Twelve New Bars in Melbourne You Need To Try Right Now
When it comes to buzzworthy new bars, Melbourne's cup runeth over.
Feeling thirsty? Need a break from your local? Well then, you're in luck. From impossibly swanky cocktail joints to boutique beer halls and cozy local pubs, when it comes to buzzworthy new bars, Melbourne's cup runeth over. Here are a dozen of our favourite recently opened waterholes worth visiting for a bit of a tipple.
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Bar
Boilermaker House
209-211 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
The perfect combo of whisky, beer, cheese and charcuterie.
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Bar
Lulie Tavern
225 Johnston Street, Abbotsford
Abbotsford's no-frills neighbourhood warehouse bar.
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Bar
MJR TOM - CLOSED
108 Smith Street, Collingwood
Call in ground control, there's another bar on Smith Street.
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Bar
Underwood Wine Bar
181 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North
Venture north of the main Fitzroy drag for a no-nonsense glass of red.
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Bar
The Stone Hotel
298‒300 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
A brand new pub for Fitzroy's busiest intersection.
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Bar
Aloha Sailor - CLOSED
284 Smith Street, Collingwood
Leave your troubles (and your gloves) at the door as you descend to Smith Street's new basement tiki bar.
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Bar
Union Electric
13 Heffernan Lane, Melbourne
This Chinatown bar boasts an ever-changing cocktail offering and a rooftop gin garden.
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Bar
Magic Mountain Saloon
62 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
An eatery and bar spawned from one of Melbourne's best hospo pedigrees.
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Bar
Belleville - CLOSED
Globe Alley, Melbourne
A hidden cocktail bar above Chinatown from the team behind Section 8 and Ferdydurke.
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Bar
G&Tea Gin Garden - CLOSED
100 Kerr Street, Fitzroy
All your gin garden dreams come true on Brunswick Street.
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Event
Le Bon Ton's Superbowl Party
Mon, 10 Feb, 2025
Le Bon Ton, Collingwood
Pair your Superbowl watching with hot wings, waffles and chicken, and Budweiser beers.
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News
The Five Best Rivers for Swimming In Near Melbourne
Skip the overcrowded sands of Melbourne's beaches in favour of floating upstream at these Victorian rivers.
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News
How Does It Feel to Make a Bob Dylan Biopic?: Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro and James Mangold Chat 'A Complete Unknown'
This portrait of Bob Dylan going electric boasts the songs, the stars and 60s-era style — plus plenty of passion from its lead, his fellow cast and director.
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Guide
The Best Things to Do in Melbourne This Weekend
This weekend, you can pair pickleball games with sushi platters and cocktails, watch films under the stars, and see if you can score last-minute tickets to AO Live.
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Guide
The 16 Best Seafood Restaurants in Melbourne
Here's where to find Melbourne's best seafood — across fine-diners, messy crab shacks, local neighbourhood eateries and lavish omakase haunts.
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News
Messina Wants You to Treat Your 2025 Valentine to a Heart-Topped Tub of Salted Caramel and Baked Cheesecake Gelato
This February 14 special also features dark choc chips, passionfruit curd, crème brûlée mousse and caramel swirls.
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Restaurant
Astoria Bar Kè Grill
302 Toorak Road, South Yarra
This Toorak Road terrace house is now home to a fab Greek restaurant.
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Bar
Espy Sunroom
The Esplanade, St Kilda
Just when you thought St Kilda's Hotel Esplanade couldn't get any bigger, it opens the 252-person Espy Sunroom next door.
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News
Heartbreaking News: Splendour in the Grass Has Confirmed That It Isn't Returning for 2025
"Splendour needs a little more time to recharge and we won’t be back this year," the festival's organisers announced.
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Event
Galentine's Day at Pincho Disco
Thu, 13 Feb, 2025
Pincho Disco, Collingwood
Gather your gals, gays and theys together for a big Latin American feast the day before Valentine's Day
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News
'The White Lotus' Has Been Renewed by HBO for Season Four Before Season Three Even Starts
There's no word yet on which destination will follow Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand — but a fourth round of this HBO hit is on the way.
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News
Seven Melbourne Venues Screening the Super Bowl for NFL Superfans
If you're looking to tune in to the biggest event in American sporting, do it right at these spots around town.
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News
Singapore's Hidden Gem: Everything to See and Eat in Katong-Joo Chiat
Discover Singapore's Peranakan history at this colourful cultural hub.
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News
An ALDI Ice Cream Truck Is Serving Up 36-Cent Desserts at East Coast Beaches for One Day Only
When the supermarket chain's van hits coastal spots in Sydney, Melbourne and on the Sunshine Coast, nothing will cost more than $1.
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News
The Full Trailer for 'Yellowjackets' Season Three Is Here with Haunting Secrets and a Relentless Fight to Survive
Here's one way to spend Valentine's Day: with the return of this TV hit, this time with Hilary Swank joining the cast.
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News
Five Epic Multi-Day Hikes to Conquer Near Melbourne
Walk your way through the most beautiful parts of Victoria (while staying at remote campgrounds) during these multi-day hikes near Melbourne.
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Event
GABS Craft Beer Fest
Fri, 4 Apr, 2025
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf
Where can you get a drink from a 120-tap bar? At 2025's Great Australasian Beer Spectapular.
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News
GABS Is Set to Build Australia's Longest Bar (with 120 Taps) When the Huge Craft Beer and Cider Festival Returns for 2025
This just might be the biggest bar that you ever get a drink from — and it's coming to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
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Guide
The 16 Best Hotels In Melbourne for 2025
Whether you're vacationing or staycationing, this lineup of the best hotels in Melbourne will help you live your best life — fine restaurants, premium spas, rooftop pools and pillow menus await.
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Hotel
The StandardX
62 Rose Street, Fitzroy
Fitzroy's The StandardX boasts 125 luxury rooms, a rooftop bar and a contemporary Thai restaurant.
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Hotel
Melbourne Place
130 Russell Street, Melbourne
This has got to be Melbourne's most beautiful hotel — from top to bottom.
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News
'Joker: Folie à Deux', 'Madame Web' and 'Borderlands' Are All in the Running for 2025's Razzie Awards
Also picking up plenty of nominations from cinema's least-coveted accolades: 'Megalopolis', 'Reagan' and 'Unfrosted'.
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News
The Warehouse Project's 2024 Australian Debut Was Such a Hit That It's Returning in 2025
A taste of Manchester's rave scene is coming to Sydney and Melbourne again — this time for a night in each city in April.
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News
The Best Things to Eat, See and Do to Celebrate Lunar New Year in Melbourne
Themed high teas, street parties, limited-edition cakes, karaoke, banquets and huge giveaways — now that's how you welcome in the Year of the Snake in Melbourne.
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Event
What's on in Frankston: 2025 Events
Multiple single dates
Various Frankston venues
From European beach clubs to street art and sand sculpting, here's everything hitting Frankston in early 2025.
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News
How One of Australia's Most-Beloved Children's Books Finally Became a Movie: Alison Lester and Robert Connolly Talk 'Magic Beach'
Three and a half decades after it first hit bookshelves, this illustrated favourite has reached the screen in a fittingly imaginative way.
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Guide
The Best Bars in Melbourne with Beer Gardens and Boozy Courtyards for 2025
Save cosy pub corners for the depths of winter — it's time to drink a brew out in the open at these fab Melbourne beer gardens.
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News
Damn Fine Viewing: Thirteen Must-See David Lynch Movies and TV Shows That You Can Stream Right Now
Watching 'Twin Peaks', 'Blue Velvet' and the director behind them interrogating a monkey is the best way to pay tribute to a filmmaker like no other.
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Guide
The Best Things to Do in Melbourne This Week
This week in Melbourne, you can watch LGBTQIA+ players fight it out at the Aus Open's Glam Slam, score a few drinking and dining deals, and treat yourself to a luxe six-course Japanese dinner down at the Portsea Hotel.
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Event
Writers Revealed: Treasures From the British Library and National Portrait Gallery, London
Sat, 12 Apr - Sun, 3 Aug 2025
HOTA, Home of the Arts, Surfers Paradise
This world-first exhibition pairs author portraits with rare manuscripts, showcasing the work of Jane Austen, Shakespeare and Tolkien and more.
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News
Coming Soon: Jane Austen, Shakespeare and Tolkien Are in the Spotlight at Literature Loving-Exhibition 'Writers Revealed'
Displaying on the Gold Coast, this world-first showcase spans six centuries of work, bringing author portraits and rare manuscripts to Australia.
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News
Qantas Is Launching Direct Flights From Australia to Sapporo So You Can Get to Japan's Snowfields Quicker
The new route flies out of Sydney and will launch this coming December, ready for the 2025–26 snow season.
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Event
Biggest Best IMAX Film Festival
Sat, 11 Jan - Sun, 2 Mar 2025
IMAX Melbourne, Carlton
This IMAX Melbourne film festival is filled with the best and biggest flicks to see on its huge 32-metre-wide by 23-metre-tall screen.
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News
From Adam Elliot Talking 'Memoir of a Snail' to the Philippous with ONEFOUR, AACTA Festival's 2025 Lineup Just Got Bigger
Australian actors Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Teresa Palmer and Jack Thompson have also joined the packed program.
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News
Reimagining Classic Horror, Reflecting Reality and Scaring Up Resonant Emotion: Julia Garner and Leigh Whannell Chat 'Wolf Man'
What keeps drawing Garner to on-screen tension and unease — and Whannell to modernising iconic movie monsters? We found out.
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News
More Than Just Shooting Stars: Bag Raiders Talk Internet Fame, Creative Freedom and Loving Playing Festivals
It's been a decade and a half since 'Shooting Stars' helped bring this Australian electronic music duo to fame — and, with their own label, plus frequent sets at fests like AO Live, Jack Glass and Chris Stracey are as inspired as ever.
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News
Jacob Elordi-Starring Australian Miniseries 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North' Has a Date with Your Streaming Queue in April
Directed by 'True History of the Kelly Gang' and 'Nitram' filmmaker Justin Kurzel, the five-parter is set to arrive just in time for Easter long-weekend viewing.
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News
Tennis Tipples: The Australian Open Has Upped Its Booze Game This Year By Hosting a Slew of Fun Pop-Up Bars
All these bars are accessible to punters holding Australian Open ground passes — helping fuel the festival vibes.
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Event
Europa! Europa Film Festival
Wed, 12 Feb - Wed, 12 Mar 2025
Select cinemas in Melbourne, Various locations
Celebrate European cinema with a packed film festival lineup featuring 44 movies from 26 countries.
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News
Europa! Europa Film Festival's 2025 Lineup Serves Up a Feast of European Cinema's Latest and Greatest
When you're not watching the highest-grossing French movie of 2024 or Sweden's latest Oscar submission, you can catch a restoration of four features by iconic filmmaker François Truffaut.
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News
Anarchy in Australia and New Zealand: Sex Pistols Are Touring Down Under for the First Time in Almost 30 Years
The iconic punk-rock band will play their 1977 record 'Never Mind The Bollocks' when they head this way in April 2025.
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Guide
The 25 Best Chinese Restaurants in Melbourne for 2025
From Chinatown institutions and neighbourhood haunts to CBD fine-diners and contemporary Asian-fusion eateries, here are our top picks for when you have a hankering for some top Chinese cuisine.
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News
Love Is on the Lineup — Plus Recent Music-Filled Films — for Your February 2025 Moonlight Cinema Dates
Program highlights include '10 Things I Hate About You', 'The Notebook', sing-along 'Wicked' sessions, 'Better Man' and 'A Complete Unknown'.
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Feature
Coasting Together
Tens of thousands of kilometres of coastline... where to start? You grab your mates, we'll be on navigation duty.
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