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The NSW Country Pubs Worth Planning a Trip Around
Not all country pubs are created equal, and NSW has more than its fair share of the good ones. From Jugiong to Broken Hill, these are worth the detour.
The Sir George in Jugiong, the mural-covered Palace Hotel in Broken Hill, and The Eltham Hotel tucked into the hills near Byron are just the beginning. NSW’s best country pubs do crackling fires, menus that actually surprise you, and settings that make the drive feel like part of the deal. We might be biased, but we think NSW does this better than anywhere.
These are the five we think are absolutely worth the pit-stop (or even a detour).
In This Guide:
Best Country Pub for a Heritage Escape
The Sir George
Pull off the Hume just past the midpoint between Sydney and Melbourne and you’ll find a gorgeous pub restoration worth a visit. Built in 1852 on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, The Sir George has been lovingly brought back to life over the past decade. The restaurant and bar lean into the best of Riverina produce, with the likes of slow-cooked lamb, river fish, and a wine list that pays tribute to the surrounding region. Onsite accommodation is split between the original stone stables (complete with original timber beams and thick sandstone walls) and the more contemporary Black Barns out back, which trade the heritage charm for clean lines and private courtyards.
Suburb: Jugiong
Price Guide: $$
Best For: Date night, Special occasion, Weekend plans
Cuisine: Pub Fare
Best Country Pub for Celebrity-Chef Pub Food
The Rockley Pub
In 2022, renowned chef Matt Moran brought new life to the tiny village of Rockley (which has a population of under 200) by reopening its beloved local, The Rockley Pub, 35 kilometres south of Bathurst. Don’t let the celeb chef billing confuse you, because the menu is proudly and unapologetically pub. Cheeseburgers come with fat-cut chips, there’s chicken schnitzel and fish and chips; all the kind of food you actually want after a long country drive. What sets it apart is the provenance behind it: some of the meat comes directly from Moran Family Farm, which has been in the family for generations and sits just down the road. The pub itself is a beautifully weathered Federation-era building with a wide verandah and original bar and has been restored with a light hand, keeping the bones very much intact. Moran has a deep personal connection to this patch of Central West NSW, and it shows in every detail. If you’re lucky, you might even find him working the floor himself!
Suburb: Rockley
Price Guide: $$
Best For: Families, Locals, Group dining
Cuisine: Pub Fare
Best Country Pub for a Quirky Detour
The Palace Hotel
You probably already know this one even if you’ve never visited in person, because The Palace Hotel was the backdrop for many of the most memorable scenes in the 1994 Australian classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It started life in 1889 as a coffee house, before going on to become a licensed hotel just three years later. Safe to say it’s had an extraordinarily colourful life ever since. Inside, over 500 square metres of murals cover every available surface, including Renaissance-inspired paintings and vivid Australian landscape scenes, all done by Indigenous artist Gordon Waye. Stay in the Priscilla Suite for the full experience and take in the eye-catching murals, over-the-top furnishings, a balcony over Argent Street, and even complimentary pink dressing gowns.
Sitchu Tip: The Palace is also the only venue in Broken Hill licensed to play two-up any day of the year! And, if you can time it right, visit during September’s Broken Heel Festival which is the annual drag and cabaret celebration the Palace helped inspire, because the whole town comes alive around it.
Suburb: Broken Hill
Price Guide: $$
Best For: Unique experiences, Solo dining, Group dining
Cuisine: Pub Fare
Best Country Pub Close to Sydney
Settlers Arms Inn
Getting to St Albans is an event in itself, in the best possible way. You cross the Hawkesbury River at Wisemans Ferry, wind up through the Macdonald Valley (along a road that hasn’t changed much in a century), and eventually arrive in one of the quietest, most beautiful villages. The Settlers Arms Inn has been waiting at the end of that road since 1836 inside a sandstone building hewn by convict hands, backed by mountains and fronted by the Macdonald River running past the door. Inside, it’s exactly what you’d expect a 190-year-old country pub to be. There’s open fireplaces in winter, cold beer year-round, and a menu of no-fuss pub fare (including roasts, pies, schnitzel) that hits the spot after the drive in. Live music runs every weekend, the beer garden fills up on warm afternoons, and accommodation is available for those who want to make a proper weekend of it. Even better, it’s less than 90 minutes from Sydney, and still manages to feel like somewhere that time forgot which is what makes it truly special.
Suburb: St Albans
Price Guide: $$
Best For: Families, Weekend plans, Locals
Cuisine: Pub Fare
Best Country Pub for a Northern Rivers Weekend
The Eltham Hotel
Tucked into the lush, subtropical hills between Byron Bay and Lismore, The Eltham Hotel dates back to the early 1900s and was carefully restored in 2019. The new look kept the high ceilings, timber floors and wide verandah intact, while lifting the food and accommodation well above traditional country-pub standards. The kitchen works off a daily-changing menu that champions Northern Rivers producers from local beef, seasonal vegetables. Upstairs, you’ll find five guest rooms named after notable women from the region, each telling a different story.
Sitchu Tip: There’s free live music on most Sundays draws a crowd from across the valley.
Suburb: Eltham
Price Guide: $$
Best For: Date night, Weekend plans, Special occasion
Cuisine: Pub Fare
Some of the best country pubs in NSW include The Sir George in Jugiong, known for its heritage riverside restoration and Riverina-focused menu, and The Rockley Pub near Bathurst, reopened by chef Matt Moran with a proudly classic pub food menu. Further afield, the Palace Hotel in Broken Hill offers a genuinely unique stay thanks to its extensive murals and film history. Closer to Sydney, Settlers Arms Inn in St Albans and The Eltham Hotel near Byron Bay both combine heritage buildings with strong food and accommodation offerings, making them well suited to a weekend detour.
Settlers Arms Inn in St Albans is the closest option to Sydney among NSW’s standout country pubs, reachable in under 90 minutes via Wisemans Ferry and the Macdonald Valley. Despite the short drive, the pub feels remote thanks to its 1836 sandstone building, riverside setting, and surrounding mountains. It’s a good option for a day trip or an overnight stay without committing to a longer regional drive, and still delivers the wood fire, cold beer, and no-fuss pub fare that define the genre.
Several of NSW’s best country pubs offer onsite accommodation, though it varies by venue. The Sir George in Jugiong has both heritage stone stables and contemporary Black Barns rooms. The Palace Hotel in Broken Hill offers themed suites including the Priscilla Suite. Settlers Arms Inn in St Albans also has rooms available for those wanting to stay overnight. It’s worth checking availability and booking ahead, particularly around regional events or long weekends, as these properties tend to have limited room counts.
The Rockley Pub was reopened in 2022 by chef Matt Moran, who has a personal connection to the Central West NSW region. The menu stays proudly focused on classic pub fare rather than fine dining, with cheeseburgers, chicken schnitzel, and fish and chips on offer. Some of the meat served comes directly from Moran Family Farm nearby. The pub occupies a restored Federation-era building in the small village of Rockley, roughly 35 kilometres south of Bathurst.
The Palace Hotel in Broken Hill is best known as a filming location for the 1994 Australian film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Built in 1889, the hotel is covered in over 500 square metres of murals by Indigenous artist Gordon Waye, including Renaissance-inspired and Australian landscape scenes. It remains the only venue in Broken Hill licensed to play two-up year-round, and it’s closely tied to the town’s annual Broken Heel Festival, a drag and cabaret celebration the pub helped inspire.
NSW’s standout country pubs are spread right across the state, so most people visit one or two on a single trip rather than attempting all five. The Sir George in Jugiong and Settlers Arms Inn in St Albans both sit within a few hours of Sydney, making them realistic weekend options. The Rockley Pub near Bathurst suits a Central West itinerary, while the Palace Hotel in Broken Hill and The Eltham Hotel near Byron Bay are better planned as standalone regional trips given the distance involved.
Did you like this piece? Why not check out our edit of the best country bakeries in NSW or the top road trips to take at least once?
