The Ultimate Foodie Weekend in Bendigo & Heathcote: Where to Eat, Drink & Stay
- 9 hours ago
- 10 min read
Please take this as your sign to book a foodie escape to Bendigo and Heathcote.
If your idea of the perfect weekend involves exceptional food, beautiful regional produce, great wine, cosy bars, gorgeous accommodation and meeting people who genuinely love what they do, we have found your next getaway.
We spent a foodie-filled weekend exploring Bendigo and Heathcote, and it was divine!
Bendigo was recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City and Region of Gastronomy in 2019, making it Australia’s first UNESCO City and Region of Gastronomy. And after spending a weekend eating and drinking our way through the region, it is very easy to understand why.
From wineries and breweries to beautifully considered restaurants, brilliant brunch spots, boutique accommodation and foodie walking tours, there is so much to discover.
And perhaps my favourite part? The people.
Everywhere we went, the hospitality was exceptional. We met passionate winemakers, chefs, restaurateurs, tour guides and hospitality teams who clearly love their region and are incredibly proud of what they are creating here.
Our itinerary was lovingly curated by Leanne Tyrrell and Explore Bendigo, and while this is only a taste of everything the region has to offer, these are the places I would absolutely add to your Bendigo foodie itinerary.
DAY ONE: HEATHCOTE + BENDIGO
First stop: The Shiraz Republic, Heathcote
Our foodie weekend kicked off at The Shiraz Republic in Heathcote — and it was the perfect introduction to the region.
Set amongst a gorgeous Shiraz vineyard, The Shiraz Republic is much more than a cellar door. It is also home to Cornella Brewery, producing craft beer on site, as well as accommodation, live music and the Cornella Canola Walk.
We enjoyed warm pretzels and tasting paddles on the deck overlooking the vineyard and canola fields — basically my idea of a perfect regional afternoon.
If you visit when the canola is in bloom, make sure you allow time for a stroll through the fields. It is such a beautiful spot and makes the whole experience feel like a proper country escape.
Must do: Canola Walk + Wine tasting + a brewery paddle + pizza on the deck.
Lunch: Silver Spoon Estate
Next stop was one of the highlights of the weekend: Silver Spoon Estate.
This family-owned, 100% off-grid winery, cellar door and restaurant sits in the heart of the Heathcote wine region, with beautiful vineyard views and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.
And the hospitality here is something special.
Owners Tracie and Peter are the most gorgeous hosts, and Chef Ben has created a seasonal menu that showcases local produce while making the most of the estate's wines.
We settled in for lunch and enjoyed:
Ben’s Korean Chicken Viognier & Heathcote honey marinade, toasted almonds, Ben’s secret Korean sauce.
Crispy Salmon Viognier-infused leek and potato velouté, confit parsnip.
The Ensemble Beef Cheeks Ensemble Shiraz jus, pumpkin purée, pangrattato, salted walnuts and pickled shallots.
Truffle & Parmesan Fries.
Brussel Sprouts by Ben Deep frried, umami mix, maple dressing.
At Silver Spoon, your wine tasting is served at the table to enjoy with the food and it was a wonderful way to savour the wine and food together.
The estate is designed for lingering — wine, food, views and good conversation. You can sit on the deck, enjoy the surrounding scenery and settle in for a long lunch.
It is exactly the kind of regional dining experience I love.
Must order: Ben’s Korean chicken and also don’t leave without trying The Monster Shiraz.
Stay: Hotel Ernest Bendigo
After lunch, we headed into Bendigo to check in at Hotel Ernest Bendigo.
Housed in a beautifully restored former bank in the heart of Bendigo’s CBD, Hotel Ernest is a boutique destination with just 10 exquisitely designed suites. The hotel perfectly balances the heritage of the building with contemporary design, thoughtful details and all the comforts you want from a luxurious regional stay.
Its location is also hard to beat — just moments from some of Bendigo’s acclaimed restaurants, bars and cafés, as well as the renowned Bendigo Art Gallery.
We stayed in Suite 8 – The Pilven Triptych Suite, and it was absolutely gorgeous. With beautiful views over View Street, the suite is centred around a spectacular contemporary work by Neville Pilven. Painted across three panels, the bold and colourful triptych is such a standout piece.
The suite also features works by Patrick Henigan and David Bromley, making the space feel more like a private art-filled residence than a traditional hotel room.
It is a perfect place to check in, unpack and take a little time to relax.
And if you don’t want to leave the hotel at all, Ernest is also home to Terrae, its own dining experience celebrating local produce and seasonal cooking.
During our stay, we loved catching up with family in the Cellar Bar, tucked away underground in the building’s original bank vaults.
Sipping beautiful wines and sharing stories surrounded by all that history was such a lovely way to spend the afternoon — and one of those little moments that made our stay at Hotel Ernest feel particularly special.
Dinner: The Woodhouse
A true Bendigo institution, The Woodhouse is all about wood-fired cooking, premium local produce and an impressive wine list, with the restaurant’s signature wood grill and oven at the heart of the experience.
It’s the kind of restaurant where you happily settle in for a long evening. Start with a cocktail, craft beer or something from the extensive wine list, share a few snacks or charcuterie, and then work your way through a menu that showcases Wagyu, premium grass-fed beef and fresh regional produce.
For our dinner, we opted for the Wagyu Experience Menu, paired with regional wines — including two standouts from Jasper Hill. And what followed was an incredible six-course journey that showcased just how creative you can be with one hero ingredient.
We started with Zeally Bay sourdough with bone marrow, butter and native herb salt, followed by a series of beautifully considered dishes.
First there was potato pavé with winter truffle, Wagyu bresaola, smoked onion gel and horseradish, and Pacific oysters with Wagyu foam, kumquat mignonette and fig leaf oil.
The Sher Wagyu tartare with Giaveri Oscietra caviar, cured golden yolk and tendon was a standout, as was the Bluefin tuna tataki with Wagyu tallow, tonnato sauce, pepperberry and cucumber.
And then came the main event (pictured below).
Dry-aged Sher Wagyu Porterhouse & Sher Wagyu Full-Blood Eye Fillet, served with celeriac purée, Jerusalem artichoke, pickled mustard seed, fermented sourdough jus and nasturtium.
Alongside it were wood-grilled seasonal greens with Wagyu tallow dressing.
The beef was exceptional — beautifully cooked, incredibly tender and a perfect showcase of the quality of the produce.
To finish, we had a rosella and melon granita with compressed melon, roasted melon seed and finger lime (pictured above), before dessert arrived. And this was one of those restaurant moments I absolutely love.
The (Wagyu fat) Meringue, lilli pilli sorbet, black sesame and dark chocolate (pictured below) was torched at the table in front of us. Watching the meringue caramelise was such a fun little touch and turned dessert into an experience in itself.
The whole evening was beautifully paced, the wine pairings were excellent and the menu managed to be both incredibly indulgent and surprisingly creative.
The Woodhouse is definitely one to put on your Bendigo dinner list.
Must order: If the Wagyu Experience Menu is available during your visit, do it. Come hungry — and make sure you save room for that meringue.
DAY TWO: BRUNCH, LUNCH & A FOODIE WALKING TOUR
Breakfast: Whitby Bendigo
We started day two slowly with breakfast at Whitby Bendigo, overlooking beautiful Lake Weeroona.
Whitby is an all-in-one dining and events destination, known for its warm hospitality, seriously good food and gorgeous waterfront setting. But honestly, it was the team who really made an impression on us.
They made us feel like regulars from the moment we arrived. We even watched them surprise the customers at the table next to us with a birthday gift — such a lovely, personal touch that says so much about a venue. The whole place just had the best energy.
And then there was the food.
The Chilli Eggs were, without exaggeration, some of the best eggs I’ve ever eaten.
My husband went for the Whitby Benedict with Humble Pleasures New York pastrami, grilled cheese, poached eggs, sauerkraut and potato and leek hash, and absolutely loved it.
If you’re visiting Bendigo, don’t leave without stopping at Whitby's for breakfast or brunch.
Must order: The Chilli Eggs — nduja chilli scramble, housemade focaccia, charred spring onions, smoked scamorza and crispy olio santo. They’re also available gluten free, (as pictured above).
Lunch: Ms Batterhams
Next up was Ms Batterhams — and this venue has the BEST personality, with delightful service to match.
Tucked into the basement of a former school hall, Ms Batterhams has been transformed into a sophisticated yet relaxed lounge bar & restaurant with plush booths, bespoke details, a beautifully curated wine list and a Southern European-inspired menu.
But what makes it particularly special is the way its history has been woven into every part of the experience.
Ms Batterhams is part of MacKenzie Quarters, a beautifully restored heritage property in the heart of Bendigo’s arts precinct. The precinct also encompasses MacKenzie Hall, a stunning private events space upstairs, and The Residence, a boutique accommodation offering for groups of 10–12 guests. The Residence occupies the original Deanery, built in 1877.
There are gorgeous little nods to the building’s past throughout Ms Batterhams — including a wine list designed to resemble a hymn book, while the cocktail menu pays homage to local history with regional-inspired creations such as the Apple Cart and Winifred, named after Winifred Batterham.
It’s the kind of place where you immediately want to settle in, order another drink and stay a little longer. With its combination of history, atmosphere, thoughtful food and genuinely lovely service, I can completely understand why it has become such a destination in Bendigo.
We enjoyed:
Oysters Shucked to order.
Kohlrabi Roll Roasted vegetable melanges.
Beetroot-Cured Salmon Citrus crème fraîche and bois boudran.
Fish of the Day — Barramundi Braised fennel, caramelised leeks and beurre blanc.
Roasted Maple Pumpkin Sherry dressing and hazelnut dukkah.
Green Leaf Salad Seasonal vinaigrette.
And whatever you do… DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT ORDERING THE BRÛLÉE.
It was an absolute standout and well worth saving room for.
Ms Batterhams is the kind of place where you could easily spend an entire afternoon and evening — starting with la late unch, moving on to cocktails and then staying on for dinner.
Must order: The beetroot-cured salmon and, without question, the brûlée.
Afternoon: A Taste of Bendigo Foodie Walking Tour
If you really want to understand Bendigo's food scene I’d 100% recommend booking a tour with Jamie from Bendigo Guided Tours.
The food-focused walking tours are such a fun way to experience the city, combining local food and drink with the stories, characters and history that make Bendigo so special. The current A Taste of Bendigo tour visits four venues, showcasing seasonal dishes, local wines and small-batch brews along the way.
Our winter tour was the perfect way to spend a chilly afternoon — and Jamie was a fantastic guide, bringing each stop to life with plenty of local knowledge and stories.
Stop One: Wine Bank on View
Our first stop was Wine Bank on View, housed in a gorgeous heritage-listed former bank building dating back to 1876.
We kicked things off with mulled wine and pumpkin soup — exactly what we needed on a chilly winter afternoon.
Wine Bank is both a wine bar and wine merchant, with an impressive selection of local, Australian and international wines, alongside a food menu designed for relaxed, continuous dining.
Stop Two: Alium Dining
Next, we wandered over to Alium Dining, where we enjoyed a seasonal winter cocktail made with house-made rosemary gin, accompanied by fabulous canapés showcasing local produce.
Alium is all about bringing together good food and great people, and after our visit, it’s definitely somewhere I’d love to return to for a proper dinner.
Stop Three: The Dispensary
Then it was on to The Dispensary Bendigo for one of the most memorable drinks of the afternoon: hot buttered rum served in vintage teacups, paired with a local beef canapé.
Delicious, warming and very Bendigo.
Owner Finn was an absolute gem and such a wonderful host, even grating fresh nutmeg over the rum for us. It was those little touches that made the stop so much fun.
Located in historic Chancery Lane, The Dispensary combines food, cocktails and a seriously good drinks list in a beautifully atmospheric setting.
Final Stop: Bendigo Brewing
And because no foodie weekend is complete without a local brew, we finished the tour at Bendigo Brewing.
Founded by locals and opened in 2024, Bendigo Brewing is all about independent beer, community and creating a relaxed space where locals and visitors can enjoy good food and great beer.
We had the very important task of choosing between a stout and local wine, before settling in with a slice of pizza to finish the afternoon.
It was the perfect ending to a really fun tour.
My tip: If you’re visiting Bendigo and want to discover more than just the obvious food spots, book the A Taste of Bendigo tour. You’ll eat, drink, learn a little history and discover plenty of places you’ll want to come back to.
So, Is Bendigo Worth a Foodie Weekend?
Absolutely!
And this itinerary only scratches the surface.
That's the thing I loved most about Bendigo and Heathcote: you could come back again and again and still have somewhere new to eat, another cellar door to visit, another producer to meet or another experience to discover.
The region has an incredible mix of wineries, breweries, restaurants, cafés, bars, local producers and food experiences, and the UNESCO designation isn't difficult to understand once you've experienced it for yourself.
But beyond the food, wine and beautiful venues, there is a real sense of pride in the region.
The people we met were genuinely passionate about Bendigo and Heathcote — about their produce, their businesses, their history and their community. And that's what makes a destination memorable.
To plan your own foodie adventure, the official Bendigo & Heathcote Gastronomy Guide is a great place to start, with an interactive map of food and beverage experiences across the region.
Consider this your sign to add Bendigo + Heathcote to your foodie bucket list.
Our itinerary was curated by Leanne Tyrrell (Tyrrell PR) and @explorebendigo and we were kindly hosted by the City of Bendigo. Thank you to all the hospitality establishments listed above for their warm hospitality.
Comments