Whether you’re planning a stop along the Princes Highway or looking for a country pub‑hotel with a bistro and bottle shop, the Nicholson Hotel Motel Bistro in Gippsland, Victoria, is a well‑known local stop. We examined the official website, independent reviews on Tripadvisor, and social‑media chatter to give you a practical breakdown of menu offerings, what guests say, and what you can expect before you arrive. The Nicholson Hotel sits at 929 Princes Highway, on the bank of the Nicholson River.

Last checked: 2026-07-04

Property Name: The Nicholson Hotel Motel Bistro · Address: 929 Princes Highway, Nicholson, VIC 3882, Australia · Phone: 03 5156 8250 · Official Website: www.thenicholsonhotel.com · Cuisine: Bar, Pub, Australian · Accommodation: Hotel and motel rooms

How we researched this

Last checked: 2026-07-04.

Sources reviewed: official property website, Tripadvisor listing, Facebook groups, booking aggregators (Booking.com, Skyscanner), accommodation comparison sites (Expedia, Hoteles.com).

No on‑site visit, no staff interview, no independent verification of current menu prices or PDF availability.

Key facts at a glance

1 Verified location
  • The Nicholson Hotel Motel Bistro is at 929 Princes Highway, Nicholson, Victoria 3882, on the bank of the Nicholson River near the Gippsland Lakes (The Nicholson Hotel).
2 Pricing promise
  • The property promotes “country hospitality at country prices,” underlining its value‑oriented positioning (The Nicholson Hotel).
3 Separate menus served
  • The bistro offers a Lunch Menu, Dinner Menu and Takeaway Menu, each with different item selections (Nicholson Hotel Bistro).
4 Cuisine type confirmed
  • Tripadvisor lists The Nicholson Bistro as bar, pub and Australian cuisine, serving lunch and dinner and offering vegetarian‑friendly options (Tripadvisor).
Property detailValue
Property NameThe Nicholson Hotel Motel Bistro
Address929 Princes Highway, Nicholson, VIC 3882, Australia
Phone03 5156 8250
Official Websitewww.thenicholsonhotel.com
CuisineBar, Pub, Australian
AccommodationHotel and motel rooms
Additional FeaturesFine dining, cool drinks, comprehensive bottle shop

What is on the Nicholson hotel menu and what are the prices?

Menu items and specialties

The on‑site Nicholson Hotel Bistro describes its food as “traditional Australian and Chinese meals, all prepared with the finest local ingredients.” Diners can eat overlooking the Nicholson River and the old wooden railway bridge. Tripadvisor confirms the cuisine is bar, pub and Australian, with lunch and dinner service and vegetarian‑friendly choices.

Price ranges for meals

No item‑level pricing is published on the official website or on the bistro page. The hotel’s tagline – “country hospitality at country prices” – suggests a value orientation, but exact main‑course figures are not available in any of the sources we reviewed. For context, a similarly named but unrelated establishment, Nicholson’s Pub in Cincinnati, lists main dishes in the high‑teens to low‑twenties in US dollars, but those prices do not apply to the Australian venue.

Availability of a PDF menu

We found no downloadable PDF menu for the Nicholson Hotel Bistro. The website presents its Lunch, Dinner and Takeaway menus as web pages without printable documents. The takeaway menu can be ordered by calling 03 5156 8250.

Note: The absence of public pricing is a gap; call the hotel directly for current per‑dish costs.

“The Nicholson Hotel offers country hospitality at country prices.”

— The Nicholson Hotel, official website

The bottom line: The bistro offers varied menus (lunch, dinner, takeaway) with Australian‑Chinese fare, but prices are not listed online – you’ll need to ring ahead for specifics.

What do Nicholson Hotel reviews say?

Positive aspects mentioned in reviews

The Australian Pubs Facebook group includes a discussion where patrons describe the Nicholson Hotel as “a great pub with a good location, near a CP and bakery, and featuring notable art work.” The hotel’s own Facebook page shows 3,978 likes and 1,621 check‑ins, indicating steady local traffic. Tripadvisor lists a single review from January 2020 that gives positive feedback (rating not displayed in the excerpt).

Common criticisms

Our research found no negative reviews or complaints in the available sources. The absence of critical feedback may reflect the small sample size – only one Tripadvisor review and limited social‑media posts – rather than an unblemished record.

Overall rating from Tripadvisor

The Tripadvisor page for The Nicholson Bistro does not show a cumulative rating number in the data we accessed. The single review snippet is positive, but without multiple ratings it is not possible to calculate an average. Tripadvisor’s page remains the most authoritative independent source for future reviews.

“Dine overlooking the Nicholson River and the old wooden railway bridge.”

— Nicholson Hotel Bistro, promotional copy

What to watch: Review volume is low; take the existing positive comments as indicative but not definitive. The Facebook community adds real‑world context about the pub atmosphere.

What are the Nicholson hotel opening hours?

Restaurant opening hours

Neither the official website nor the bistro page lists specific opening hours for the dining room. The same is true for the bar and bottle shop. We checked the official site and its bistro sub‑page and found no schedule. The only reliable way to confirm current hours is to call 03 5156 8250.

Accommodation check‑in times

Check‑in and check‑out times for the motel rooms are not published online. It is safe to assume standard regional hotel practice (e.g., 2 pm check‑in, 10 am check‑out), but the hotel does not confirm this on its website.

Bottle shop hours

No separate schedule for the bottle shop is available. The facility is mentioned as part of the hotel complex, but its trading times remain unlisted.

Caution: Do not confuse the Nicholson Hotel’s hours with those of similarly named venues. For example, the Cincinnati‑based Nicholson’s Pub operates Sunday 10 am–9 pm and Monday–Saturday 11 am–11 pm – those times have no connection to the Australian property.

What this means: You will need to call ahead for all hours. No public schedule exists online as of our research date.

Is the Nicholson Hotel for sale?

Recent listing status

The query “Nicholson Hotel for sale” appears in related search terms, but we found no confirmation of a current listing or sale from any official source. The hotel’s official website and Facebook page show normal operating activity with no mention of a sale. A related‑search signal alone is not evidence of a change in ownership.

Impact on operations

Based on available data, operations appear unaffected. The bistro still advertises lunch, dinner and takeaway menus, and the bottle shop remains open. Without a verifiable listing, the “for sale” query remains unconfirmed.

The pattern: The related‑search term hints at market speculation, but no credible source backs it. If you are considering purchasing, contact the hotel directly or watch for agent listings.

Specifications at a glance

AttributeDetail
Property NameThe Nicholson Hotel Motel Bistro
Address929 Princes Highway, Nicholson, VIC 3882
Phone03 5156 8250
Websitethenicholsonhotel.com
CuisineBar, Pub, Australian
AccommodationHotel and motel rooms
AdditionalFine dining, cool drinks, comprehensive bottle shop

Location and how to get there

The Nicholson Hotel Motel Bistro is situated at 929 Princes Highway, the main route through the town of Nicholson, approximately 8 km east of Bairnsdale in the Gippsland region. It lies on the bank of the Nicholson River, close to the Gippsland Lakes. The location makes it a convenient stop for road‑trip travellers on the Princes Highway between Melbourne and the coastal lakes. The nearest major airport is in Melbourne (MEL), about 260 km west.

Alternatives in the area

If you are looking for other places to stay or eat near Nicholson, booking aggregators such as Booking.com and Skyscanner list nearby hotels and motels. However, specific property names were not available in the sources we reviewed. For comparisons with other Australian pub‑hotels, see our reviews of Albion Hotel Cottesloe Menu – 2026 Prices, Specials & Reviews and Normanville Hotel Review: Menu, Prices, Accommodation & More. Note that neither of those venues is located in the same town; they serve as genre comparators rather than local substitutes.

Our pick: The Nicholson Hotel Motel Bistro

For travellers seeking a one‑stop country pub‑hotel with a bistro, accommodation and a bottle shop, the Nicholson Hotel offers a solid, value‑oriented option. The combination of its riverside setting, separate dining menus, and local community support (evidenced by 3,978 Facebook likes) makes it a practical choice for a meal or an overnight stop in the Gippsland Lakes area. Call ahead for current prices and hours – once you’ve verified those, you’re set for a straightforward country hospitality experience.

If you are planning a visit to the Nicholson Hotel, you might also want to see what the Barwon Hotel Winchelsea has to offer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the phone number for The Nicholson Hotel?

The phone number is 03 5156 8250 (official website).

What type of food is served at The Nicholson Bistro?

The bistro serves bar, pub and Australian cuisine, along with traditional Australian and Chinese dishes, using local ingredients (Nicholson Hotel Bistro; Tripadvisor).

Does The Nicholson Hotel offer accommodation?

Yes, it provides hotel and motel rooms (The Nicholson Hotel).

Is there a bottle shop at The Nicholson Hotel?

Yes, the complex includes a comprehensive bottle shop (The Nicholson Hotel).

How do I make a reservation at The Nicholson Hotel?

Call 03 5156 8250 or visit the official website at thenicholsonhotel.com to inquire about room or table bookings.

What is the address of The Nicholson Hotel?

929 Princes Highway, Nicholson, Victoria 3882, Australia (official website).