Editor’s Update: There are so many outstanding drinking spots in Melbourne that, as time’s gone on, we’ve found it impossible to keep to only 15 recommendations.
What’s more, it’s very difficult at times to distinguish between a Cocktail Bar, a Wine Bar, a Bistro and a Restaurant. As a result, some of the Bars on this list may also be known for their mixology and or food. We make no apologies. We love them all!
As a city renowned for its laneway bars and secret drinking haunts, Melbourne offers watering holes for all tastes and budgets and many of the best bars in Australia.
The bars in Melbourne range from world-class cocktail bars to downtown saloons and fancy wine bars. Most offer a warm ambiance, welcoming bar staff, a buzzing atmosphere and delicious small plate menus to to satisfy your hunger.
But which ones are worth the visit? We’ve narrowed down our choices to 15 of our favourite bars. To do so, we’ve taken into consideration budgets, location, atmosphere, food options and our own highly subjective gut-feel.
The result is a rundown of interesting, eclectic and vibrant Melbourne bars, and a guide that should provide a suitable drinking hole for every reader.
We can’t promise that your taste will be the same as ours, but we can vouch that each bar on this list plays its part in the cultural fabric of Melbourne nightlife. And we guarantee that, wherever you end up, you’re in for a good night. So let’s dive in…
Above Board
Location: Level 1, 306 Smith Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066
We’re kicking off the list of the best bars in Melbourne with this small and intimate cocktail bar located in an inner-city suburb. With only 16 seats, when we say intimate, we mean intimate. Despite this meaning no large groups or bookings are allowed, this bar offers the perfect setting for a date night or catching up with an old friend.
Chat with Lambert to hear about the delicious cocktails he can make you but also a little of his life with every drink he serves. As the bar faces all 16 seats, enjoying his yarns s easy.
If you’re looking for something that’s both welcoming and personal, look no further than Above Board.
Partial to a splash of gin? Why not try making one of these Classic Gin Cocktails at home?
Good Heavens
Location: Level 2, 70 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9453 2882
Located on Bourke Street, Good Heavens is a rooftop bar and the ultimate summer hot stop. The vibe of the bar resembles Palm Springs in California with its pink signage and pastel blues.
The staff even dress in Hawaiin Shirts and promise to shake you up some vintage tipples at the bar which is located on a central island.
They also offer bright, fruity, retro cocktails from their own take on a Pina Colada to an Electric Blue. If you’re looking for a taste of tropical paradise, Good Heavens could be your match.
In fact, this spot is so popular that it has expanded across the skyline in recent times. What more of a recommendation is there than that?
Heartbreaker
Location: 234a Russell Street, (Lonsdale Corner), Melbourne CBD, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9041 0856
If you’re looking for the ultimate party experience, look no further than Heartbreaker located on Russell Street.
Named the home of rock ‘n’ roll, this dive bar sweeps you up with shot after shot, rocking music and beer chasers. There’s even a late-night New York slice, promising you an all-around great night out. No wonder it’s considered one of the best bars in Melbourne.
The concept of the bar is well-executed and Michael Madrusan, the owner, knows how to set the scene. If you want to let your hair down and go all out, Heartbreaker is the place to be.
Whilst we are on the subject of pizza, here are our top Pizza Joints in Melbourne.
Hats And Tatts CBD
Location: 78 Cecil Street, South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Hats and Tatts is a rare find in south Melbourne, offering delicious food, great drinks, staff that are as welcoming as they are entertaining, and very diverse spaces.
It’s not just a frat bar as some people may at first think. Here, you’ll find a huge whiskey collection, as well as some of the best cocktails in the city and taps full of beer.
Grabbing the attention of men, women, old and young there is something for everyone at Hats and Tatts and we can not recommend it enough.
Do you love a good doughnut? See our guide to the best Doughnut Shops in Melbourne.
Bodega Underground
Location: 55 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9650 9979
Located on Little Bourke Steet, this late-night mezcal bar and taqueria is hidden underground. But don’t let that stop you. This place serves up some of the greatest drinks and tacos around and is a worthy entrant on our best bars in Melbourne list.
Dramatically, an ominous red neon glow highlights the location. As you head down the stairs, be prepared for traditional posters from the golden age of Mexican cinema. Once inside, the tables and stools that are more cantina than a bar, and fast-paced music blares through the speakers.
For the ultimate Mexican party experience, we promise Bodega Underground is worth the trip.
Want to try some more Mexican fare? These are our favourite Mexican Restaurants in Melbourne.
Embla and Lesa Restaurant
Location: 122 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000 / Ph: (03) 9654 5923
Embla is a hugely popular wine bar, right in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, serving unusual and quirky wines with an inventive, modern small-plate menu.
Embla has got a distressed-brick look, is dark and atmospheric, homely and friendly and yet chic and trendy. It’s not an easy combination to get right, but Embla pulls it off with ease.
We like to start our evening upstairs at the sister restaurant, Lesa, before finishing our evening sipping wine and cocktails in Embla’s welcoming ground-floor embrace.
Embla came first, and its consistent popularity convinced the Kiwi expat owners to open Lesa restaurant in the vacant first floor space upstairs.
For a dedicated review of Embla, please see here.
We highly recommend trying Lesa. It has a the same exposed brick decor and sombre lighting, but also boasts an open-kitchen producing amazing, eclectic and unusual fine dining fare.
Lesa is more of a formal restaurant, compared to the casual wine bar feel of dining downstairs at Embla.
Lesa is modern Australian fine dining, not cheap, but very innovative. It’s considerably quieter than Embla downstairs, allowing for more conversation and a better environment for a classy and convivial dinner.
Visit both and you have the perfect ingredients for a memorable Melbourne night out.
Apart from its amazing bars, Melbourne also has some outstanding cafes.
Berlin Bar
Location: Level 2/16 Corrs Ln, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Sometimes, a bar has a great concept, but little else. Happily, Berlin Bar delivers on both a novel idea and the drinks.
You see the Berlin Bar is a drinking den divided. On one side you have glamour and decadence – representing the free spirit of West Berlin during the Cold War. Meanwhile, the other side is stark – to echo the austerity of Communist life in East Berlin. And it’s a gimmick which totally works.
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Choose which side of the Iron Curtain suits your mood and sit back with a Charcuterie Board and one of the bar teams superb Cocktails. If you settle into the Western ‘Salon’, then we recommend the Jameson Whiskey-based Buzz Aldrin. Brave the chill of the Soviet ‘Bunker’ and you might prefer the feisty Vodka hit of the Sputnik.
Whatever you decide on, you’ll find the vibe unique and the staff charming.
If you’re on the hunt for the best Vietnamese restaurants in Melbourne, see here.
Neighbourhood Wine
Location: 1 Reid Street, Fitzroy North, VIC 3068 Ph: (03) 9486 8306
Over in Fitzroy, Neighbourhood Wine is a first-floor bar and restaurant with an extensive 20-page wine list. Up the stairs, you’ll find vintage bar stools, brass, and tapestry and some of the most helpful staff in the wine bar community.
The wines range from local favourites to incredible imports and they even offer great accompanying food using seasonal produce. Simple, seasonal, and welcoming, this wine bar is the perfect date night or a fancy evening out for anyone.
Prefer to shake up a cocktail at home? See our Easy Cocktail Recipes.
Mr. West Bar And Bottleshop
Location: Footscray Market, 106 Nicholson Street, Footscray, VIC 3011
Located in Footscray, another inner-city suburb, Mr. West Bar and Bottleshop offers some of the best craft beer, cocktails, and high-quality wine in the city.
Not only can you buy bottles to take home, but upstairs lies a bar with 30 taps pouring wine, cocktails, beer, and cider from around the world. In addition, it offers Australian and international wines by the bottle or glass as well as over 300 special spirits and a seasonal cocktail list.
A clear passion for drink flows through the bar and wine shop and we promise with so much to choose from, you’ll definitely be going back for more.
Feel like a good steak? Here are some of our to go Steak Restaurants in Melbourne.
Angel Music Bar
Location: 12 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Angel Music Bar offers the best of 2 exciting worlds. This place combines the talents of Con Christopoulos, the powerful restaurateur, and Georgina O’Connor, one of the city’s best-dressed Gen-Y Artists.
Though this might seem like an odd pairing, they’ve brought together one of the liveliest bars in Melbourne, located where the old Korova Milk Bar used to sit.
As the name suggests, the great music is the bar’s selling point. You know a bar is serious when its music it played out of Funktion One Speakers. Not surprisingly, this is one of the best bars in Melbourne to dance the night away.
Keen to dance the night away at a Rooftop Bar? Here are some of our regular haunts in Melbourne.
To make a great drink – be it a healthy smoothie, or a delicious cocktail – you need the right equipment. Blend up ice and more like a pro with the Ninja 2-in-1 Blender with Auto-iQ.
Byrdi
Location: 211 La Trobe St, GD075, Melbourne, VIC 3000
If you are looking for something creative, something a bit unique, something which can be compared more to a lab than a bar, you’re going to want to visit Byrdi.
The techniques they use include smoking, fermenting, and clarifying which make for thrilling results and an all-around exciting evening. They use in-house ferments and focus on seasonality without following trends.
For a full and detailed review of Byrdi Melbourne, click here.
We love this place and its imaginative cocktails. What more can we say?
Byrdi is a bar you don’t want to miss if you want to keep things interesting.
Heading to the Queensland capital and wondering where to grab a drink? These are some of the Best Bars in Brisbane.
Siglo
Location: Level 2 161 Spring Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9654 6631
Siglo is a famous rooftop bar located on top of the Melbourne Supper Club, within the City Wine Shop. From its elevated position, it offers spectacular views of Spring Street and Parliament House.
Not only does the bar pour some excellent cocktails, champagne, and spirits, but they also have their own cigar menu and a humidor of Cubans.
You will be served by waiters at clothed tables and guests can take a seat in Parisian wicker chairs or wooden garden furniture. This is a great bar for taking a break out of a long sunny day in the city.
Feel like sitting with a coffee for an hour or 2? See our recommendations for the best Coffee Shops in Melbourne.
Goldy’s Tavern
Location: 66A Gold Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066 Ph: (03) 9551 8244
More of a refurbished pub than a bar, Goldy’s Tavern promises an authentic Australian drinking experience.
Order one of their Aussie cocktails such as ‘Bob’s Your Uncle’ or take part in a weekly pool competition before taking a seat in the plant-filled atrium and ordering some spicy mussel “schnitzels”.
And if you’ve got room for dessert, we recommend the Goldy’s Gaytime to round off a classic Australian pub experience.
Are you a sucker for something sweet? Here are our top Dessert Shops in Melbourne.
Lui Bar
Location: In the Rialto, Level 55, 525 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9691 3888
One word. Views.
From its enviable spot on Level 55 of the Rialto, Lui Bar commands some of the most stunning views in all of Melbourne.
However, as this is part of acclaimed Chef Shannon Bennett’s Vue de Monde, the drinks and nibbles are pretty stellar too. And the interior design is sutiably plush and classy as well. With that in mind, it has to be said that you won’t be getting a round in here on the cheap. In fact, there’s a minimum spend of $50pp after 5pm – just in time for the full glory of the sunset.
Yes. This is a special occasion kind of bar. But then we all need one of those every now and then and Lui Bar has lots to recommend it.
Of the Signature Cocktails, plenty of online reviews rave bout Lui’s Lamington – an Aussie-inspried concoction of Pampero Rum, cacao, Coconut, Coffee & Raspberry. Food-wise, we’d have to go with the Western Australian Marron Roll, just because.
For some of the best desserts you’ll ever taste, check out Tarts Anon.
Arbory Bar & Eatery
Location: 1 Flinders Walk, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9614 0023
In downtown Melbourne, a spot on the bank of the Yarra River is a prime piece of real estate. And the Arbory Bar & Eatery really makes the most of its coveted riverside position.
This bar is all about the outside space. On a sunny afternoon, it’s a great place to grab a spot on the deck, order a drink and watch the comings and goings along the waterfront.
Unlike many of the other venues on this best bars in Melbourne list, the Arbory is open from 7am until 1am daily. Given this, it serves a rolling menu of dishes that cover Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner and Late Night.
All of the above makes the Arbory Bar and Eatery worth an hour or 2 of your time. However, the establishment’s star attraction is rolled out for the warmer weather of Spring and Summer…(see Arbory Afloat below).
Fancy lazying around, eating and drinking into the afternoon? See our recommendations for the Best Bottomless Brunch Spots in Melbourne
Take your entertaining to the next level with these fabulous Bar Accessories. There’s everything from cocktail making kits to ice buckets and beer coolers.
Arbory Afloat
Location: 2, Flinders Walk, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9629 1547
Melbourne’s original floating bar may only have been launched 8 years ago, but it’s already a summer institution.
With 2 bars on one deck and a very popular upper level floating pool bar, it’s the place to be seen once the warmer days arrive.
Wanting to keep Arbory Afloat fresh, the owners like to give the floating bar a theme. Past inspirations have been Spain’s glorious Balearic Islands and the colours of Mexico. In contrast, this time around they are taking us even further south with the buzz of Rio, Brasil.
What does this mean? Think Salt Cod Croquettes, Lamb with Chimichurri Sauce and lots of Ceviche to get you started. Meanwhile, the drinks menu carries a range of ‘Carnival’ Cocktails, along side regular Cocktails, Wines, Spritzes and Non-Alcoholic tipples.
Arbory Afloat is already open for the season and has a number of exciting events already booked in for the summer. Our tip? Get in early for the Day of the Dead celebration. It’s bound to be a party and a half! See the website for details.
Do you like to shake up a cocktail at home yourself? Check out this stylish Bar Set. It even includes Australian cocktail recipe cards.
Bouvardia
Location: Level 2/168 Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC 3000
We’re calling it. Bouvardia Cocktail Bar is our favourite Melbourne bar at the moment. And we’re amazed that so few people appear to know about it.
Enter from Bourke St, clomp up the stairs and push through the door into one of the most beautiful drinking dens in town. The decor is a mix of malachite green marble with dusky pink accents in the plush furnishings. The lighting is subtle and enhances the bar’s sophisticated, opulent ambience.
And then there’s the drinks.
Bouvardia has a sister bar just upstairs on the a terrace open to the stars. Read our review of Pomelo Rooftop here.
Talk to the incredibly knowledgeable bar staff and they will quickly explain that Bouvardia is all about pushing the boundaries of cocktail making. Produce and process are the key cornerstones of every creation with an emphasis on sustainability and innovation. It might sound a bit Willy Wonka on acid, but the results are stunning – and truly delicious – glasses of wonder.
For a dedicated review of Bouvardia, click here.
And so the brilliantly named Dweller in the Gulf is a fruity concoction of tepache, pineapple falernum, honey + soy, pork, dyed charcoal black with cuttlefish ink. If the thought of animal products in your beverage freaks you out, don’t panic. The result is one of the most sublime pineapple punches you’ll ever taste.
Whiskey And Alement
Location: 270 Russell Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9654 1284
Found on Russell Street, Whiskey and Alement is a whiskey bar and world class drinking venue.
Every bartender you find at the bar will be more than happy to help you out if you’re new to the whiskey world. The bar even has access to the limited edition Scotch Malt Whiskey Society single cask bottlings.
Without this bar, you would need to pay at least $200 for a bottle. Instead, simply pop along to Whiskey and Alement to buy it by the nip and taste it for a price that is much more budget-friendly.
Is there a whisky lover in your house? Or perhaps you’re looking for a whisky-themed gift? This Whisky Stones and Glasses Gift Set makes the perfect present.
If you find yourself up in beautiful Noosa, check out these restaurants and bars.
La Perla
Location: 625 Camberwell Rod, Camberwell, VIC 3124 Ph: (03) 9654 6526
Away from Melbourne’s famously hip centre, the once dowdy suburbs are also coming alive with new bars.
Over in sleepy Camberwell, La Perla is offering a thoughtfully curated, Italian-focused wine list and some mean cocktails.
And then there’s their evening pizzas. Puffy based, flavoursome combinations like Wagyu Bresaola, Sugo, Dressed Bitter Greens & Grana Shavings, finished perfectly in their wood-fired pizza oven. Great with a cold beer or a glass of Sangiovese.
See our detailed review of La Perla here. We visited in June 2022 and were impressed.
Caretaker’s Cottage
Location: 139-141 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC 3000
This gorgeous little bar resides in – you’ve guessed it – an old caretaker’s cottage, nestled behind Wesley Church.
About an intimate as a drinking spot can get, this bar punches well above it’s weight. You see, Caretaker’s Cottage was ranked amongst the Best Bars in the World last year. A heady accolade indeed!
But really, it’s hardly surprising. The staff are super friendly, the ambience is warm yet most definitely cool – the music comes courtesy of a vinyl collection (need we say anymore?!) and the drinks list is lovingly curated.
Apart from the ever-popular liquorice-hued Guinness, there are a smattering of wines and beers on taps. And then there’s the cocktails. At Caretaker’s Cottage you’ll only find 6 mixes – 3 modern and 3 classic, plus a Martini – at a time. What’s more, there’s always a Milk Punch on the menu and having tried one, it’s a wonder more bars don’t serve versions of this quaint English tipple.
So next time you’re in the area, chance your arm and see if you can snag a corner in this divine wee place. You won’t regret it.
Editor’s Update: The team how bought us Caretakers Cottage have recently opened another venture – Three Horses over at 106 Little Lonsdale St. And whilst you can expect the same impeccable service, don’t go thinking it’ll be an imitation of the original. This bar is all about Sherry. And we’re here for it!
If you’re lucky enjoy to spend some time up in FNQ, see our post on the Best Restaurants in Port Douglas
Pearl Diver
Location: 56 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 7006 5144
And now for something a smidge different.
Pearl Diver – as the name implies – is an Oyster Bar. However, that’s certainly not the only drawcard – although their Oyster towers are rather special.
Here, the atmosphere is very much sophisticated speakeasy with classy bistro food to match. The absolute standout dish is a simple, yet fabulous Lobster Jaffle ($28), containing succulent chunks of crustacean folded in a dreamy Gruyere Bechamel. There’s even a Bisque Dip to dunk your posh Toastie in on the side.
Oh. And their Wine List and Cocktail selections are also pretty schmick. If you can’t get enough Oyster magic, we suggest you order the Sea & Shell Martini ($25). It’s a clever spin on a classic featuring the charms of Saint Felix Oyster Shell Gin.
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This is why I decided to set up my blog, Eatability, to share the best food and drink spots in Australia with as many people as possible. Hi, my name is Dylan Cole, and I moved to Australia five years ago from England, UK.
Through this blog, I will be sharing and recommending some of my favorite places you need to visit, such as where to find the best pizza in Adelaide, and the best bakery in Brisbane. Whatever food you are fancying, I have got you covered!
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