Overview
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.
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.
PÉTANQUE SOCIAL
Pétanque Social, a riverside bar inspired by the beach clubs of St Tropez, has joined Crown's riverside precinct, perched right by the Yarra on the riverwalk. As well as sipping drinks and grabbing a bite to eat (including via picnic boxes or tucking into oysters on weekends), you'll hang out on day beds and lounge chairs beneath striped pastel blue umbrellas. The whole idea is to make you feel like you've been whisked far from home, which is a sensation we could all use this year. And, entertainment-wise, there are live DJs, a big screen playing sports all summer and room for the game that gives the venue its name — so get ready to sit at Pétanque Social and play pétanque.
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 and sipping on Aperol Spritzes.
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 that 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 or two Aperol Spritzes and a large charcuterie board for an absolute steal.
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.
For more ways to elevate your summer with Aperol, head to the website.