramoor. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Then, within the last 15 years, a new crop of vignerons like Andrew Wood at Kyneton Ridge Estate , whose vineyard in 2024 was the first in the Macedon Ranges to be certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia; Geoff Plahn and Samantha Reid at Paramoor , who have an impressive cellar door with a roaring fire and studded leather couches in an old Clydesdale barn; and Ollie Rapson and Renata Morello at Lyons Will , who rapidly expanded a small vineyard to focus on top-shelf riesling, gamay, pinot noir and chardonnay, have taken ownership of local estates.

Going back to the early days, Llew Knight’s family was one of the pioneers of the 1970s, replacing sheep with vines at Granite Hills when the wool industry dwindled. Knight is proud of the fact that all their wines are made with grapes from their estate, including a light, peppery shiraz (some Macedon wineries purchase fruit from nearby warmer areas, such as Heathcote, particularly to make shiraz) and a European-style grüner veltliner. And, as many other wineries in the region do, he relies on natural acid for balance, rather than an additive, which is often required in warmer regions. “It’s all about understanding and respecting your climate to get the best out of your wines,” he says.

farm animals atKyneton Ridge Estate — Curious residents at Kyneton Ridge Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Throughout the Macedon Ranges, there’s a growing focus on sustainability and natural and low-intervention wines, with producers, such as Brian Martin at Hunter Gatherer making waves in regenerative viticulture. Martin previously worked in senior roles at Australia’s largest sparkling winemaking facility, and now applies that expertise and his own nous to natural, hands‑off, wild-fermented wines, including pét‑nat, riesling and pinot noir. “Wild fermentation brings more complexity,” he says. “Instead of introducing one species of yeast, you can have thousands and they add different characteristics to the wine.”

the vineyard at Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The estate’s vineyard, where cool-climate grapes are grown. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Most producers also focus on nurturing their grapes in-field and prune and pick by hand, thus avoiding the introduction of impurities and the need to meddle too much in the winery. “The better the quality of the fruit, the less you have to interfere with the natural winemaking process,” says Wood.

Given the small yields, there’s also little room for error, meaning producers place immense focus on quality. “You’re never going to compete in the middle [in a small region] – you’ve got to aim for the top,” says Curly Flat owner Jeni Kolkka. “Big wineries try to do things as fast as possible, but we’re in no rush,” adds Troy Walsh, owner and winemaker at Attwoods . “We don’t use commercial yeasts; everything is hand-harvested and everything is bottled here, so we bottle only when we’re ready, not when a big truck arrives.” That’s why, when you do see a Macedon Ranges product on a restaurant wine list, it’s usually towards the pointy end.

Come for the wine, stay for the food

pouring sauce onto a dish at Lake HouseDaylesford — Dining at Lake House Daylesford is a treat. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

If wine is the quiet achiever of the Macedon Ranges, then food is its not-so-secret weapon. In fact, the area has more hatted restaurants than any other region in Victoria. A pioneer of the area’s gourmet food movement is region cheerleader Alla Wolf-Tasker, culinary icon and founder of Daylesford’s Lake House.

For more than three decades, Wolf-Tasker has championed local producers and helped define what regional fine dining can look like in Australia. Her influence is palpable, not just in the two-hatted Lake House kitchen, but in the broader ethos of the region’s dining scene, as a wave of high-quality restaurants have followed her lead to become true destination diners.

the Midnight Starling restaurant in Kyneton Ridge Estate Winery — The hatted Midnight Starling restaurant is located in Kyneton. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

It’s easy to eat well, whether at other hatted restaurants, such as Midnight Starling in the quaint town of Kyneton, or at the wineries themselves, like Le Bouchon at Attwoods, where Walsh is inspired by his time working in France in both his food offering and winemaking.

The beauty of dining and wine touring in the Macedon Ranges is that it feels intimate and unhurried. You’re likely to meet the winemaker, hear about the trials of the latest vintage firsthand, and taste wines that never make it to city shelves. And that’s worth getting out of the city for – even if it is just an hour down the road.

Delicate dishes on the menu at Midnight Starling. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

the accommodation at Cleveland Estate, Macedon Ranges — Stay at the Cleveland Estate. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Soak up vineyard views from Cleveland Estate near Lancefield , embrace retro charm at Kyneton Springs Motel or indulge in lakeside luxury at the Lake House .

Eating there

Enjoy a four-course menu at the one-hatted Surly Goat in Hepburn Springs, Japanese-inspired fare at Kuzu in Woodend or unpretentious fine dining at Mount Monument , which also has a sculpture park.

Drinking there

wine tasting at PassingClouds Winery, Macedon Ranges — A tasting at Passing Clouds Winery. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Settle in for a tasting at Boomtown in Castlemaine, sample local drops at the cosy Woodend Cellar & Bar or wine-hop around the many cellar doors, such as Passing Clouds .

the Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar signage — Boomtown Winery and Cellar Bar. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Playing there

a scenic river in Castlemaine — Idyllic scenes at Castlemaine. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)

Wander through the seasonal splendour of Forest Glade Gardens , hike to the summit of Hanging Rock, or stroll around the tranquil Sanatorium Lake.

purple flowers hanging from a tree — Purple flowers hanging from a tree. (Image: Chloe Smith Photography)