The Best Bars in Melbourne

Gracie’s idyllic courtyard is one of the more picturesque drinking spots in Melbourne, but the interiors of the Edwardian building it sits in, with its timber bar and hand-painted cartoon flowers, are equally charming.

Twenty-five-year-old Gracie’s founder Kelsie Gaffey, who went viral on TikTok after documenting the process leading up to the opening of her South Yarra bar, named it after her beloved nana, and it shows in the care and detail.

The food at Gracie’s leans towards the snacky end. Avail yourself of some freshly shucked oysters or order the fresh house-baked focaccia that comes with stracciatella, bresaola and hot honey to soak up all that alcohol. Gracie’s snack plate has a bit of everything — cured meats, cheese, seasonal pickles, lavosh and patatas fritas — while the meatball sub is perhaps the one thing on the menu designed not to share.

Gracie’s beverages feature mostly Australian wines, tap beers and a selection of cocktails, including a house spritz and a limoncello spritz. If you’re after a more intimate soiree, Gracie’s has a private dining room that can host up to 30 people. It’s easy to forget you’re on Toorak Road in an inner-city suburb once you’re inside Gracie’s.

Images: Jordan Price. 

Bar Selecta isn’t just any old bar. It’s a 10-seater, Tokyo-style music listening bar tucked away down a no-name laneway in Hawthorn. Drawing inspiration from Tokyo’s famed jazz kissatens and vinyl-listening cafes, Bar Selecta blends audiophile-level sound with expertly crafted drinks that range from small-batch Japanese whiskies, beers and sakes to music-inspired signature cocktails like the Sailor Moon Gimlet and negroni-adjacent Bittersweet FM. Ingeniously, drink specials tie into specific musical genres.

Nibbles are either chips or nuts — take your pick — while wine is divided into ‘white’ and ‘red’, with two Australian selections in each. Non-alcohol drinkers’ options are not to be sneezed at, with the Red Panda Fizz mocktail — Four Pillars non-alcoholic shiraz gin mixed in with pink grapefruit soda — and a coconut soda mocktail called Shyboy with toasted pineapple and yuzu. With a range of musos on the owner team, customers can look forward to a curated analogue sound experience featuring a rotating roster of the bar’s personal vinyl collections on a custom hi-fi system.

Image: Heart Media.

Capers can be one of many different things depending on when you visit. On weeknights, it’s a wine bar and restaurant suitable for parents. On Friday and Saturday nights, it morphs into the place to be for Gen Zs, which makes sense when you consider that cousins and co-owners Christian Evripidou and Anastasios Konnari opened it as a youthful alternative to old-school Greek tavernas. The interiors have the cosy, lived-in feel of a house, while the sun-dappled courtyard is a dreamy in summery months.

The homestyle food menu is divided into ‘meze’ (small plates that comprise things like marinated olives, grilled halloumi and Cypriot sausages) and ‘piata’ (larger plates that include the likes of spanakorizo, pastitsio and the famed dakos salad). In a nod to its inner north patrons, there’s a vegan moussaka with dairy-free bechamel and mushrooms in place of mince. Wines from Greece and Cyprus occupy primacy alongside a few local varieties, while cocktails incorporate Greek liqueurs and ingredients like traditional spirit skinos mastiha, plomari ouzo and Anglias Cypriot brandy to spin magical numbers like the Greek Salad Martini, a combination you didn’t know you needed but won’t regret trying. There are also beers, specialty spirits and non-alcoholic options.

If you’re deeply enmeshed in Melbourne’s electronic music scene, you would’ve heard or been to three-floor, Bauhaus-inspired music bar, Solace. Tucked down Croft Alley in the space that used to be the iconic Croft Institute, Solace showcases live acts across techno, house, deep house, breaks, jungle and electro. On the ground floor sits a bar and a central DJ booth. Ascend one floor and be met by a more relaxed space with couches. The top floor is the dance floor.

Like France Soir’s sister bar Le Splendide, no photos are allowed on the dance floor to encourage customers to live in the present. Drinks encompass cocktails, beers, wines, liquors and more. Expect classic cocktails like negronis, martinis and margaritas alongside more novel offerings, like the Sichuan Spicy Margarita that contains house-made Sichuan chilli sauce and a Sichuan-dusted rim, or the Caramel Slice, which reads like a dessert cocktail with its Sheep Dog peanut butter whisky, coffee liqueur and sugar syrup. The wine list leans towards local, independent, low-intervention producers from the Whitlands, King Valley, Heathcote and the Barossa. Snacks are limited to Chappy’s chips — you’re here for the music and drinks, not food. 

Image: James Whiting.

Perched aloft Collingwood Yards, Runner Up is a rooftop bar with stunning views of its surrounds. The vibe is a fun and playful blend of old and new with bold colours, 70s fitting and fixtures, and velvet curtains. The rooftop — suitable for whatever weather Melbourne throws at it with its retractable awning — can accommodate up to 70 people, and there’s often a rotating list of DJs from Thursdays to Sundays. 

Drop by between 5 and 7pm on weekdays for ‘golden hour specials’ that range from $7 shandy to $15 Tommy’s Tap Marg. Cheekily, ‘$9.99 all the time’ is a price tag attached to lager and the second-best red, white, orange and prosecco on the menu.  The wine list spotlights Victorian natural wine producers as well as a smattering from France, Italy and other parts of Australia. Cocktails are classic with a twist, like the espresso martini that features Biscoff-spiced vodka or the vodka martini that incorporates fresh tomato-infused vodka.  Snacks are limited to Chappy’s, mixed olives, dolmades, and the choice of either duck terrine or mushroom pate for something decadent to spread across pita crisps. If you’re hankering for something more substantial, order pizza from the nearby Thin Slizzy anytime from 5pm.

Melbourne is chock-full of rooftop bars, but there’s always room for more. Especially when they come in the form of Melbourne Place’s Mid Air. Completed at the end of 2024, this hotel rooftop bar is an absolute stunner, from its mid-century modern design and city views to the next-level Med-inspired eats and cocktails. Being a rooftop digs, there’s a strong focus on small bites — perfect for those spending long lunches sipping and snacking in the sun.

Start with fresh oysters and scallops with urfa and kelp butter before moving on to some damn tasty skewers. These will change somewhat regularly, but if you make it for the wagyu and quail renditions, be sure to add a few to the table. Those looking to remove all decision-making from the rooftop dining process can also opt for the $95 per person tasting menu. Cocktails, like the food, will change seasonally, with plenty of signature sips adorning the list. They cover all bases, from the fruity and sour side of the spectrum right through to rich and bitter amaro-heavy tipples.

The bloody mary is also a must-try, especially if you’re dropping by for a boozy weekend brunch. Yup, these folks are also opening up the rooftop to non-hotel guests every day of the week, making the most of the space. Get around shakshuka, eggs royal, house granola and damn good breakfast roll packed with bacon, hashbrowns, cheddar, tomato jam and a fried egg. 

Image: Kristoffer Paulsen.

Kewpie (formerly Bimbo) officially closed its doors for good in 2024, with locals sadly bidding farewell to the site’s legendary cheap pizzas and late-night parties. Fortunately, the site wasn’t empty for long, as a new group of owners moved in to quickly gut the space and transform it back into the Punters Club — a pub and live music venue that previously occupied the building throughout the 90s. The new Punters Club isn’t an exact replica, but more of an homage.

Local musicians will once again take centre stage here, with a stacked lineup of DJs and bands always on the cards. Food, on the other hand, is a significantly more elevated and playful affair. Head Chef Dylan Marshall is running the kitchen here, plating up classic pub fare with an Aussie twist. Get your tuna tartare served with a bag of Smith’s Salt & Vinegar Chips, kangaroo schnittys with mashed potatoes and pepper sauce and a fillet of fish with brown butter and capers. South Melbourne market dim sims even make an appearance on the menu alongside a Lune croissant bread and butter pudding served with Pidapipo pistachio gelato. It doesn’t get more local than that.

Perched atop a coworking hub and fitness studio in Collingwood’s Zero Gipps building, Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout is equal parts rooftop bar, lounge room and whimsical daydream. It’s the kind of place you can wander into on a whim, whether it’s for a post-work cocktail, a late-night snack, or just to watch the sunset thanks to its sweeping 360-degree city views.

Slowpoke has been brought to life by a trio of creatives whose collective resumé includes work with brands like Daybreak Festival, Tsu Lange Yor, 524 Flinders and Espace Noir, and together, they’ve created a venue that feels like a refined yet homely living room. The cocktail program heroes both fresh produce and unexpected combinations — you’ll also find considered zero-alc options, like house-brewed iced tea and homemade lemonade. An American diner-inspired food menu also nails the brief. Unlike the share plates that dominate wine bars throughout the city, the kitchen is going all-in on refined takes on comfort food. You won’t find focaccia or kingfish crudo here — instead, you’ll be tucking into hash brown fries with a secret sauce, a cheeseburger that’s part love letter to Macca’s, part gourmet reimagining, and apple pie for dessert.

If you can find it, Eau de Vie is one of the best cocktail bars in Melbourne. Down Malthouse Lane, next to a hotel car park, slip through the large wooden door and enter a new world. An intimate space, Eau de Vie is the kind of world where you feel as though you could find yourself sitting next to Jay Gatsby or Mr Fitzgerald himself. Choose a spot at the bar, or perhaps retire to one of the more private booths towards the back. Headed up by Greg Sanderson, the spot is a perfect balance of artistry and fun, and whatever you may be in the mood for, it’s likely they’ve got the perfect tipple.

The menu is sure to include something to take your fancy, and the bartenders are keen to whip up a drink to attend to personal taste. For the champagne drinkers, bubbles include Moet Brut Imperial N.V. or 2006 Kreglinger Brut Vintage. A good selection of red and white wines is also on the menu, with the 2011 Red Claw pinot gris and the 2009 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone from France being highlights. Beer drinkers are looked after with a small but considered list — go for the Beechworth Pale Ale or, for something heavier, try the Red Duck Porter. Match your drinks to a plate of freshly shucked oysters, tuna tartare, braised beef cheeks, fried cauliflower or crispy potatoes with truffle aioli and comte cheese. If all this decision-making gets too much, there is a chef’s choice ‘Feed Me’ degustation that will take you on a journey through both the cocktail and the food menus.

1806 is Melbourne’s old-world gem, where cocktails are king. Think 1920s prohibition theatricality to envisage a boozey sanctuary home to approximately 60 cocktails. Red velvet chairs accent the dark wooden decor, and from anywhere you sit, you’ll see strapping bartenders, waistcoats included, shaking and stirring for your viewing pleasure. There’s a mezzanine level, too, for those wanting an aerial view.

With capable staff, table service and an unassuming entrance, 1806 is a small bar drenched in classic Melbournian charm. 1806, the year that the cocktail was first defined in print, is a fitting name for a bar where cocktails take centre stage. As you peruse the menu, don’t be surprised if you find yourself happily lost in the history of the cocktail itself, forgetting the all-important decision of what to order. While cocktails can take their time when the bar is at capacity every Friday and Saturday night, they are well worth the wait. 1806’s food offerings are ideal for late-night cocktail-fuelled snacking or the essential pre-boozing lining of the stomach. IPA Korean fried chicken with honey mustard and pickled radish is a must order, while chilli garlic prawns, pulled pork sliders and caviar bumps will all satisfy your cravings.

Image: Arianna Leggiero. 

Head beneath Selina Hotel, just one door down from Degraves Street, to find the sequel to the famed Wax Museum Records shop that once sat in Campbell Arcade below Flinders Street Station, plus a set of live gigs every night of the week. Like the old record store, Wax Music Lounge aims to champion Melbourne’s diverse underground music scene — this time through hosting gigs rather than selling vinyl.

Wax Lounge Bar isn’t just a live music venue. It also holds up as an excellent drinking den in its own right. Behind the bar, the team is pouring Australian lo-fi natural wines, craft beers and signature cocktails dreamt up by bartender Pita Dixon (Joe Taylor, ex-Toff in Town). It even has a small kitchen pumping out pizzas and empanadas, so you don’t have to venture up to Flinders Street for eats. Either grab a seat by the stage or head to the pool table at the back of the bar to have a chill night out with great tunes simply being your background music.

Champagne, cognac and caviar. This is what Melburnians can expect from this CBD cocktail bar. The bar is the brainchild of the Speakeasy Group, the owners of cocktail classic Eau de Vie, Viking luxe bar Mjølner and whisky-serving Boilermaker House. Like its Sydney counterpart, the venue is inspired by Dashiell Hammett’s novel The Thin Man and its fictional crime-solving team, Nick and Nora Charles.

The sprawling venue boasts five distinct spaces (a main bar, salon, champagne parlour and a VIP lounge), three balconies, green marble, gold and dark wood finishes and a whopping 400 bottles of champagne on display. The latter is housed in a five-metre-long climate-controlled display case and features rare vintages alongside bubbles by the glass. For cocktails, the manual is organised by taste — a Speakeasy Group signature. For nibbles, while you drink, there are French-inspired snacks and share plates.

Images: Brook James

With an unusually late licence (until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays), this late-night Melbourne bar is a must-visit for those partying in Collingwood. On those nights, the curtained booths down the back of this small prohibition-style bar fill up fast while night crawlers also crowd the bar, the few tables that line the wall and the stools by the window, eventually sprawling outside where the busy Smith Street is heaving with folks lining up for Yah Yahs, The Lame Duck, and New Guernica.

One of the best longest-running bars in Melbourne, Caz Reitop’s Dirty Secrets has stacks of beers and wines available, but this local spot is best known for its long list of cocktails made by the super laidback and friendly bartenders who know exactly what they’re doing. It’s even home to one of the best espresso martinis in town, guaranteed to keep you going until the early hours.

Beermash ain’t your standard grog shop. The industrial-style space has exposed brick walls and an impressive 20 taps built into the wall behind the counter. Although owner Kieran Hennessy and partner Shayne Dixon initially built the shop around take-home ‘growlers’ and ‘squealers’ (refillable bottles of 1.89 litres and 950 millilitres, respectively), there’s never any shortage of people taking advantage of the drink-in options.

There are a few stools set up inside and stacks of seats out on Smith Street. Grab a spot outside when the sun is shining and take your time exploring the long list of expertly curated beers — or some of the few wines and cocktails available. And if you time it right, you’ll catch some chill DJ sessions on a busy weekend arvo.

We sadly bade farewell to Ferdydurke in 2024, one of our favourite bars in Melbourne’s CBD. But even though it’s now gone, the Office of Public Works group (Section 8, The Beast and formerly Ferdydurke) has teamed up with some of the hospo legends who originally helped set up Ferdydurke to create its replacement: Aster.

Thankfully, not too much has changed. The loft’s exposed brickwork and beams remain, as does the roaring fireplace and outdoor terrace. What you will notice though, is that it all feels a little more grown-up, from the contemporary wine list and refined snacks to the team replacing live gigs with DJs. Aster also has some serious date-night vibes but the crew still promises dancefloor energy on weekends.

At the end of 2023 we sadly bade farewell to Baby Snakes, one of the best wine bars in Melbourne. But just as soon as the team packed up, a trio of Melbourne hospo veterans stepped in to create a new bar in its wake. Jacob Bell (Whitehart), Jerry Poon (The Operatives) and Amber Hahipene (Section 8) have revived the space with some splashes of paint, new floors, house plants and more refined decor.

Where Baby Snake edged towards dive bar, Misfits is considerably sleeker and more put-together. The new bar isn’t losing any of the community feels, as it hosts workshops, panels and live recordings, alongside a weekly selection of local and international DJs. The team even uses the square behind Misfits for laneway parties, local arts and community festivals.

What happens when a bunch of affable booze reps turn their hands to opening a bar? You get Mr West — a bottleshop and bar in Footscray that offers flagons of rosé and more beers than your mates could squirrel away for a winter weekend away. The downstairs bottleshop is open every day. And you can sit in amongst the dark woody hues, enjoying a brew with your hops-loving cohort. There are shelves of beers — sours, stouts, IPAs, you name it — with regular staff reccos and guest brews always hitting the right spot.

It’s the kind of place you head to for an after-work drink, take your dog to on weekends (to the upstairs pup-friendly area) or rock up to solo and sit amongst the locals. And while it’s the 24 taps of beer that have been drawing the crowds, we are equally obsessed with this the mezcal range at this inner-west bar. Hand-selected from locals in Mexico and gifts from friends, the offerings are rare and unique. You can even drink your way through them during one of the Friday night tastings.

For lovers of sound and great cocktails, the most exciting offering of four-storey mega-venue HER (from the guys behind Arbory and Arbory Afloat) is Music Room. Tucked away within this hidden Melbourne bar, you’ll find yourself sipping mandarin Cosmopolitans, Golden Gay Time milk punches or perhaps something from the bumper lineup of champagne, as you kick back listening to exclusive DJ residencies and HER’s 3000-strong collection of hard-to-find vinyl.

The space itself is lined with American walnut panels, dotted with small holes to give the feel that you’re inside a giant speaker box. You even enter the venue through a sound-locked room that’s pretty easy to miss — these guys take acoustic fidelity very seriously.

A laidback gem down the Abbotsford end of Johnston Street, Lulie Tavern’s warehouse space is an outright charmer. The whole downstairs space — both downstairs and on the Full Moon Fever roof — is decked out like an old-world US saloon bar, but the theme is far from naff. They aren’t leaning too heavily into the honky tonk vibes.

Instead, what you’ll get is great beers and cocktails, live music, a pool table that takes centre stage and a great dog-friendly atmosphere — don’t be surprised to see big pups walking round the bar inside begging for cuddles. For food, expect plenty of Tex-Mex eats and classic US bar food, including tacos, burgers and hot wings. It’s a no-brainer spot to hit up when you’re treading down Johnston Street.

Bar Ampere is serving up back-alley Parisian bar vibes, in all the best ways. Head down Russell Place in Melbourne’s CBD any night of the week to find this small but mighty late-night drinking and dining spot filled with those in the know.

Find classic European small bites like raclettes, steak tartare, and ham and cheese croquettes alongside some bigger mouthfuls like burgers and sandos. But it’s the drinks list that makes Bar Ampere stand out. The cocktail and spirits menu is vast, so we suggest you get one of the waiters to recommend your first drink. Tell them your tastes and they’ll bring you one of their own creations. As you sip on cocktail number one — there ought to be many — read through the rest of the drinking options and choose your next poison.

Siglo is an old favourite among many a Melbourne city worker. It was once somewhat of a hidden gem, located up a narrow set of stairs on Spring Street — but these days the word is well and truly out. The Melbourne rooftop bar gets packed with suits after work and the late-night drinkers flock here until close at 3am.

Up at Siglo, it is all very European, from the old school Parisian-style chairs and tables topped with white linen to the food and drinks menu. During hot afternoons, the rooftop is full of spritz drinkers, and as the sun sets over Parliament House, the vermouth sipping-red wine swirling-Melburnians take over — adding some small plates of charcuterie and olives to their luxe bar experience. You can even order from Siglo’s cigar menu if you’re feeling up for hitting the humidor.

Melbourne added to its ever-growing collection of basement drinking dens with the arrival of The Mulberry Group’s Dessous. Gracing the Flinders Lane space beneath sibling Hazel in the T&G Building, Dessous is one of the city’s finest hideaway wine bars.

Dessous is a warm and moody assembly of deep greens, plush velvet and dark timber — a comfy, subterranean escape you’ll be in no rush to leave. The food menu is Southeast Asian-inspired — expect to see the likes of taro fritters, pork katsu sandos, roasted bone marrow with sticky rice, and steamed duck leg in pickled lime broth. Meanwhile the drinks menu is truly stacked. Get around the mighty big international wine list, or opt for some stellar signature cocktails.

Image: Jana Langhorst

Wild child Heartbreaker is an easy addition to this list of the best bars in Melbourne. It’s an American-style dive bar through and through, oozing cool-kid attitude and promising good times aplenty. We’re talking red neon signs, black leather booths, a pool table and a jukebox chock full of old school rock ‘n’ roll. With a 3am closing time Thursday through Saturday, no less.

Refreshment options include a solid slew of both local and US craft beers, with a tidy tap rotation serving up plenty of hits from the likes of Hop Nation, Grifter, Philter and Stomping Ground. A strong selection of whisky, mezcal and tequila is primed for rocking nights out, while the cocktail lineup showcases the full range of Everleigh Bottling Co batched sips — from famed classics like the negroni and martini, to sparkling creations like the gin-infused Fruit Cup.

Opening its doors in 2016, this tiny bar hidden one floor above Smith Street (atop Beermash) positioned itself among the city’s cocktail-slinging elite right from the get-go. The brainchild of veteran bartender Hayden Scott Lambert, Above Board has scooped numerous awards and accolades in the years since its launch, including ranking 44th in the World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2021.

Lambert is the mind behind the stellar drinks list and it’s often him on the tools here, bringing those concoctions to life, using his cocktail smarts to match palates with particular pours, and setting the tone with top-notch banter.The drinks menu is an oft-changing one, but always replete with gold thanks to Lambert’s creative flair and knack for balance. Opt for a beautifully executed classic, or dive right into the signature sips — either way, prepare to be impressed at this award-winning Melbourne bar.

Byrdi is internationally recognised as being one of the best bars in Melbourne — it even ranked in The World’s 50 Best Bars 51-100 list in 2021 and 2023. But what makes this small 40-seat Melbourne CBD bar so damn special?

The outstanding cocktails. They’re unlike just about any other in the city. The expert bartenders use the site’s own lab to create new and exciting ingredients while constantly trying out fresh and innovative flavour combos. If you can nab a seat within its gorgeous confines, be sure to try a few different creations. We find picking just one to be an impossible feat.

Little Lonsdale Street’s Caretaker’s Cottage has regularly made The World’s 50 Best Bars list — coming in at number 23 in 2023 — and is one of our favourite drinking dens in the city.

Hailing from bartenders and owners Rob Libecans, Ryan Nordics and Matt Stirling, Caretaker’s Cottage is known for being a subtle temple to great drinks. You’re not going to find overworked and overly theatrical bevs cross the bar here. But you will find the classics done brilliantly, and signature sips made with great care. It’s even known for having one of Melbourne’s coldest martinis — if that tickles your fancy — and serves a mean Guinness.

Gerald’s Bar is more than just an idiosyncratic local for Carlton North residents. It’s the definition of what us grown ups want in a small bar: a relaxed atmosphere, golden service, and a compact but considered menu. Owner, Gerald Diffey, makes strange sense out of Nan’s lace curtains, kitsch sporting paraphernalia, a stupendously broad wine list, vintage vinyl, and a food menu that changes daily. And this is exactly why we love him.

Every nook and cranny of this place oozes cosy out-of-the way small Melbourne bar. Gerald’s may very well have put an end to the bar-hopping tendencies of industry folk with its atmospheric booze-den perfection. A package of charming décor, affable staff, and enviable food and beverage excellence, Gerald’s is North Carlton’s unchallenged gem.

Things may change slightly with their move to 920 Lygon Street, but what will never change is the love locals have for Gerald’s Bar.