2 Best Restaurants in The Gold Country, Victoria

It's worth the country drive from Bendigo to this bakery to taste an Australian obsession---the vanilla slice---and Bridgewater Bakehouse is twice-winner of the annual, fiercely contested, national competition. The perfect slice is a thick slab of firm custard, wedged between two slivers of flaky pastry and iced with a glossy fondant. Happily, they also have an outpost in central Bendigo, which also bakes quality pastries and pies, buns and tarts.

This former industrial building now houses a pizzeria that serves top-notch wood-fired pizzas in a big dining room with long timber tables, wooden beams, and exposed brick walls. The pizzas are excellent, with light crusts and tasty toppings; try the Volcano (hot salami, chili pepper, Gorgonzola, feta, olives, and anchovies) for an entrée with a zing. An unusual appetizer is the Oliver Twist, a stack of baked pizza strips bearing olives, chili pepper, and Victorian goat's cheese.