The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne

Spend a few days in Melbourne and you will quickly become aware that the Victoria capital is blessed with more than its fair share of watering holes.

Maybe you like the intimacy of a date night perfect cocktail bar, complete with innovative concoctions? Or perhaps you crave the glamour of a buzzy rooftop bar with stunning city views? Is the relaxed friendliness of a neighbourhood pub, where you can grab a schooner and chill in a beer garden, more your speed? Alternatively, do you lean towards the noise and vibrancy of the dancefloor, and like to end Saturday night in one of the city’s many night clubs?

Or are you a lover of a good wine bar?

Whilst Melbourne definitely offers all of the above – and more – if the latter sparks your interest, then you are in luck.

The last few year has seen an explosion of venues catering to lovers of the grape. And not just in the CBD. Many of the new wave of establishments are in the once sleepy suburbs.

So join us as we open a few bottles and walk you through some of the best wine bars in Melbourne.

Napier Quarter

Location: 359 Napier St, Fitzroy, VIC 3065 Ph: (03) 9416 0666

We are not ashamed to say that we are opening our guide to the best wine bars in Melbourne with a bit of a favourite.

Napier Quarter describes itself as a neighbourhood wine bar and that is very much the case – if that neighbourhood were in Paris.

Dinky, but with heaps of soul, Napier Quarter likes to keep things simple, but do them really well. This means a comparatively small, but carefully curated, wine list, which never becomes stagnant. The team champion plenty of small wineries and are happy to advise the uninitiated.

Food-wise, the importance of quality produce is clear. For those in the know, the Mini Anchovy Toast is a must-order item. Another sure-fire winner is pretty much anything that would happily sit on a Charcuterie Board. At the time of writing this, a friend is driving us mad banging on about how amazing the current Chicken & Prune Terrine with Remoulade and Mustard is. And she’s probably right.

Extra points also have to go to Napier Quarter for the fact that it is technically an Espresso & Wine Bar. This means that you can start begin your day there with a very decent coffee and then pop in for a rustic dinner on your way home. And if their hospitality becomes too much, you can even stay over at the adjoining Napier Guesthouse.

See? The perfect neighbourhood wine bar.

Lilac Wine Bar

Location: 31 Stephenson St, Cremorne, VIC 3121 Ph: (03) 9973 2061

Once the meek little sister suburb of lively Richmond, these days Cremorne is a hot-bed of cafes, bakeries, restaurants and bars. And Lilac Wine Bar, with its New York loft vibe and converted warehouse interior, is one of the originals in this new wave of venues.

Whilst the front of the premises may be low-key, the interior is large. And intentions are clear from the start with a long bar running along the left of the room – complete with a selection of vinyl and a turntable. In fact, music is such an integral part of Lilac Wine’s identity that the Wine List uses musical genres to help you navigate the various bottles. If you like biodynamic and organic wineries, then you’ll love propping up the bar here.

For a full and detailed review of Lilac Wine Bar, click here.

But please don’t ignore the Food Menu. Although the sublime Chicken Mousse Eclair has sadly departed with its creator to Hazel Melbourne, there’s still plenty to salivate over. The Beef Tartare, Hash Brown & Garum ($10) has great punch and the Stracciatella, Roast Beetroot, Hazelnut & Sorrel ($28) is as delicious as it is pretty.

Lastly, keep your eye on the Lilac Wine Bar Socials as the team loves a collaboration. The current calendar include an On The Grill series of dinners where various Chef’s take over the wood-fired kitchen for an evening.

Kirk’s Wine Bar

Location: 46 Hardware Ln, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: (03) 9600 4550

Continuing on with our recommendations for the finest wine bars in Melbourne, we have the charming Kirk’s Wine Bar on thriving Hardware Lane.

With its vivid scarlet awning and red and white striped cane chairs clustered on the pavement, we are very much back in the European mold. Inside, the French-leaning ambience continues. Sit at a table near one of the expansive windows and you could be people-watching in Paris rather than Melbourne.

The crew at Kirks Wine Bar are devotees of low intervention wineries. Although an intimate spot, the range of organic and biodynamic wines on their list is impressive. And global. Any apparent corner watering hole that opens its Wine List with 20 genuine Champagne offerings has our attention. But then this is a cousin of the equally sophisticated City Wine Shop (more on that later), so the pedigree is there.

Pleasingly, the eating at Kirk’s is also of the highest quality. A Pig’s Head Doughnut with Gribiche ($10) might not appeal to everyone, but don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. Similarly, the Potato, Taleggio & Chive Agnoletti with Pickled Walnut & Brown Butter ($25) is perfectly executed.

No wonder so many patrons nip in for a glass of Spanish Tempranillo and end up staying for dinner.

Marion Wine Bar

Location: 53 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, VIC 3065 Ph: (03) 9410 6262

If you’ve spent any time at all in Melbourne, you’ll know that one of the Victorian capital’s big-hitters is Andrew McConnell. A man with a culinary Midas touch, he is the creative force behind such diverse foodie favourites as Asian fusion Supernormal, fine dining Gimlet, contemporary darling Cumulus Inc – and Marion.

The decor at Marion Wine echoes that of Cumulus and more from the McConnell stable – very clean and industrial. The food has the maestro’s fingerprints all over it. Great quality produce, sourced with care and cooked with love that almost oozes into the plate. As is often the case at great venues, the menu reads simply, but tastes complex. And so a dish of Raw Tuna, White Soya and Horseradish punches well above its weight.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect Wine Aerator or a reliable Meat Thermometer, we can help. Take a look at our exhaustive range of useful Kitchen Gadgets.

But Marion’s is on our list of the best wine bars in Melbourne, and so it is the Drinks List that really sparkles. Not least as it’s one of the most layered that you’ll find. We love the attention paid to Orange Wines – more please, wine bars! – and the fact that the in-house grape buffs humour us flibbertigibbets with half bottles. Love is also shown to low-intervention wines.

Honestly, if you value Wine, we defy you to not find something that excites you at Marion Wine Bar.

For a spin through some of the Best Bottomless Brunches in Melbourne, see here

Embla

Location: 122 Russell St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 Ph: 0455 122 121

It feels as if Embla has been an essential part of the Melbourne dining scene for ever.

Moody, with an industrial chic interior that is so very Melbourne, even after all this time, getting a table here can still be a challenge. And rightly so. In an era when every other restaurant and bar seems to be firing up the grill, Embla was one of the original venues to embrace a wood-fired oven.

These days, the menu continues to delight and surprise in equal measure. Whilst the Soured Cucumber, Feta & Dill ($15) is a take on a classic, the Globe Artichoke Tart, Comte Curd, Pine Nut & Meyer Lemon ($26) is more challenging, but just as rewarding. And the Whole Rainbow Trout, Fennel, Tarragon & Fermented Potato ($50) is outstanding.

Of course, this is first and foremost one of the top wine bars in Melbourne. So what of the drinks?

For a full and detailed review of Embla, see here.

Well, wine is very much the focus at Embla Melbourne, with Cocktails taking a backseat. But when a Wine list is this interesting – and witty – it would be rude to order a spirit.

With so much going for it, we reckon Embla will be with us for a long time yet.

If you are lucky enough to find yourself in WA wine country, refer to our guide to the Best Restaurants in Margaret River

Old Palm Liquor

Location: 133B Lygon St, Brunswick East, VIC 3057 Ph: (03) 9380 2132

If only every suburb in Melbourne had a local like Old Palms Liquor.

From it’s indoor-outdoor stylishly shabby aesthetic to the warm personalism of it’s staff to the generous Drinks List and the superb, constantly evolving Food Menu.

In case you hadn’t noticed. We like this joint. A lot.

At Old Palm Liquor, a nibble as seemingly basic as Coconut Creamed Lentils, Curry Leaf, Tomato & Cracker ($10) is enough to have you salivating for more. Follow it with the 400g Butterflied Corner Inlet Rock Flathead, Garlic, Parsley & Lemon ($65) and you’ll be a happy bunny. Particularly if you pair it with a glass or 2 of the 2024 Ngeringa ‘Sheoak’ (bio-Min) Chardonnay ($18) from the Adelaide Hills.

As we write, there is also an amazing dessert of Cognac Dates, Toasted Sorghum Sorbet, Apple & Pecan on the menu. And yes. We would happily book a table just to eat that. Although, we would never refuse one of their expertly crafted Negronis either.

Bar Romanee

Location: Yarraville Village, 25 Anderson St, Yarraville, VIC 3013 Ph: (03) 9687 8451

Yarraville and its surrounds continues to produce interesting dining and drinking options and Bar Romanee is no exception.

Previously a Bakers Delight, these days this elegant wine bar wears its Parisian bistro-influenced heart on its sleeve, both decor and menu-wise. We really like the smoothing teal, green and white colour palette.

We’d like to make a case for the deceptively simple Anchovy, Potato Crisp & Caesar ($8ea) being almost as arresting a mouthful as the famous Anchoa at MoVida Melbourne Similarly memorable is the gently giving Flathead, Sea Herbs & Lemon with a sublime Saffron Beurre Blanc ($54).

The team flirts knowingly with Cocktails and the Wine List reflects the classic European nature of the food.

All-in-all, Bar Romanee is another strong win for the good people of Yarraville.

Etta

Location: 60 Lygon St, Brunswick East, VIC 3057 Ph: (03) 9448 8233

When a town has as many excellent small restaurants and drinking spots as Melbourne, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. But stand-out Etta Dining definitely does.

Whilst the front of this little trend-setter is a dinky Wine Bar, we would argue that the real magic happens in the kitchen through the back.

Maybe it’s great choices, or maybe it’s pure luck, but Etta has a proven track record for finding emerging chefs and giving them rein with the menu. Once the domain of Rosheen Kaul, the current creative force is fermentation expert Lorcan Kan and Etta’s food has continued to evolve under his eye.

For a full and detailed review of Etta, see here

On a recent visit, the (very pleasant) surprise of the meal was a pairing of Scallop with Bay of Fires Cheddar & Pickled Apple ($14ae). It sounded weird, but boy was it good! Another wonderful dish is the Rock Flathead, Kombu Cara Cara Butter & Charred Radicchio ($62). Here, the bitterness of the torched leaves is the perfect foil for the sweet, delicate fish flesh.

Lastly, we have to mention the serve. It’s elite, and yet another reason why this is one of the top wine bars in Melbourne.

Gracie’s Wine Room

Location: 27 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, VIC 3141

Gracie’s Wine Room has all the essentials for a chilled night out. A warm vibe inside the main space of exposed brick walls and comfy wooden bar and a lush green courtyard for a balmy evening. Heck. There’s even a turntable.

The food menu is dinky, but yum. We will devour any Lobster Roll offered to us and the one at Gracie’s ($22) – with complete with Salmon Caviar in an airy Brioche Bun – it no exception.

On a warm night, a table out the back is the perfect place to unwind with a Limoncello Spritz or a chilled glass of dry Australian White Wine.

Head to Gracie’s to kick off an evening and you may well find yourselves staying til closing!

East End Wine Bar

Location: Camberwell Junction Shopping Precinct, 225 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East, VIC 3123 Ph: (03) 9882 2212

The Wine Bar revolution took a while to take hold in Camberwell. Not least, as part of the area was a decades old ‘dry zone’ until 2021. However, in recent years, the locals have embraced an early evening Pinot and a nibble whole-heartedly, with spots like East End Wine Bar coming into their own.

This is a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ venue. A small doorway and discreet window tucked in next to the bigger Young’s Wine Rooms (also a great option for a drink and meal), conveniently positioned opposite the Rivoli Cinema. Step inside and you’re in a Tardis of a space, with the narrow front bar opening into a generous dining/drinking area through the back. Heck, there’s even a courtyard.

Wine is the focus here and the range is extensive.

The Food Menu is good too, with House-made Pizzas the star of the show. Check out their names, and you get a clue as to who co-owns this welcoming joint. There’s a Gawny ($25) with Pork Sausage, Pickled Chilli, Tomato & Fior Di Latte – a clear hint that Melbourne Ruck star Max Gawn is involved.

Incidentally, Gawn and his business partners also run Motor – a Wine Bar in a lovely old renovated garage on Glenferrie Road Hawthorn. Similarly, Wine-focused, but with a larger cast of supporting drinks and a fuller menu, it’s another great option if you’re in the vicinity.

Editor’s Note: We are currently in the process of updating this article. Please bookmark us and come back for further reviews.