Set across 200 acres of Southern Highlands countryside, Bendooley Estate is a place where heritage meets hospitality. A working wine estate, dining destination, and celebration venue all woven into one. Just minutes from the historic village of Berrima, it’s the kind of place you come for lunch and find yourself planning your next visit before you’ve left.
At the heart of the estate is The Book Barn, a dining experience unlike any other in Australia. Housed within a beautifully restored heritage barn, the restaurant sits amongst thousands of new, secondhand and rare books from the Berkelouw family collection. It’s a space that feels both grand and intimate, where sunlight streams through windows onto tables set amongst towering shelves of leather-bound spines. Open seven days for lunch, The Book Barn serves seasonal dishes that celebrate local produce. Coffee and cake are available from mid-morning for those who want to linger with a book before the lunch crowd arrives.
For evening dining, Leo’s by Night transforms the Cellar Door into something altogether more intimate. Open Thursday to Saturday from 6pm, it offers a relaxed yet refined dinner experience: candlelight, estate wines, and dishes designed to be shared. It’s a different side of Bendooley, quieter and more contemplative, perfect for a date night or small celebration.
The Cellar Door itself is open daily for wine tastings, offering the chance to sample Bendooley’s estate-grown cool-climate wines. The winery produces elegant wines that reflect the unique terroir of the Southern Highlands, from crisp whites to structured reds. Settle in with a cheese board and take in the views across the vines.
Those who want to extend the experience can stay on the estate in one of several boutique accommodation options. The Homestead is a beautifully restored heritage property with the charm and character of another era. The Lake House offers peaceful seclusion with water views. The Loft provides a contemporary retreat, while the Cottages are ideal for couples or small families looking for a quiet escape. Each property invites guests to slow down, settle in, and experience the estate at their own pace: morning walks through the vineyard, afternoons with a book, evenings by the fire.
Bendooley is also one of the most sought-after wedding and events destinations in the region. The Book Barn and The Stables offer two distinctive ceremony and reception spaces, each with its own character. Whether couples are dreaming of an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, the estate provides a backdrop that feels both timeless and deeply personal. Corporate groups will find purpose-built conference facilities for retreats, workshops, and offsites, providing a setting that takes teams out of the city and into something more inspiring.
And then there are the books. Berkelouw Books, located on the estate, is a destination in its own right. Housing thousands of new, secondhand, rare, and antiquarian titles, it’s the kind of bookshop you could lose an afternoon in. Shelves stacked floor to ceiling, quiet corners for browsing, and the occasional treasure waiting to be discovered.
Bendooley Estate is a place built on passion and attention, where every experience feels considered. It’s a destination worth the drive, and a place worth returning to.
Open seven days. Bookings recommended for dining and wine tasting.
7 days – Lunch from 12pm,
Dinner Thurs, Fri & Sat from 6pm,
Wine tasting from 10am,
Bookstore from 9am.
