In keeping with the historical aspect of Gulgong, Phoebe's Restaurant was named after Aunt Phoebe whose most famous nephew was Henry Lawson, one of Australia's greatest story tellers.
History surrounds the restaurant building. Originally the site was occupied by an old hotel which was licensed in August 1871. At one time the licensee was one Ned Aldridge who had considerable success with one of his racehorses. Legend has it that he had the horse shod with gold shoes and brought into the bar of the hotel. It was in the same building that the tragic suicide of the unfortunate Frame Fletcher occurred when he faced financial ruin. He had raised enormous sums of money overseas for investment in the further development of the Perseverance, Rouse's Paddock, Red Hill and other mines, money which could have and should have returned good dividends but for the fact that the men employed by Fletcher somehow managed to pocket most of the gold for themselves.
In 1904 Joshua Joseph Davis replaced the old wooden building with a new one with a brick facade and renamed it "The Royal". It is his initials which grace the facade of the building.
The Royal Hotel traded until 1964 when the wooden part of the building was condemned and the license revoked. Ten years later a syndicate of local people acquired the property, which was facing ruin, carefully restoring it to its original glory. The building now houses the reception office for the Ten Dollar Town Motel as well as Phoebe's Licensed Restaurant.
The restaurant is open six nights each week offers intimate dining with that old world charm as well as:
- a fine a la carte menu plus a children’s menu
- economical hearty home cooked meals for coach groups
- lunches for coach groups by arrangement
- an extensive local wine selection
