Eight Laidback Melbourne Bars for Your Next Group Catch-Up (Where You Can Actually Hear Your Mates Talk)

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Let's face it, sometimes we just don't have the energy for crowded clubs where we're practically yelling at our mates over deafening music (which essentially just becomes noise after a while) just to make ourselves heard.

If you still fancy that lifestyle, kudos to you. However, for those looking for nights out in more cosy, laidback surrounds (with quality drinks, of course), we've partnered with American Honey to gather a list of bars in Melbourne that will offer just that.

From intimate, nook-filled venues to establishments that feel like vibey house parties, the bars below are perfect the next time you want to sit back, relax and soak up quality time with quality people.

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STATE OF GRACE, CBD

State of Grace offers a casual ambience perfect for catching up with your friends when you actually want the nitty gritty of their lives. This three-level King Street spot features three distinct spaces, including a moodily lit subterranean bar hidden behind a bookshelf and is decked out with comfy armchairs and lounges so you can create your own private nook. If the weather is turning it on, head up to the rooftop for grazing plates and breezy serves like American Honey, fresh lime and soda paired with stunning city views.

HARPER, PRAHRAN

House party energy can be tough to recreate, but that's what Prahran spot Harper feels like. While evenings here can get pretty lively, there are couches and armchairs aplenty for you and your crew to lean into a laidback evening while soaking up the vibes. Should things get competitive, you can also head to the pool or beer pong table to decide who buys the next round.

Speaking of rounds — did someone say happy hour all day, every day? At Harper, you can take advantage of happy hour from 5pm to 1am, Wednesday through Sunday.

MANCHURIA, CBD

Meet Manchuria, where glamorous old-world Asia meets contemporary Melbourne. Located in the heart of Chinatown, this cosy and inviting cocktail den features plenty of nooks, perfect for settling into with a drink in hand and catching up on conversation. Head in on Thursdays for evening sessions backed by a rotating lineup of live music acts.

KEWPIE, FITZROY

$5 pizzas all day, every day, including plant-based options — what more could you ask for? Kewpie is Brunswick Street's all-in-one after-work spot in the space that was once known as Bimbo. While the name may have changed, the vibes here definitely remain just as high as its former incarnation, especially with a weekly entertainment lineup that ranges from drag trivia on Wednesdays to DJs spinning into the early hours on Fridays and Saturdays.

Whether you settle into one of the cosy ground-floor booths or find a spot on the openair rooftop terrace, be sure to pair your pizza with a cheekily named cocktail like the Sourgirl69 (featuring a mix of Gordon's Gin, Midori, lemon and sugar underneath a delightfully frothy top) or the High As Balls (which sees Smirnoff Vodka meet watermelon, lemon and soda).

Michelle Matthews

WILLOWS & WINE, WEST MELBOURNE

"Books, wine, cheese and good times" — the Willows & Wine mission statement is as delightfully straightforward as they come. This West Melbourne spot is the ideal locale for those catch-ups when you're all coming with a book in hand, or when you and your mates can appreciate comfortable silences as you browse the considered selection of titles on site.

Like what you've picked up? Consider taking it home — Willows & Wine recently launched its lending library, which features books by First Nations authors, as well as POC, queer, disabled and diverse storytellers.

Pair your read of choice with a selection from the tidy wine list — you can go for a glass, carafe or a full bottle — for the ultimate book and bevvie combo.

Albert Park Hotel by Simon Shiff

ALBERT PARK HOTEL, ALBERT PARK

The stately Albert Park Hotel has been an inner-south fixture for over a century. Following an extensive reimagining that debuted in 2020, the historic establishment features a lofty front bar and sleek cocktail bar. For an intimate time, pre-book an enclosed booth in the cocktail bar — it can accommodate groups of up to eight. Feeling peckish? Head upstairs to Happy Valley, a spacious dining room that features a menu of produce-driven modern Chinese plates.

FLOUR CHILD, ST KILDA

Every Thursday and Friday, Acland Street's Flour Child offers an irresistible two-hour pregame deal that is guaranteed to start your night off on the right note. In addition to two hours of bottomless cocktail jugs and hot chips (for $49 per head), you and your friends can take part in a range of entertaining quizzes — where you can tap into the tucked-away bits of general knowledge that you've just been waiting to bust out.

For a more lowkey evening, settle in on one of the couches, order an impossibly smooth American Honey, fresh lime and soda and split a pinsa romana or two with your crew.

Longboy Media

LA LA LAND, CBD

Upstairs Hardware Street spot La La Land is like a grown-up living room — with plush Chesterfield couches, accents of greenery and an open balcony setting the ideal scene for a chill get-together in the city. Perch up with a tap beer, glass from the striking wine list or a signature cocktail — in a jug, for those conversations that linger a little longer. The regular Sofa Sessions also bring a rotating lineup of live music into the mix, and take the chilled vibes to the next level.

For more ways to celebrate golden moments with mates, head to the American Honey website.