Goldfields Product Update - new ‘laneway' bar, restaurant, gallery, arts fes
Winter is a great time to visit The Goldfields with two hot new wining / dining venues, the Basement on View and The Dispensary Enoteca, just opened in Bendigo, and many acclaimed retail, cultural offerings and events to check out.
The Basement on View is an exciting new restaurant in the elegantly refurbished basement of Bendigo's heritage-listed Capital Theatre. With a relaxed ambience, visitors can enjoy fine plunger espresso coffee, teas of the world, cakes, fine wines and meal, and there's also a delightful gift shop that sells quality handicrafts from Myanmar and India, with all profits going back to help the underprivileged.
Visitors can have their own laneway bar experience in Bendigo with the opening of The Dispensary Enoteca in Chancery Lane, a new café/bar/restaurant and wine cellar rolled into one. Open seven days a week, there's some serious talent behind this venture: co-owner Tim Baxter was formerly sales / marketing manager at Ten Minutes by Tractor, while the other partner in the business, Hayden Winch, used to be the manager of Daylesford's iconic Lake House. Chef Travis Rodwell is formerly of L'Oustal and Echuca's Oscar W. The drinks list boasts more than 100 varieties of single malt whisky and over 250 wines.
The region's reputation as a creative hub continues to grow with the recent opening of Artizen Gallery, a new venture at Bendigo Pottery, and also the forthcoming Ballarat International Foto Biennale in September. Established by local sculptors Yvonne George and Jaqui Abel, Artizen Gallery offers art lovers an opportunity to purchase or commission sculptures by artists for both residential and large scale commercial and public spaces. The Ballarat International Foto Biennale (4 Sept - 4 Oct), a month-long celebration of photography and photographic art, will present an exciting and eclectic range of the best photography from Australia and the world.
When in Castlemaine don't miss a visit to Drummond Body Care, a unique retail business that produces and sells its own range of totally petro-chemically free body and skin care products including gorgeous and very reasonable priced shampoos and conditioners and a large range of cosmetics and beauty products from every day hand creams, moisturisers and face masks to indulgent rose petal body scrubs, face masks, rose bath salts and luxury face moisturisers.
For more information:
Basement on View: www.basementonview.bendimar.com.au
The Dispensary Enoteca: www.thedispensaryenoteca.com
Artizen Gallery at Bendigo Pottery: www.bendigopottery.com.au.
Drummond Cottage: Ph: (03) 5472 2344
Ballarat Photo Biennale: www.ballaratfoto.org