Seven Stylish Melbourne Bars That Are Perfect for After-Work Drinks with Your Mates

Tucked away in stencil-drenched Hosier Lane, the legendary MoVida offers a grazing extravaganza in an enchanting room akin to what you’d actually get in downtown Barcelona. Camorra’s inner city hideaway is an ideal spot for catching up with your friends over a tipple and tasty eats like the anchovy with smoked tomato sorbet, beef tartare with pickled turnip and chargrilled pork belly with padron pepper.

Wash down these delectable bites with a delicious cocktail like the Basil Hayden Golden Hour made with Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Lillet Blanc, Campari and garnished with a grapefruit — a citrusy floral take on a negroni, swapping out the gin for bourbon.

Hidden along Church Lane is Saving Grace, your friendly neighbourhood dive bar home to good brews, classic cocktails and banging burgers. When it comes to cocktails, Saving Grace has a considered collection of twists on classics.

Fancy breakfast vibes at happy hour? Try the marmalade whiskey sour. It’s a take on a breakfast martini with marmalade, bourbon, lemon bitters, lemon sugar and wonderfoam for a frothy finish. With the drinks sorted, you can grab a Burger Boys burger or order of fried chicken both of which pair delightfully with bourbon.

If you’re looking for a relaxed bar promising rooftop views of the city and plenty of whiskey cocktails, look no further than this lively rooftop dive bar offering good tunes, American comfort food and stellar drinks.

The bar features a Selfie Mirror bathroom, a proper pinball machine and old school tabletop arcade games to keep you well entertained while you sample the bar’s selection of bourbon cocktails and toast the sunset views across the city.

Expect a roaring 30s vibe befitting a most glamorous party at this spot. For cocktails, the manual is organised by venue-themed list names like The Femme Fatal, The Hollywood Starlet and The Snitch.

If you can’t be bothered to read through the entire book of drinks, we suggest going straight for the True Detective made with Basil Hayden Whiskey, smoke, pear, burnt sugar, sugar and saline. Perfect for sipping while solving the latest office dramas of your favourite drinking companions.

Image: Brook James

Goodwater is Melbourne’s rendition of a modern American cocktail bar, drawing inspiration from the vibrant cocktail scenes of cities like LA, Brooklyn, Atlanta and New Orleans. This isn’t an American-themed honky tonk. It’s a classy cocktail joint with an impressive selection of American whiskeys — including Basil Hayden.

You can snag some sherry French onion grilled cheeses, potato salad with bacon bits and deep-fried pickles — a perfect pairing for a bourbon Old Fashioned.

Sippers of all persuasions have found themselves a new haven up here at this stylish rooftop bar soaring 24 storeys above Chapel Street.

The drinks list offers a broad selection of drops and a globe-trotting cocktail lineup that reimagines the classics using Aussie elements. Like the Lost Love Letter, made with bourbon, blue curacao, yuzu, blue algae falernum and repurposed eco shrub. It’s citrusy, nutty and sweet, perfect for sipping while the sun sets and you take in the panoramic views of the city.

Image: Sean McDonald

Siglo was once somewhat of a hidden gem, a rooftop bar located up a narrow set of stairs on Spring Street — but the word is well and truly out.

As the sun sets over Parliament House, the whiskey-sipping Melburnians take over. High-quality cigars are also on the menu at Siglo. Don’t be surprised to see some smokers puffing Cohiba, Partagas, Upmann and Punch varieties, all the while nursing an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. A true institution for post-work drinks.