Melbourne's Best Restaurants Where You Can Dine at the Bar

Take a seat up front, whether you're dining solo or finally having that long-delayed catch-up.
Andrew Zuccala
Published on September 18, 2024
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  • Bar

    Bar Margaux

    111 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

    A CBD basement bar serving up French bistro food and cocktails until 5am.

  • Bar

    Embla

    122 Russell Street, Melbourne

    Raise a glass to Melbourne’s wine bar renaissance.

  • Restaurant

    Di Stasio Citta

    45 Spring Street, Melbourne

    Part art gallery, part Italian restaurant, this CBD is the second outpost of St Kilda's Cafe Di Stasio.

  • Restaurant

    Etta

    60 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

    The team has collectively worked at Attica, Cutler & Co, The Roving Marrow and Rosetta.

  • Bar

    Gerald's Bar

    386 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North

    North Carlton's unchallenged eternal gem.

  • Bar

    Morena Melbourne

    71 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

    Alejandro Saravia is totally in his element with Morena Melbourne, masterfully executing his own take on contemporary Latin American fine-dining.

  • Restaurant

    France-Soir

    11 Toorak Road, South Yarra

    Melbourne's quintessential French bistro with over three decades under its belt.

  • Bar

    Carlton Wine Room

    172-174 Faraday Street, Carlton

    Home to a food menu that changes just as frequently as the 100strong wine list.

  • Restaurant

    BKK

    270 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

    HER's smoky Thai barbecue canteen is heating things up with its flame-cooked skewers, punchy laab variations and tropical cocktails.

  • Bar

    Suzie Q

    247 Chapel Street, Prahran

    The Chapel Street restaurant is pairing underground 80s disco energy with contemporary Chinese eats, playful cocktails and karaoke.

  • Bar

    Aster Cocktail & Wine

    31 Tattersalls Lane, Melbourne

    Aster is Ferdydurke's replacement, swapping out live music for more grown-up date-night vibes.

  • Bar

    Bistrot Bisou

    575 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

    Luke Mangan is serving up classic French fare in the CBD's Hotel Indigo.

  • Bar

    Old Palm Liquor

    133B Lygon Street, Brunswick East

    A lush wine bar from the Neighbourhood Wine crew.

  • Bar

    Cookie

    Level 1, Curtain House, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne

    One of the classic 'cool' bars in Melbourne never fails to disappoint.

  • Bar

    Pellegrini's Espresso Bar

    66 Bourke Street, Melbourne

    Melbourne's quintessential drop-in Italian dining institution. 

  • Restaurant

    L'Hotel Gitan

    32 Commercial Road, Prahran

    From Paris to Prahran, this gastropub serves up French classics alongside a few contemporary twists.

  • Restaurant

    Bansho

    960 High Street, Armadale

    French and Japanese cuisines cleverly combine at Armadale's outstanding fine diner.

  • Bar

    CDMX Brunswick East

    315 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

    It's best known for its birria tacos, but CDMX is also home to some of the best Mexican food in Melbourne.

  • Restaurant

    Atria

    650 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

    Be sure to take your time when visiting Atria, not just to admire the city skyline, but to fully appreciate all the skill and passion that's gone into the food and drink offerings.

  • Bar

    Neighbourhood Wine

    1 Reid Street, Fitzroy North

    With a history steeped in Melbourne Mafia, this wine bar brings a cosy, speakeasy-style space to Fitzroy North.

  • Bar

    The Everleigh

    Upstairs, 150-156 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

    Experience the hedonistic pleasures of the 1920s in Fitzroy's hidden cocktail den.

  • Restaurant

    Ronin

    445 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

    Like an ancient ronin samurai, Chef Patrick Kwong has no master. He's breaking the rules and doing omakase his own way.

  • Bar

    Molli

    20 Mollison Street, Abbotsford

    Molli is a neighbourhood bar and bistro from the minds behind Dessous, Hazel and Lilac Wine.

  • Bar

    Bar Liberty

    234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy

    This Fitzroy wine bar has quite the sense of adventure.

  • Restaurant

    Quando Quando Cucina & Bar

    377 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

    It's a relatively new addition to the Melbourne Italian restaurant scene but is already one of its finest.

  • Bar

    MoVida

    1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne

    Tucked away in stencil-drenched Hosier Lane, MoVida offers a grazing extravaganza in an enchanting room akin to what you'd actually get in downtown Barcelona.

  • Restaurant

    Supernormal

    180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

    Lobster rolls and karaoke, together at last.

  • Bar

    Leonard's House of Love

    3 Wilson Street, South Yarra

    Drink tinnies, down burgers, dance and play pool in Leonard's lounge room-like bar.

  • Restaurant

    Mamasita

    1/11 Collins Street, Melbourne

    There’s a fiesta in Melbourne and everyone wants to be invited.

  • Bar

    San Telmo

    14 Meyers Place, Melbourne

    Inspired by Argentina’s vibrant culture, San Telmo offers authentic food and wine to match.

  • Restaurant

    Kenzan

    Collins Place, 45 Collins Street, Melbourne

    Several of Melbourne's best Japanese chefs owe a debt of a gratitude to Kenzan.

  • Bar

    Bar Idda

    132 Lygon Street, Brunswick

    An all-Sicilian affair that will make you feel an entire world away.

  • Bar

    Chin Chin

    125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

    'The Chris Lucas effect' has people lining up out the doors almost every day.

  • Restaurant

    Estelle

    243-245 High Street, Northcote

    Celebrated chef Scott Pickett has combined Estelle Bistro and ESP to create one venue celebrating wining, dining and everything in between.

  • Bar

    Orlo

    44 Oxford Street, Collingwood

    The historic Dyason Cordial Factory has been given a new lease of life thanks to several Melbourne hospo heavyweights.

  • Restaurant

    Mr Miyagi

    99 Chapel Street, Prahran

    Mr Miyagi has stayed loyal to their original commitment to fun — which won them hearts in Windsor and across the river all the way back in 2013.

  • Restaurant

    Arlechin

    Mornane Place, Melbourne

    Grossi Florentino's basement bar is serving snacks and cocktails until 3am every night.

  • Restaurant

    Freyja

    477 Collins Street, Melbourne

    A sophisticated exploration of 'new Nordic' cuisine boasting Michelin cred, where traditional techniques are cleverly fused with modern Scandi flair.

  • Bar

    Bodega Underground

    55 Lt Bourke Street, Melbourne

    This CBD taqueria is completely gluten-free, very vegan and open till 3am every night.

  • Restaurant

    Central Club Hotel

    240 - 248 Victoria Street, North Melbourne

    Find the recently renovated pub right across the road from the Queen Vic Market.

  • Restaurant

    Fancy Hank's

    79 Bourke Street, Melbourne

    A two-storey barbecue joint complete with its own rooftop bar.

  • Restaurant

    Navi

    83b Gamon Street, Yarraville

    An innovative 25-seat fine diner from an acclaimed chef, nestled in the heart of Yarraville.

  • Restaurant

    Ima Asa Yoru

    1 Duckett Street, Brunswick

    A Brunswick cafe serving up Japanese breakfast, lunch and dinner.

  • Bar

    Juliet

    37–41 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

    Punch Lane's basement raclette, jazz and wine bar.

  • Restaurant

    Sunda

    18 Punch Lane, Melbourne

    Where Southeast Asian flavours meet native Australian ingredients.

  • Bar

    Bar Romantica

    54 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

    A Lygon Street institution has been transformed into a sleek late-night Italian bar and eatery.

  • Restaurant

    Kisumé

    175 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

    Chris Lucas's three storeys of Japanese grandeur in the heart of Melbourne.

  • Restaurant

    Matilda

    159 Domain Road, South Yarra

    Restaurateur Scott Pickett's new sprawling restaurant is an ode to Australia.

  • Restaurant

    Horn Please

    167 Saint Georges Road, Fitzroy North

    Rule-breaking Indian fare in North Fitzroy.

  • Restaurant

    Leonardo's Pizza Palace

    29 Grattan Street, Carlton

    Carlton's palatial home of Italo-American pizza and pasta from the team behind Leonard's House of Love.

  • Restaurant

    Eazy Peazy

    108 Swan Street, Ricmond

    A yakitori and sake bar on Richmond's Swan Street.

  • Bar

    Pepe's Italian & Liquor

    275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

    You'll find cheesy bowls of gnocchi, meatball pizza and giant sundaes at this 1930s New York-Inspired Italo-American joint on Exhibition Street.

  • Bar

    Lilac Wine

    31 Stephenson Street, Cremorne

    The Mulberry Group has transformed a lofty Cremorne warehouse into a cosy wine bar slinging wood-fired eats and interesting vino.

  • Restaurant

    Hazel

    164 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

    From the minds behind Liminal and Common Ground Project comes this after-work go-to for cocktails and clever contemporary bites.

  • Restaurant

    Neptune

    212 High Street, Windsor

    The Windsor restaurant has gone back to its roots, serving up stacks of seafood and Mediterranean eats.

  • Restaurant

    Firebird

    223 High Street, Prahran

    Prahran's flame-driven Vietnamese restaurant from the Hanoi Hannah team offers smoke aplenty, across both the food menu and cocktail list.

  • Restaurant

    Chancery Lane

    430 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

    Roll in for caviar, dry-aged duck burgers and a decadent lemon and rum baba.

  • Restaurant

    Aru Restaurant

    268 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

    This considered offering heroes cooking techniques from eras past and a surprising fusion of flavours.

  • Restaurant

    Grill Americano

    112 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

    Chris Lucas' dapper steakhouse celebrates Northern Italian flavours and old-school hospitality with a generous side of modern elegance.