The Best Bars in Melbourne with Beer Gardens and Boozy Courtyards
Save cosy pub corners for winter — it's time to drink a brew out in the open at these fab Melbourne beer gardens.

The Best Bars in Melbourne with Beer Gardens and Boozy Courtyards
There's a short window of time in Melbourne when it's a shame to be sitting inside. Particularly if you've got a drink in your hand. Luckily, this city of ours has a plethora of primo pubs and bars with seats either in the sun, shaded by greenery or just out soaking up the fresh air. Want a hidden courtyard in the backstreets of Collingwood? We know one. A sprawling open-air space on the southside? We've got a few of those, too. Save cosy pub corners for winter; summer is all about the Melbourne beer gardens, boozy courtyards and al fresco good times with mates.
Recommended Reads:
The Best Restaurants in Melbourne
The Best Bars in Melbourne
The Best (and Cosiest) Bars and Pubs with Fireplaces in Melbourne
Image: Pink Lemonade.
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Food & Drink
Maggie's Snacks and Liquor
This isn't your average drinking den, with the crew pumping out some wildly creative eats and drinks for locals.
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Serafina
A Hawthorn pub that's serving up woodfired pizzas, refined Mediterranean eats and bottomless sangria and tapas.
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Rossi
Taking over the old Ladro TAP site, Rossi is Greville Street's new home of pizzas, prosecco and plants. Lots of plants.
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Edinburgh Castle Hotel
Brunswick's longest standing pub boasts a huge beer garden, gastro pub food and extensive craft beer list.
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Half Moon
Find six separate (and recently done-up) drinking and dining spaces, split across two levels in this Brighton pub.
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Terminus Hotel Fitzroy North
Find your classic pub vibes in the beer garden and public bar, or head to its restaurant for a classier affair.
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Richmond Club Hotel
Classic pub fare meets contemporary cuisine in the heart of Richmond.
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NONO
This Sydney Road pizza and party destination hosts late-night jams and serves up $8 eats.
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The Keys
Preston's all-in-one beer garden, bar, arcade and bowling alley is the nostalgia-fuelled leisure centre you've been waiting for.
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Four Pillars Gin Distillery
An experimental distillery, a gin shop and stunning bar by the Four Pillars crew.
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Arbory Afloat 2022 - CLOSED
Melbourne's seasonal floating bar is back with a new holiday-worthy look and an offering inspired by the Balearic Islands.
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Hotel Collingwood
This classic corner pub has gotten a refresh with breezy interiors, elevated pub grub and a drinks list filled with local names.
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Trinity St Kilda
This bar, beer garden and food truck park makes its home in a historic former church hall.
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BrewDog Pentridge
This global brewery's first Melbourne home is a sprawling bluestone beer haven, complete with two bars and a supersized beer garden.
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Hopscotch
A riverside meeting place for beer lovers and friends, where you can get a foot-long steak sanga and bottomless fries.
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Kewpie
This pub's breathing new life into a Brunswick Street classic, with cheap pizza, DJ nights and a secluded rooftop terrace.
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Hope St Radio
Roll into this lofty bar for natural wines, top-notch drinking snacks and live radio broadcasts.
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Pink Lemonade
This concrete car park has been reborn as a colourful openair bar, beer garden and food truck stop.
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Molly Rose Brewery
Try a diverse range of house brews and even some cheeky beer cocktails at this cosy Collingwood spot.
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Pilgrim Bar
Sip gin tea cocktails at a waterfront venue in the heart of Melbourne's CBD.
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3 Ravens Brewery
This backstreet gem lays claim to being one of Melbourne's oldest brewery bars.
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Range Brewing Abbotsford
A Scandi-inspired Melbourne taproom from Brisbane's heroes of haze, complete with 24 ever-rotating taps.
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Tetto di Carolina
A South Yarra bar with an outdoor terrace, live jazz and lots crafty cocktails.
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Mr Brownie
A multi-level pub, Punjabi-style deli and rooftop bar run by chef-restaurateur Jessi Singh.
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Zymurgy
From the minds behind Hop Nation and Navi, this Footscray outdoor bar celebrates elevated barbecue fare and local craft booze.
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Welcome to Thornbury
A permanent food truck park boasting a rotating menu of street food snacks.
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Poodle Bar & Bistro
A two-storey bar and bistro in Fitzroy with a sunny courtyard and crafty, Euro-accented menu.
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Welcome to Brunswick
The inner north's fairy-lit, dog-friendly food truck park and beer garden.
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Pepe's Italian & Liquor
You'll find cheesy bowls of gnocchi, meatball pizza and giant sundaes at this 1930s New York-Inspired Italo-American joint on Exhibition Street.
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Hotel Esplanade
The revamped Melbourne music institution sports 12 bars, two restaurants and three live music stages across its six levels.
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Milton Wine Shop
The best spot in Malvern to buy a bottle to take away or enjoy a glass with a plate of cheese.
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The Cornish Arms Hotel
A multi-level pub with a rooftop bar serving all types of goodness day and night.
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Carwyn Cellars
This Thornbury stalwart has been sating northside thirsts for over a decade.
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Nice Guys Brewery and Bar
A retrofuturistic brew bar with 25 taps and a leafy, heated beer garden.
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Marquis of Lorne
Drink down on the street, dine at the second floor restaurant or soak up some rays on the rooftop.
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The Ascot Lot
A beer garden, drinking hall and food truck stop for north west locals — and their dogs.
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The Shady Lady
Make yourself at home at this dark but glittering dive bar on Johnston Street.
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Builders Arms Hotel
Andrew McConnell's refined pub offers British-inflected fare, a strong wine selection and a lovely little courtyard.
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Middle Park Hotel
An inviting gastropub overlooking Albert Park Lake and Melbourne city centre.
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The Carringbush Hotel
This 130-year-old pub is now slinging meat-free meals, wine on tap and more than 21 beers.
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Fargo and Co
This old Richmond bank is the home of bottomless brunch and fried chicken.
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The Local Taphouse St Kilda
This Carlisle Street institution boasts 19 taps, two fireplaces and a sun-soaked rooftop.
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The Workers Club
A quintessential corner pub with a band room that pumps most nights of the week.
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Nasty's
An ironically named Thornbury bar filled with upcycled car seats and ironing boards.
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The Rainbow Hotel
Toast your outsides by the fireplace, while warming your insides with any of 100 different beers.
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College Lawn Hotel
Relax on the astroturf and enjoy cheap pub grub along with ice-cold beers at this no-frills local.
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Windsor Castle
Sink beers with neon pink elephants and stuffed peacocks south of the river.
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Portsea Hotel
The Mornington Peninsula spot boasts new bars, a pizza menu and killer views over the bay.
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Joanie's Baretto
Thornbury's cute neighbourhood Italian bar serving spritzes, cicchetti and gluten-free pasta.
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The Standard Hotel
The bar offers a comforting retro vibe while huge beer garden is a breezy little oasis that's well worth the search.
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Newmarket Hotel
Great pub fare, exciting architecture and a dedicated gig space — the Newmarket is a triple threat.
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Swan Hotel
Glide in and grab a pint or dance away the night in this classic Richmond bar.
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Terminus Hotel
The Abbotsford pub sports a classy revamp but maintains the things that matter most: beer, bingo and counter meals.
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Northcote Social Club
Some things never change at NSC, but the menu is not one of them.
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The Smith
Escape the bustling High Street, and chill out in the courtyard of this sleek gastropub.
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The Rooks Return
Your local better watch out — The Rooks Return threatens to take its place.
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Harlow
Richmond's Great Britain Hotel has been transformed into an all-occasions pub with a dog-friendly beer garden and lots of barbecued meats.
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Temple Brewing Company
Brunswick East's own microbrewery offering much more than just beer.
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The Boatbuilders Yard
Located right on the harbour at South Wharf, this is the place to go if you like your drinks served with a view.
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Station Hotel
This Footscray pub has long been considered a go-to location for steak in Melbourne.