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Like Ballarat, Bendigo's pub culture is defined by its extraordinary Gold Rush heritage, the wealth from the Bendigo goldfields funded some of the grandest pubs in Victoria. But Bendigo also has a thriving contemporary bar scene concentrated on View Street and in the CBD laneways. Here's a guide to Bendigo's best pubs and bars in 2026.
View Street Arts and Bar Precinct
View Street is Bendigo's cultural and artistic heartland, and the natural home of its best bars. The Dispensary (View Street, cocktail bar in a heritage pharmacy building, one of Victoria's best regional bars), The Village Bar (View Street), Masons of Bendigo (View Street, wine bar with an excellent regional wine list). bendigotourism.com
Heritage Pubs
Shamrock Hotel, Pall Mall, Bendigo. Bendigo's grandest Victorian hotel (est. 1854), extraordinary Italianate architecture and a heritage bar. hotelshamrock.com.au
The Rifle Brigade Pub and Brewery, View Street, Bendigo. Bendigo's original craft brewery (est. 1991, Australia's first craft brewery) in a magnificent heritage pub building. riflebrigade.com.au
Craft Beer
Bendigo Brewing, Hargreaves Street, Bendigo. Good local craft brewery with a pleasant taproom. bendigobrewing.com.au
Bull Street and Laneways
The CBD laneways between Hargreaves Street and Mitchell Street have small bar openings each year. Bendigo's creative industries sector drives a thriving small bar culture in former industrial and retail spaces.
This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.
Covering lifestyle in Bendigo. This article was generated by AI, under human editorial accountability and risk-based review and our reasonable editorial care. Sensitive material is held for human review before publication. See our reasonable editorial care.
Beta: AI-assisted and human-overseen. Details may be imperfect, so please verify anything important.
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