Eight Stellar Outdoor Melbourne Spots Where You Can Enjoy a Sunshine Spritz

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Summer won't last forever. So, we best take advantage while it's still here and head to outdoor bars, pubs and restaurants for sun-drenched days filled with good food, chilled spritzes and our favourite people.

To help you find the best outdoor Melbourne spots where you can enjoy a few rounds of summery spritzes, we've teamed up with Aperol (naturally). Head to any of these joints for al fresco fun. Just make sure you grab your shades before heading out.

RIVERLAND

Riverland's bar beside the Yarra has always been a prime spot for relaxed day drinks, but it's gotten even better this year. Until March, the entire outdoor area will be transformed into Club Aperol with the addition of bright orange furnishing and umbrellas.

You'll find Aperol Spritzes being pumped out of this bar throughout summer, paired with Italian-inspired treats like fried arancini, chargrilled lamb skewers, antipasto boards and margarita pizzas. And just by ordering one Aperol Spritz you can go in the draw to win a $3,000 Flight Centre voucher. Do we hear Italy calling?

Julia Sansone

DOM'S SOCIAL CLUB

This multi-level pizzeria and bar is a CBD favourite for multiple reasons but we are all about the rooftop. Yes, downstairs you can sip on the same Italian-inspired cocktails and eat the same woodfired pizzas, but you don't get the city views and natural sunlight found up on the deck. Head through the hidden door on Swanston Street and make your way up the stairs to find Dom's Social Club — one of the best rooftops in Melbourne.

CASA APEROL

Pétanque Social, a riverside bar inspired by the beach clubs of St Tropez, has received a major makeover this summer — becoming Casa Aperol. Every Wednesday to Sunday until April 2, guests who visit Pétanque Social will step into an orange-hued Italian Riviera scene. It's the kind of place where you can enjoy a summer-ready cocktail and a food menu crafted by Gradi all day long — with DJs, instrumentalists and vocalists taking over at sunset on the weekends.

Plus, if you visit and purchase an Aperol Spritz, you will automatically go in the draw to win a skippered boat experience down the Yarra for you and four mates — complete with Aperol Spritz hampers and onboard entertainment. 

CAPTAIN BAXTER

Back in 2018, this beachfront restaurant and bar got a massive facelift and now Captain Baxter feels like a 20s-style beach bungalow. The inside section of the venue might have air-con but the real vibes at Captain Baxter are very much in the outdoor space that has its own retractable roof — for when Melbourne decides to be Melbourne and have a midday shower during an otherwise hot and sunny day. Enjoy the uninterrupted sea views while noshing on seafood banquets with your mates.

I in the Sky Productions

GRAZELAND

Grazeland is West Melbourne's very own 10,000-square-metre outdoor dining precinct that's home to a heady mix of over 50 different food vendors. Here, you'll also find market stalls slinging locally made wares, three licensed bars and an ongoing entertainment program. Head down with a group to eat and drink the day away, watching the sun set over Melbourne's skyline. Could an outdoor dining destination be any better? *Read in the style of Chandler from Friends*

SAILOR'S REST

Yes, technically, Sailor's Rest is in Geelong. But we love it so much we decided we had to include it on the list. The family-run restaurant and bar serves up globally inspired cuisine with a particular focus on all things seafood. Either dine at the street-level courtyard, the second floor outdoor terrace or head all the way up to the little rooftop bar for spritzes with a mighty fine sea view. This place gets packed on hot days, offering up peak summer vibes.

THE IMPERIAL HOTEL

During the week, The Imperial Hotel becomes a go-to place for after-work drinks. Groups of colleagues scurry up to the rooftop as soon as the clock strikes five to nab one of the remaining tables with a view over the CBD (perhaps even sending an intern ahead of the rest of the pack to land a prime position). The coveted outdoor drinking and dining spot offers up good pub grub — parmas, burgers, pies and fish and chips — as well as cocktails for days. The summer spritz specials are also big wins. Grab two Aperol Spritzes and half a dozen oysters for $55 or two Aperol Spritzes and a large charcuterie board for the same price.

HABA RYE

Live music, laidback party feels and elevated pub food are all on offer at this beloved Mornington Peninsula beach club. Haba Rye is made for those big days of drinking and eating out in the sun with mates which naturally evolve into after hours dancing till the sun comes up. Start off in the sunlit beer garden, sipping on beers and spritzes before hitting up a gig, pub trivia or drag bingo in the evening. It's a one stop shop.