The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne
Considered fitouts, elevated shared plates and a uniquely curated wine offering — these are our favourite wine bars across the city.
The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne
Considered fitouts, elevated shared plates and a uniquely curated wine offering — these are our favourite wine bars across the city.
The wine bar occupies a liminal space between restaurant and watering hole — a place to pass time, a place to meet friends, a place to explore a menu of elevated small and share plates. In Melbourne, these venues often appear on the quieter streets of suburbs, with considered fitouts and distinct, individual personas.
If you have a local, it's likely you already frequent it. But if you want to broaden your horizons, we've rounded up our favourite wine bars across the city. Don't be fooled by the moniker, these venues punch far above their weight in culinary offering, and each comes with a uniquely curated wine offering — from minimal intervention and locally grown, to rare European drops. Salut.
Recommended reads:
The Best Bars in Melbourne
The Best Pubs in Melbourne
The Best Boutique Bottle Shops in Melbourne
The Best Bars in the Melbourne CBD
-
34
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.
-
33
Simultaneously a wine shop and a wine bar, Public Wine Shop has been satiating the tastebuds of North Fitzroy-ians since opening at the end of 2020. Minimal intervention wines that contain organically farmed grapes and no additives are the stars of the show at Public Wine Shop. But the accompanying food is nothing to be sneezed at. Squeeze into the intimate setting that can fit up to 20 people and enjoy a selection of seasonally changing, French-leaning dishes put together with produce from small, dedicated local farms.
Enjoy kimbito olives in chilli oil. Avail yourself of Loafer’s bread with cultured butter and the add-on options of salami and cervelle de canut. Bigger dishes on the eclectic menu range from spaghetti with delicata squash and basil pistou to pork and crab wontons doused in a mushroom xo sauce and garnished with chervil. To finish, the dessert menu includes as many sweet treats as it does cheese. If you prefer to end your meal on a more savoury note, choose from the likes of Shropshire hard cow’s cheese, Lombardy semi-hard cow’s cheese and a Basque sheep’s blue.
Image: Dominic Xavier.
-
32
Le Splendide is the newish Parisian-style bar from French fine dining institution France-Soir, mirroring a trend of restaurants such as Gimlet, Entrecote and Scopri that have opened up proximate bars. Obscured by burgundy drapes and neighbouring the 40-year venue, Le Splendide has an unusual rule to match its pedigree — no photography is allowed. Everyone who steps into its opulent confines must paper over their phone camera with a supplied pink heart-shaped sticker.
Le Splendide’s appeal lies then not in the virality of platforms such as TikTok, but in the mystery of what it is in this age of social media and relentless documentation. French-leaning wine by the glasses across a variety of price points, Kronenbourg beer on tap and classic cocktails (you’ll want to try the martini) are on offer. There’s no kitchen per se at Le Splendide, but you’ll be able to avail yourself of a small list of finger food assembled by the bar staff themselves — think oysters, terrine, lobster rolls, salmon gravlax, duck rillettes and caviar.
Image: Kristoffer Paulsen.
-
31
Charming hand-drawn menus on blackboards, exposed brick walls, vinyl collections and an abundance of natural light are what await you when you step into Bar Holiday in Lincoln Square — the former airy home of Kaprica. A succinct selection of wines, beers, Victorian spirits and Italian aperitifs are available at Bar Holiday, which is one of those bars where you can sit down for a hearty meal instead of having to adjourn to a restaurant after. Think casarecce blanketed in a pork and fennel ragu — a mainstay on the menu — pasta e fagioli, barramundi served alongside a prawn bisque, and tarragon chicken with brussels sprouts and a mustard sauce.
If you’re hankering for a snack, Bar Holiday does those too — Sicilian olives, white anchovy toast, and eggplant chips are some of the many on offer. If you’d like to skip straight to dessert, there’s the likes of a burnt cheesecake or French cheeses like a triple cream brie and comté. More than capable of holding its own in the sea of Italian eateries in Carlton, Bar Holiday is a spot you’ll keep returning to time and time again. It’s both a classic neighbourhood bar and a destination worth travelling for.
Image: Danielle Castano.
-
30
Entrecote is the latest restaurant to open a side bar and it’s Gigi, an extravagant hidden upper-level bar tucked off Greville Street with soft lighting, crystal chandeliers, velvet finishings and ravishing Persian rugs. Gigi’s signature cocktail — the Gigi — features gin enlivened with a sweet green pea syrup, elderflower and lemon, while the Tiki Cinnamon, Pandan Negroni, and Mango and Lemongrass expertly blend eclectic global influences.
Wines are predominantly from French regions, with a smattering of Australian and Italian varietals, and bottles range from below $100 to upwards of $700. Digestifs and a curated selection of beers and ciders are also available. You may not be at Gigi for the food, but that doesn’t mean the menu that melds luxury with comfort isn’t worth trying. There are caviar tartlets, caramelised French onion dip served alongside potato crisps. The la petite sœur cheeseburger — a jam-packed bite of Emmental cheese, pickles, and the bar’s signature café de Entrecôte butter. Gigi’s macarons to finish — choose from a holy trinity of chocolate, pistachio and rosewater flavours. Don’t forget to catch views of the lush adjoining Grattan Gardens from the openair terrace.
Image: Annika Kafcaloudis.
-
29
Three-storey Swanston Street stalwart Dom’s is perfect for whatever weather Melbourne might throw at it. The first floor is laidback and casual with its leather booths, the second-floor bar has a-free-to-play pool table, and the semi-covered rooftop bar — heated in cooler months — boasts some of the best views in Melbourne.
The menu at Dom’s is broadly divided into snacks – featuring deep-fried goodness like mozzarella croquettes and anchovy potato skin – and wood-fired pizzas made from three-day slow-fermented sourdough. The margherita and cheese pizzas are about the only the classic ones on the menu. Expect the likes of the snow pea pizza on a garlic base, the roast pumpkin and guanciale pizza with stilton, and the diavola which has a kalamata olive base topped with dry spiced salami and fefferoni peppers. For that interplay between sweet and savoury, you can’t go past the mortadella and fermented honey pizza. Drinks range from Italian natural wines to cocktails and local spirits. The sparkling red wine varietal of Lambrusco is especially a focus at Dom’s – an entire page of the drinks list is dedicated to it.
Image: Dasha Kud
-
28
This 50-seater wine bar has taken residence in a former light fitting store on Swan Street, and prides itself on a minimal intervention wine list that spotlights French, Italian and, to a lesser extent, Australian producers — courtesy of wine aficionado Lyndon Kubis who operated Collingwood’s The Moon and The Alps in Prahran. A long communal table occupies the centrestage at Clover, with soothing brown tones and wine bottle-lined walls accentuating the cosy feel. ‘Food cooked solely over fire’ is the drawcard at Clover, with a menu designed by owner and chef Charley Snadden-Wilson of Etta and Embla fame.
What that means in practice? The highly vaunted housemade honey bread – described as part-sourdough, part-Shokupan – slathered with cultured butter. A bacon sandwich. Raw fish with smoked orange and chilli. Pork chop served alongside smoked pear and mustard. Smoked potato with savoury butter. The word ‘smoked’ appears plenty on the menu, testament to the brick woodfired oven and grill that’s the centrepiece of the open kitchen. Warmer months are for settling into Clover’s brick-paved courtyard and enjoying some of the meticulously curated cocktail selections.
-
27
Sunhands straddles the line between cafe and wine bar, transitioning from one into the other on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Founded by first-time business owner Ishella Butler and Heartattack and Vine co-owners Nathan Doyle and Matt Roberts, Sunhands combines ingenuity with experience through an ever-changing menu with head chef Phil Tran of Carlton Wine Room fame at the helm.
Small-scale, local producers and vegetables from Keilor’s Day’s Walk Farm are prioritised in the construction of the dynamic menu, which can range from the signature ‘pick and mix’ Sunhands plate chock full of seasonal produce and dippy eggs with soldiers during the day to oysters, pickled octopus and cured fish come sundown. The wine list spotlights local winemakers who engage in natural and biodynamic practices. A wine shop, deli, café and wine bar all in one, Sunhands is a versatile offering that satiates the appetites of locals as much as it’s come to embody a destination you’d travel for.
-
26
A short meander from Richmond station, Lenny’s wine list is over 130 bottles-strong, and can be enjoyed either while you’re at Lenny’s or taken away to be drunk in the comfort of your own home. There’s a short list of snacks that range from olives and cheese plates to focaccia, but for something more substantial, order pizza from the adjacent Homeslice — a tradition adopted from our favourite Melbourne wine bars like Joe’s Shoe Store and the like.
Themed days are the go at this quaint wine bar. Sunday Spritz features all-day $10 spritzes. Monday is Vinyl Mondays with records spinning all night, $12 negronis and no corkage on all bottles of wine purchased in-house. Between the witching hours of 4 and 4pm, it’s aperitivo hour with $10 spritzes, $12 negronis and $11 wines. In warmer months, avail yourself of the 25-person, leaf-lined courtyard out the back, or sit inside in the sun-filled interiors on the custom-made wooden benches for a chance to enjoy local artist Luke Tarlinton’s murals. Like any of Melbourne’s best wining and dining destinations, Lenny’s is good year-round.
-
25
Visiting Commis’ website grants you a window into the Collingwood wine bar’s ethos — cheeky, playful, exceedingly fun. There’s a little ditty about drinks, the reassurance that it’s as suitable for a date as it is for dinner with in-laws. It’s spot on. Started by the same people behind Melbourne institution Gerald’s, Commis has class — even if it doesn’t take itself too seriously. As with all the best eateries, Commis’ menu is ever changing. It’s a loose iteration of modern Australian, with ingredients procured from local producers like Day’s Walk Farm and Two Hands Fish.
You can expect baked scallops, fried brussel sprouts, panisse chips topped with leek salt, venison ossobuco garnished with parsley root and gremolata. Or you can try the staff meal – leftovers from the day’s trade that are then fashioned into staff meals that customers can order too. The wine list can be sorted by mood rather than type, depending on which side of the menu you flip over. Feel like a Wednesday night wine, easy on the palate and the pocket? You may opt for a Jumping Juice chenin blanc from Margaret River or a grillo from Sicily. Feel like Tom Hanks i.e. wines that everybody likes? You may have a nebbiolo from Italy’s Piedmont region or a vermentino from South Australia’s Clare Valley.
-
24
The strip that houses 50-seater Coburg wine bar Gemini hasn’t traditionally been home to such establishments. But Gemini is part of a wave of wine bars that are coming to Sydney Road, started by Coburg-based Geminis Tresna Lee and Shane Farrell. There’s a true community spirit at the crowd-funded Gemini, which pays it forward by hosting local gatherings, tastings and co-working sessions while defying easy categorisation. It’s an all-day eatery that doubles as a pantry and bottle shop.
The European-leaning menu helmed by chef Sriram Aditya Suresh by day includes a lunch-only continental platter and a daily-changing Gemini bar sandwich. By night, the menu has share plates that spotlight the likes of skewered octopus in sweet gochujang, wagyu beef carpaccio, delicata squash with Mount Zero beluga lentils and miso-candied walnuts. Wines mostly feature local producers, with a smattering of French wines, while beer, cider and non-alcoholic drinkers are well-catered for. If you fancy a cocktail, there’s the house negroni and tommy’s cocktail or what’s fashioned a ‘flawless’ martini with milk and honey vodka. Sit amid Gemini’s exposed brick walls and warm timber and feel at home in a space that’s a true local. Third top image: Grace Petrou.
-
23
What Bijou lacks in space it makes up for in sheer coolness. The tiny bottle shop and bar is walk-ins only – it’s the perfect space to order a wine or two before a show, or have a night cap after dinner. Towering wine-lined shelves are the cosy backdrop to a drink at Bijou, which was founded by Ben Luzz — the same person behind much-loved Melbourne institution Gin Palace and Bar Ampere as well as the newer Black Kite Commune. Luzz knows what he’s doing with this space that takes its name from a theatre that once graced Little Collins.
Bijou’s selection of boutique wine and spirits perennially includes well-known local and international varietals as well as lesser-known ones. They open new wines by the glass every day, or you can select a bottle from any of the shelves looming over you and enjoy it in-store for an extra $25. But you don’t only have to be a wine drinker to have a tipple at Bijou – the cocktail list has classics like the old fashioned. While Bijou isn’t a dining destination per se, it does have snacks to complement its drinks menu. Expect small bites like a truffle and white bean tartinade, charcuterie boards perfect for sharing, or a croque fromage.
Image: Dean Schmideg
-
22
Greek restaurants are a dime a dozen in the diasporic heartland of Oakleigh, but Greek wine bars are a less common phenomenon. Enter Olympia, a venture from former DJ Nick Flaounas. Above Oakleigh Market, Olympia is spread across two levels. There’s an indoor wine bar on the first floor and a rooftop bar in what used to be the market’s car park.
The instantly recognisable blue and white colour scheme — synonymous with Greece — olive trees on the rooftop transport you instantly to the Mediterranean. The share menu has mouth-watering bites like Fremantle pickled octopus, saganaki croquettes, shallow-fried calamari, marinated pork skewers, and lobster and prawn rolls. Greece is as well-known for its wine as it is for its cuisine, and at Olympia, you’ll find local wines peppered in among sauvignon blanc from the Peloponnese, syrah from Aigialeia and sparkling rosé from Naoussa. House cocktails span the likes of espresso martinis and Tommy’s margaritas while seasonal cocktails spotlight ingredients like Greek coffee liqueur in the Kafethaki Martini and the black wine grape of Mavrodafni in the mulled wine.
-
21
Wine bars from the likes of well-established restaurants are documented enough to be a trend, but what differentiates Scopri’s fun younger sibling, Bar Olo, from the rest is the equal focus it places on food and drink. Part luxurious curtains once you step into the doorway, and be transported into a warm, cosy space that can house up to 40 people and has plenty of timber finishings.
The food menu isn’t overly long, but there’s enough on it to warrant return visits, and mains encompass both pastas and meat dishes. Wine choices encased in a leather-bound booklet borrow heavily from Italy, particularly the northwestern Piemonte region, while the inventive cocktails include the Barolo Sour — an Italian take on a pisco sour — the Amaro Dacquiri and the Sangiovese Bramble.
Image: Vanessa Claire Photography.
-
20
Nestled down the quiet end of Brunswick Street since mid-2017, Fitzroy bar Amarillo sports a sunny disposition. Its name is Spanish for yellow, so the upbeat mood fits. Before evening arrives, it also boasts a light-filled space that’s perfect for leisurely drinks — which is perfect for making the most of golden hour in a cosy, welcoming neighbourhood bar with a classic and timeless feel. Owner Adam Sime (Long Play) and his partner Adele del Signore have drawn upon Brunswick Street’s European influence, decking the venue out with mid-century furniture and cultivating a relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere to match.
Here, in the venue’s two rooms, you’ll pair salted cod, cuttlefish with chickpeas, manchego croquetas and crispy quail with spritzes, brews, and a curated selection of wines. Signature cocktails like the Momoko Spritz and the mezcal-infused Smokey Negroni — one made with Japanese whisky, peach liqueur, and lemon juice, then topped with soda and spiked with housemade Earl Grey syrup and orange blossom; the other pairing Vida Mezcal, Dolin Rouge and Campari — are well worth a look-in, too. Top image: Nicholas Wilkins.
-
19
Named after the god of the sea, it’s no surprise to see Neptune champion all things seafood on its short yet solid menu. Things kick off with a selection of shelled creatures and a few cold and raw options. The Fairy Bread toast is a particularly fun one. House-made focaccia is covered in lashings of garlic butter and salmon roe to create a fishy twist on a childhood favourite. You’ve also got a few options from the grill — this is where you’ll find chicken and steak — plus a small selection of mains.
Neptune is known for its wine lineup. Either ask the team to pair your meal with a few drops or head over to the large wine fridges to pick a bottle yourself. There’s a strong focus on European vinos, but plenty of Aussie winemakers also feature on the extensive wine list. Many also hit up Neptune for wine, cocktails and snacks — sitting out by the street in the sun.
-
18
Wally’s in Albert Park is yet another Euro-centric Melbourne spot. Owner Baxter Pickard, well-versed in vino, has made sure to cover a lot of price points, ranging from affordable bottles starting at $50 to vintage and hard-to-find drops that’ll cost you around $200 a pop. Those who opt for the more spenny varieties will be getting wines that Pickard and his team have won at auction. These will change depending on what’s available at the time. But few wine bars in Melbourne can get by with only having great drinks on offer.
We are sip-and-snack people now, needing fabulous bites to accompany our drinking sessions. That’s why Pickard has brought on Damon McIver (ex-Waxflower and Vex Dining) to run the kitchen pass. He’s dreamt up an oft-changing menu of European-inspired dishes that are made to be paired with the evolving wine menu. A few small plates will make an appearance — think cured bonito, barbecued leeks, fresh oysters with house-made hot sauce and skewers — as well as larger plates that’ll include pasta and steaks. It’s all quite classic and simple food, made to complement rather than outshine the wine.
Images: Pete Dillon
-
17
Walking into this cosy Commercial Road wine bar is a bit like walking into an old-school library — but instead of leather bound books lining the walls, it’s 400 bottles of wine (the better option, obviously). The Alps was opened back in June 2016 by the very qualified team behind other local wine spots Milton Wine Shop and Toorak Cellars.
It’s a successful combination of wine bar and bottle shop, where 20 bottles at a time are available to taste. Not fussy about natural or biodynamic trends, The Alps focuses on serving wine that tastes of the place it was made. A cosy spot to stop by in winter — especially as you can hunker down with toasties and cheese boards. Small tables, a small fireplace and a long dining table. Simple but great.
-
16
Suze might just be the ne plus ultra of Melbourne wine bars — the kind of place that balances quiet confidence with warm hospitality. This moody Fitzroy North hangout unfolds across two levels of a historic building on Newry Street, and makes smart use of its deceptively expansive space. Downstairs, you’ll find seats at the concrete-topped bar and cosy banquettes as well as sun-washed al fresco spots, while a lively open kitchen overlooks the snug dining room upstairs. It’s effortlessly stylish but never stiff.
The seasonally evolving menu caters to both the sip-and-snack crowd and those who want to linger a little longer — it might feature creative small plates like crapaudine beetroot with hazelnut and wattleseeds or a daily house-made ricotta with radicchio, preserved fig and pepper berry, alongside larger serves like whole flounder with bone marrow and capers, and Aylesbury dry-aged duck, inca berry and erbette. Whether you’re here for a pre-dinner drink or settling in for a long night with a mate (or a date), Suze feels like the epitome of Melbourne.
-
15
When Melbourne’s beloved Middle Eastern restaurant Rumi moved from Lygon Street to Brunswick East Village in 2023, owners Joseph and Nat Abboud decided to also create a neighbourhood wine bar next door. Playfully named after the Lebanese Rocket Society — a university club that endeavoured to join the space race in 1960s Beirut — the wine bar is a brilliant spot to drop by before dining at Rumi, or to spend a few hours sipping and snacking with mates.
During the day, Rocket Society serves up flatbread sandwiches, fries with tahini mayo, HSP croquettes and a bunch of mezze plates. As the sun sets, a heap more mezzes come on to the list, including lamb and sweetbread skewers, pickles aplenty, crunchy fried cauliflower leaves, cheesy doughnuts and freshly shucked oysters with pickled verjuice grapes. This spot oozes cool, and more than delivers when it comes to its food and wine lineup.
-
14
Kirk’s Wine Bar is almost unfortunately placed. Everyday city-goers and tourists waltz down Hardware Lane, hassled by waiters trying to lure people into their restaurants. But on the corner is Kirk’s, where no one stands outside with a menu board — which is precisely why you should walk in.
Glancing at the peeling paint exterior takes you back in time a little. Upon entering, you’re almost transported to a Florentine wine bar. The space is sprinkled with small, round tables, really only big enough to seat two. Nab some truly great wines and pair them with a cheeky charcuterie board if you’re only snacking, or settle in for dinner.
Kirk’s pig’s head doughnut is the stuff of legends, while the house-fermented hot sauce is a treat alongside freshly shucked oysters (and everything else, it must be said). Move on to larger plates with the famed steak frites in Café de Paris butter.
Ray Reyes via Visit Victoria
-
13
The bustling thoroughfare is in no short supply of great wine bars and restaurants, but Ruckers Hill stands out as one of its greatest — not for being all showy and full of theatrics, but for providing a proper local neighbourhood drinking and dining experience that is both polished and casual.
Owner and Head Chef David Murphy (ex-Bistro Thierry, Bar Nonno, 1800 Lasagne and PM24) takes inspiration from the Parisian ‘bistronomy’ movement, which emerged in the ’90s as an antithesis to the posh, Michelin world of French haute cuisine. This means you’ll find fairly classic eats that are executed elegantly and priced within reason. Wine is also a standout, focusing on old-world drops — with the offerings changing regularly.
-
12
From Lyndon Kubis and Mark Nelson — the team behind Toorak Wine Cellars and Milton Wine Shop — The Moon is a touch moodier and a little more refined than previous ventures, and has made a stamp on the northside bar scene at the bottom of a Collingwood apartment building.
The wine offering focuses on small producers across the board in a curation that reflects places and regions, rather than processes and technique. A hefty by-the-glass selection celebrates locals and foreign finds in equal measure, alongside two craft beer tap options and a rotating bottled range of boutique brews. There’s a serious retail collection sitting pretty along one wall — you can grab a bottle to enjoy then and there, or pick something up on your way home.
Food ranges from small plates like focaccia with cultured butter and fried pork terrine to larger ones featuring flank steak and lamb chops.
-
11
If you hit up a Melbourne wine bar and find ten wines offered by the glass, you’re doing alright. If you get 20, you’re in for a real treat. But Circl Wine House in Melbourne’s CBD is doing what few hospo venues can by offering a whopping 150 drops by the glass and 1500 by the bottle.
You’re absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to what vino you’ll be sipping on, but the Circl crew is taking it one step further by pouring one extremely rare wine each week. These drops are limited to 75ml per person, to ensure everyone gets a go. Spanning Australian and international vineyards, the selection will be highly curated, and feature the likes of Coche Dury, Roulot, DRC, and old vintages from top producers in Australia.
-
10
Punch Lane’s downstairs sibling Juliet has a bunch of cool stuff going on — including the fact that its modus operandi is to support and represent female winemakers, distillers and cheese producers. For a dose of uplifting feminism and, really, just a great night with nice vibes, head down to the basement bar on Little Bourke Street — it’s all pink neon, concrete and hand-blown glass down here.
The venue offers a swag of signature cocktails, alongside cheese, charcuterie and snacks; think: salt cod croquettes, freshly shucked oysters and Ortiz anchovies on toast. Settle in with a tasty bite and a mandarin martini or two, and you’ll never want to emerge.
-
9
If you’re looking for some elusive wines, Malvern’s Milton Wine Shop is a clear go-to in Melbourne’s southeast. The cosy bottle shop isn’t just for takeaway, either — the venue doubles as a wine bar that slings rare drops by the glass. The venue is split across three spaces: including a bottle-o, a living room with fireplace, and a sun-filled courtyard. The latter is a rare outdoor gem that can also be used in cooler months, as it’s heated and enclosed.
Expect both old- and new-world wines on offer at Milton Wine Shop, with a focus on quality winemaking. By the glass, there are orange and chilled reds alongside the usual red, white and rosé — with ‘interesting and rare’ drops from France, Italy and Austria. The expertly curated wine list by the glass helps make this one of the best wine bars in Melbourne.
-
8
Situated opposite Parliament and alongside the theatre strip, City Wine Shop is not the place to venture for a beer and happy hour special. On the contrary, this is the Melbourne CBD wine bar you go to for a glass of chablis, cheese board and a serving of fried artichokes — or even some fine caviar and champagne.
Choose from the by-the-glass wine list — which changes regularly — or simply buy a bottle from the on-premises bottle shop and settle in at an outdoor table, overlooking the Spring Street suits. It’s a classic setting for year-round romance, whether you’re seeking sanctuary from winter inside the rich wooden warmth, or a splash of sun with your latte on a street-side seat.
Image: Tess Kelly
-
7
Swing by Waxflower, a Brunswick neighbourhood wine bar, for minimal intervention wines, local craft beer on tap and its hybrid European–Peruvian food offerings — stick around all night for the banging soundtrack. This Weston Street spot’s music edit is as considered as its food and wine offer, thanks to two custom-built, wall-mounted speakers, designed by Hobart designers Pitt & Giblin, that feed music generously into the space — which itself features walls that have been specifically designed for better acoustic treatment.
The music is curated by a revolving lineup of local and (when possible) international DJs, and is not defined or limited by genre, but instead aims to champion rarity, diversity and inclusivity through tracks that might not necessarily find their way into the clubs. The wine list is another star of the show, heroing minimal intervention and natural winemakers who use only Indigenous yeasts to create totally unique drops.
Image: Julia Sansone.
-
6
This standout Melbourne wine bar is a destination for flavour lovers who aren’t afraid to try a few new things. Sure, you could stick with your favourite rosé and a charcuterie spread and leave (very) happy, but creativity reigns supreme on both the food menu and drinks list, so it’s well worth digging a little deeper.
The sommelier will wheel around an old-school globe bar trolley to tempt you with the evening’s pouring wines — they change on the daily. The food is a must-try here, too. Order some of the inventive sharing plates, that include the likes of grilled ox tongue skewers drenched in salsa verde, and the red wine-braised beef with sour cabbage and lettuce. Expect the wonderfully unexpected at Bar Liberty.
Image: Brook James
-
5
This beloved Fitzroy North wine bar sits within a legendary Aussie crime boss’ old underground casino. Alphonse Gangitano left this spot back in the 90s, and it was left untouched for about 20 years, until a hospitality team took over and turned it into a veritable drinking and dining destination in Melbourne — keeping most of the building’s charm and original features intact.
Nowadays, you’ll find modern Australian eats on a daily rotating menu — spotlighting produce like housemade ricotta, Blue Fin tuna crudo and Southern Ranges skirt steak — alongside a 300-strong wine list. But don’t fear if you’re no professional sommelier — the slick, approachable staff are more than happy to talk you through the options and suggest an ideal match. For those going by the glass, there are six whites and six reds on offer, as well as a small selection of sparkling, rosé, sherry and fortified.
-
4
Brought to you by those clever folks behind the Town Mouse (that sadly closed back in 2018), the Russell Street wine bar is instantly inviting, with a chic, yet warm, European charm. The cosy confines mark it as perfect date night material, while stools lining the bar and open kitchen lend themselves perfectly to some sophisticated solo dining.
A considered pouring list plays to both the curious and the more conservative. Here, you’ll feel just as comfortable sipping a chardonnay from Mornington as you will avoiding a hangover with a low-intervention number, like the 2011 Pheasant’s Tears Rkatsiteli from Georgia. Technique-driven, but not pretentiously so, the food at Embla is as great as you’d expect from the Town Mouse team; the menu proves a winning blend of comforting flavours and chef flair. All of this culminates in one of the very best wine bars in Melbourne.
-
3
When someone like Andrew McConnell opens a wine bar in Melbourne, the expectations are high. When that bar sits beside the hospitality maven’s iconic, two-hat Fitzroy restaurant Cutler & Co., forming some kind of wining and dining super diptych, you can bet they’re even higher. But you can rest assured that Marion lives up to all that hype.
First off, the drinks list is a stunner — an exhaustive compilation with something for every palate and budget. You can drop by for an aperitif, unwind over a couple of glasses of local wine, or really settle in and share your way through a bottle of something foreign. And to round it all off, the well-curated rotating food menu is comprised of innovative dishes ranging from elegant snacks to more generous belly-fillers.
-
2
He’s the person responsible for the original iterations of Three Bags Full, Top Paddock, and Higher Ground, as well as much-loved wine-focused bars and eateries like Hazel and Dessous. Now, Nathan Toleman and his Mulberry Group team have spread their wings to Cremorne, taking over a converted warehouse for their wine bar Lilac — a smash hit for sips, snacks and lazy feasts alike.
Lilac’s oft-changing food offering doesn’t focus too heavily on any one genre, instead pulling together a melange of Aussie nostalgia, Euro sensibilities and French bistro flair. The matching wine list proves just as eclectic, focussing on organic and biodynamic varieties. Trend-bucking small-scale producers get plenty of airtime at one of the best wine bars in Melbourne as well, though quality reigns supreme throughout.
Image: Kayla May Photography.
-
1
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 wine 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 decor, 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.
Top images: Lilac Wine by John Benedict Ryan.
- Where to Find the Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Melbourne
- CP Picks: The Best Gifts for Arts Lovers — From Gallery Prints to Music Gigs
- The Best Private Dining Rooms in Melbourne
- CP Picks: The Best Gifts for People Who Are Never Home — According to Travel Writers
- CP Picks: From Hot Sauce to Handblown Glasses — Small-Batch Gifts for Big Foodies
- The Best Seafood Restaurants in Melbourne