Cambrian Hotel

200 Arnold Street, Bendigo.
5443 3363

When? May 5, 2023.
www.cambrianhotel.com.au

VENUE

The drive into Bendigo never wearies. The Glorious history, majestic gardens, the tram line out to the goldfields  are there on display: all brilliant reminders of our history.

And then all the pubs on the main drag. From Kangaroo Flat to the Shamrock, around  10 pubs (maybe more?)  appear at regular intervals.

Past Pall Mall and the Chinese gardens, you move into the Burbs, past the hospital with the main drag long gone, until the destination is reached – The Cambrian Hotel.

First impressions are of an old pub, doing its best with a small catchment area. You walk in and nothing stands out. Old time bar, footy going on the TV, and through to a relatively sparse dining room, kitchen exposed. OK. Then you have a look at the beer garden and immediately everything changes.

It is gorgeous with a stack of elbow grease to get it where it is. Then you see the totally different range of taps – no commercials- the menu intrigues on investigation and the penny drops.

You have made the right choice. The Cambrian is a beauty; a real find in highly competitive Bendigo.

Any more surprises? Yep. A Korean BBQ is part of the offer. (we really have some way from Pub Chinese of the 70s/80s!), but must be ordered such is its popularity.

The sum total is a pub that has gathered a loyal following without the need to have a TAB or Pokies. Just good hospitality, different (a word I’ll use a bit here) offer to what’s available.

There’s a spoil each Thursday with Pizza and Pint night ($20) where the Pizza recently was BBQ Truffle Chicken. Be my guest.

Well done for the bravura at the Cambrian. Decent set of cojones to take a treacherous commercial path but it’s paying off. (Bit more info on your website won’t hurt).

The Cambrian has an excellent story to tell.

FOOD/DRINK

Smallish menu but well thought out, with 7 snacks, 5 pasta dishes (3 of which are the house made Gnocchi) and a roll call of favourite pub mains with a number having deft touches.

The snacks include Grilled Whiting Pieces (4/14), Korean Fried Chicken and Topokki  (Korean Rice Cakes). Away from the Gnocchi, there’s Smoked Mussel and Goats cheese linguine for $33.

For mains,  the steak is offered x 3, with the Rump, 300g, fully plated starting the bidding at $37. Parma, (28), Burger, (28), for sure, but Smoked Pork  Loin, mash, jerked apple, pomegranate molasses comes in at $33. Again something like this doesn’t appear often.

All independent beer taps so don’t expect Carlton D or James Boags 150 Lashes. Blackmans Reginald IPA is a bigger version of the numerous IPAs on the market (6.2%) while the excellent Holgate ESB is bigger again at 7.5%. What a powerhouse this Woodend brewer has become.

Pizzini is a never-miss winery from the state’s North East, but this varietal – Teroldago – is totally new to me.  Lovely rich flavour (13pg), this red worked well with the meals. Dsas Pinot Grigio, another from the NE, was easy drinking. $12pg.

The average meal prices (bistro) are;

• Entrees – $15
• Mains – $30
• Desserts – $10

Tried was…

• Korean Fried Chicken. $15. Highlight was observing the kitchen remove the thigh meat, buttermilk, roll in the mix of spices, and tangy sauce over the thick coating and have them presented hot and fresh. Big basket, good heat, absolutely, delicious.
• Lamb braise gnocchi. $34. First the gnocchi was done from scratch, large and small soft pillows. No packet and heat up here! The lamb cubes were plentiful, maybe used another minute to breakdown further, yet easily  feeding two hungry adults.
• Seafood chowder. $36. Massive bowl, fresh seafood all comers, bacon for extra flavour, with the chowder’s  colour deep and rich. Again another for 2 people. Extra tick was the kitchen was happy to cook up some toast to mop up the juices.

SUMMARY

So two people walk into a pub and… hmmm.

That’s how it felt, a kind of what are we doing here? Why isn’t anyone else in the pub?, with an inevitable (but erroneous) conclusion that the 300kms round trip from town is a complete and utter waste of time. 

One moment in and the staff (of two!) makes you feel at ease with a generous welcome, music at right level, and a food and drink offer that is different and inviting.

You see, the Cambrian has set out to stand alone in a very competitive Bendigo market and not be a join the dots kind of pub. All  craft/independent taps of beer, little known wineries, and a menu done entirely from scratch. And basically covered off in three smallish rooms.

And as a small business surviving the constant lockdowns of COVID when its nerve had to be held gives more weight to loving this local.

Final word belongs to the team.

“You know you’re early? This joint will be full when the footy starts at 3.30”.

Beaut pub, genuine find. The Cambrian, Bendigo.

Score: 14.7/20