In the heart of Bastion Square, where artisans gather and street musicians play to summer weekend crowds, The Garrick’s Head Pub has proudly stood watch over Victoria’s evolution since 1867—the very year of Confederation. But long before the pub was known for its extensive draft beer selection, it first provided a front-row seat to some "colonial-style" justice.
19th century, Bastion Square was a far cry from the tourist hotspot it is today; in fact, it served as the city’s legal core and was home to the courthouse, the city jail, and most grimly, the gallows. For the regulars at Garrick’s Head Pub back in the day, executions weren’t just something that happened—they were something to witness firsthand.
It’s well documented that in those early decades, patrons would leave the pub to watch the public hangings held in the square just a few feet away. Once the sentence was carried out and the crowd dispersed, punters would casually return inside to finish their cheese and ale, with nary a second thought of the spectacle they witnessed.
Overseeing many of these grim moments was Judge Matthew Begbie, known widely as “the Hanging Judge.” Though his actual record of capital sentences was more moderate than his nickname suggests, Judge Begbie presided over a period when British justice in the colonies was as much a cautionary tale performance as actual punishment.
With the courthouse located a few steps from the Garrick’s Head Pub, Begbie made sure any unlucky soul headed to the gallows had a last meal (and pint) at the pub first, making it easy for locals to know when the entertainment would begin.
Garrick’s Head Pub was there through it all: trials, hangings, protests, and pardons; legend says it’s even got its own ghost, an apparition of the pub’s former landlord Michael Powers who was mysteriously murdered over 100 years ago, in a case that remains unsolved. Today his photo still stands on the landing leading to the lower level.
But despite its dark and gruesome past, these days The Garrick’s Head Pub is more alive than ever. The interior maintains its Victorian bones—arched windows, exposed brick, timeworn wood beams, all while offering all the comfort of a modern gathering place with friendly, casual hospitality by some of the city’s friendliest wait staff.
With 65 beers on tap, it holds one of the most extensive draft lists in Victoria, including many local pours. Its food menu leans toward pub-classic with a Pacific Northwest twist—Mezze Platter, pork belly (yum!), fish and chips, fresh salads and other mainstays. If you can’t decide what to have, just go for the poutine; it’s easily some of the best in the city!
So next time you find yourself in Bastion Square, thing about pulling up a chair at Garrick’s Head and drink in a pint and some of local history; better still, why not join one of HIDDEN VICTORIA’S popular Downtown Bites & Sites Tours, which include a stop at the Garrick’s Head Pub?
Join us as we toast to the past, taste the present, and savour Victoria’s rich history… one pint at a time. And don’t worry; we promise it won’t be your “last meal”… wink, wink.
For more information on The Garrick’s Head Pub, click HERE