  G292.0+1.8 is the Cas A-like supernova remnant containing the young pulsar
PSR J1124-5916, which powers a compact torus-like pulsar wind nebula with a jet
visible in X-rays. We have performed deep optical observations of the pulsar
field to detect the optical counterpart of the pulsar and its nebula. The
observations were carried out using the direct imaging mode of FORS2 at the ESO
VLT/UT1 telescope in the V, R, and I bands. We also analyzed archival images
obtained with the Chandra/ACIS-I, ACIS-S, and HRC-S in X-rays. In all three
optical bands we detect a faint elliptical nebulosity, whose brightness peak
and center position are consistent at a sub-arcsecond level with the X-ray
position of the pulsar. The field is densely packed with background stars, but
after subtraction of these stars the morphology of the object and the
orientation of its major axis appear to be in a good agreement with the
brightest inner part of the pulsar nebula torus region seen almost edge on in
X-rays. Within the nebulosity we do not resolve any point-like optical object
that could be identified with the pulsar and estimate its contribution to the
observed nebulosity flux as <~20%. Extracting the X-ray spectrum from the
physical region equivalent to the optical source position and extent and
combining that with the measured optical fluxes, we compile a tentative
multi-wavelength spectrum of the inner part of the nebula. Within uncertainties
of the interstellar extinction towards G292.0+1.8 it is reminiscent of either
the Crab or PSR B540-69 and J0205+6449 pulsar wind nebula spectra. The
position, morphology, and spectral properties of the detected nebulosity
suggest that it is the likely optical counterpart of the pulsar plus its wind
nebula system in G292.0+1.8.
