15 fabulous bars in Melbourne, from rooftop suntraps to sexy speakeasies
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Nightlife is one of Melbourne’s biggest drawcards, with a sophisticated and booming bar scene that fills its compact centre come the weekend and spreads far into its inner neighbourhoods any night of the week. The city’s reputation as Australia’s most European metropolis is, in part due to its number of small wine bars, a phenomena that sprung up in the early 1990s when Sydney’s drinking habits still ran to pints in multi-storied pubs. That’s not to say it’s all small producer Pinot Blanc and duck rillettes though: live music is well supported – there’s no shortage of sticky carpet venues – and a strong dance music clique too.
City
The Lui Bar
On level 55 of Melbourne's cloud-bursting Rialto Towers, the to-the-horizon bay and city views at this dramatic, elegant bar are simply hypnotic. Choose a clear day, dress up and head in just before the after-work crowd to secure a coveted window seat for the sunset show. Alternatively, saunter in on Sundays from 3pm for live jazz. Cocktails are competent yet local and playful – try Lui's inspired take on the espresso martini, made using freshly brewed Five Senses coffee and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao. Peckish? The solid bar snacks are prepared next door at Vue de Monde, one of Australia's hottest restaurants.
Contact: 00 61 3 9691 3888; luibar.com.au
Opening times: Mon-Wed, 5.30pm-12am; Thu, Sat, 11.30am-1am; Fri, 11.30am-3am; Sun, 11.30am-12am
Reservations: Not necessary
Price: £££
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Eau de Vie
Slip into an inconspicuous laneway, look for a gas lamp, and clock the unmarked door. It’s dark, plush and seductive within? You've made it. Eau de Vie is the ultimate Prohibition-style speakeasy, with private booths, dapper bar staff playing with liquid nitrogen, and meticulously researched concoctions. If you adore a good negroni, don’t miss the Negrizzle, a smoking (literally), jam-jarred take on the Italian classic. If you're feeling indecisive, trust your waiter: the guys here have finer intuition than a seasoned clairvoyant. There's good bar bites and more substantial grub too, including a degustation menu with cleverly paired cocktails.
Contact: 00 61 412 825 441; eaudevie.com.au/melbourne
Opening times: Mon-Thu, 5pm-1am; Fri-Sat, 4pm-1am; Sun 4pm-11pm
Reservations: Not necessary
Price: £££
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Bar Americano
Another one of Melbourne's out-of-sight cool kids (look for the Italian Tabacchi sign in the alleyway), Bar Americano fits, literally, ten people on its black-and-white checkered floor. Channelling 1920s Italy with its white-cloaked bar staff and vintage bar, it's as fine a place for a stand-up aperitif as it is for a low-key nightcap. These are serious, elegant concoctions, based solely on recipes contained in the most revered cocktail books of the Golden Age of Drinking (1917-1940). Opt for the vintage Martinez, for an extra kick of sugar for that Old Tom gin feeling.
Contact:baramericano.com
Opening times: Mon-Wed, 5pm-12am; Thu-Sat 5pm-1am
Reservations: Not possible
Price: ££
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Siglo
Here’s a rooftop bar for grown-ups. Go in through the unmarked door of the Chesterfield-studded Supper Club (this, and The European restaurant, are on lower floors) and head up several flights of stairs to the very top. The checker-board terrace is where you'll want to sit, a pretty tableau of white linen tables, flickering candlelight and black-clad waiting staff delivering beautiful wines, sultry cognacs and the odd cigar. Canvas awnings and gas heaters make the view – the neo-classical gravitas of Parliament House, the Gothic spires of St Patrick's Cathedral, and the flouncy stucco of the Princess Theatre – one for all seasons.
Contact: 00 61 3 9654 6300; siglobar.com.au
Opening times: Daily, 5pm-3am
Reservations: Not necessary
Price: ££
Rooftop Bar & Cinema
Art Nouveau Curtin House packs a very Melbourne punch with its cutting edge bars and eateries, independent boutiques, and design bookshop. Topping the lot is this rooftop hangout, frequented by no shortage of beards and skinny jeans. Between December to late March, book an online ticket to its five-nights weekly Rooftop Cinema sessions, which showcase fantastic cult and indie classics. Not only is the line up solid, the experience of watching them from your deckchair, with Melbourne's towering skyscrapers as a backdrop, and a jug of beer to hand, is mesmerising. But anytime of year, this offers up the ultimate in open-air Melbourne views.
Contact: 00 61 3 9654 5394; rooftopbar.co
Opening times: Daily, 11am-1am
Reservations: Not for the bar but essential for the cinema
Price: £
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Ponyfish Island
Melburnians have a knack for turning unlikely spaces into hip hangouts, like this designer-grunge, fair-weather bar. You'll find it on the southern pontoon of the Yarra Pedestrian Footbridge, slap bang in the middle of the river (no need to swim, there's stairs from the bridge). There’s no better place to slide on the shades, grab a beer and take in the boats, trams and mish-mash city skyline. In the warmer months, office workers head down for a post-work tipple on the water in number. Tasty, straightforward bites include bagels, zucchini and corn fritters, and chilli mac-and-cheese.
Contact:ponyfish.com.au
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 11am-1am; Sun, 11am-12am
Reservations: Not possible
Price: £
Inner North
Gertrude Street Enoteca
This intimate, bottle-lined nook not only offers one of Melbourne's most inspired wine lists, it's one of those locals where you’ll feel immediately ensconced. It's just right for a civilised tête-à-tête or a little personal downtime, gently prodded along by artisan wines that are thoughtfully crafted and you'll be hard pressed to find a drop that doesn't surprise or enlighten. If you're feeling peckish, you're also in good hands. Co-owner Brigitte Hafner is also the in-house chef, and her passion for regional produce cooked with care and flair is the stuff of local legend.
Contact: 00 61 3 9415 8262; gertrudestreetenoteca.com
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 11am-11pm; Sun, 1pm-10pm
Reservations: Not necessary
Price: ££
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Napier Quarter
Daniel Lewis has created a delightful home-from-home in this Parisian-feeling old corner shop. Pop in for good coffee and pastries, or, once the sun is over the yard arm, hit the impressive blackboard of whites, reds, sparklings and skin contact drops from Australian and European producers. Daniel will soon clock your palate and will happily match a glass or bottle accordinly. The menu scales up from precision snacks and pretty, inventive small plates (say, straticciatella with nectarine, pink pepper and basil) to the larger daily roast, or comforting lamb braise with chermoula or line-caught Dory with sea vegetables and butter.
Contact: 00 61 3 9416 0666; napierquarter.com.au
Opening times: Sun-Thu, 8am-10pm; Fri, Sat 8am-11pm
Reservations: Not necessary
Price: ££
The Everleigh
Top bar staff come to drink in this dark and handsome upstairs place, where the booths are leather-bound, the crowd civilised and the drinks flawless. From fizzes and fixes, to sours and sazeracs, the menu is a short, seasonal trip down memory lane. That said, ditch the list and simply tell them your favourite spirits and flavours; the tailor-made result is always intuitive and revelatory. It's all in the detail, from the squeezed-to-order juices to the hand-cut ice. The best table is at the bar, where genuine conversation and a few mixology tips are always bound to arise.
Contact: 00 61 3 9416 2229; theeverleigh.com
Opening times: Daily, 5pm-1am
Reservations: Not possible
Price: £££
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Naked in the Sky
This rooftop bar and restaurant, counterpart to Naked for Satan, the pintxo-style tapas joint you’ll enter from at street level, is the perfect place for a long afternoon. Sun on the wide terrace while gazing out over corrugated roofs and city skyscrapers. The food up here is also Basque-inspired, but generally more substantial, while the list of on-tap beers and ciders includes some interesting, lesser-known drops. You can't book, so head up early if you're after a table with the best view, as it’s a favourite after-work spot and the lift line can get long. And, yes, if you’re wondering, clothing is in fact required.
Contact: 00 61 3 9416 2238; nakedforsatan.com.au
Opening times: Sun-Thu, 12pm-12am; Fri, Sat, 12pm-1am
Reservations: Not possible
Price: £
Marion
Whitewashed brick walls, light-soaked windows, oak, leather, copper and soaring wine racks lend Marion a tactile, warm feel but what really sets this place apart, though, is the wine list. Come with an open mind and explore less-common drops, including many orange and minimal-intervention wines. With insightful anecdotes from the well-versed staff, one glass will end up a bottle, and a veritable feast of beautiful, Italo-leaning dishes like lemon-spiked zucchini flowers or kingfish crudo make for dinner. That the food is fabulous makes sense, as it’s the little sibling of super-chef Andrew McConnell’s Cutler & Co. next door.
Contact: 00 61 3 9419 6262; marionwine.com.au
Opening times: Mon-Thu, 5pm-11pm; Fri, 12pm-11pm; Sat, Sun, 8am-11pm
Reservations: Not necessary
Price: ££
Corner Hotel
In the shadow of the Swan Street rail bridge, the Corner has been shaking heads and hips since the 1940s. Everyone from Mick Jagger and The Dandy Warhols, to The White Stripes, David Gilmour and Crowded House have played here, and the place remains one of Melbourne's best mid-sized live music venues. Top-tier or cult-status acts can sell out months ahead, so check the website well in advance if you're thinking of hitting its legendary sticky carpet. If you do, make sure to have a drink in the buzzing rooftop bar as well.
Contact: 00 61 3 9427 7300; cornerhotel.com
Opening times: Daily, 8.30pm-late
Reservations: Recommended
Price: ££
Jazz Lab
Jazz fans around the world (at least those of the ‘I know when to clap a solo’ variety) collectively wept at Melbourne’s iconic Bennet’s Lane passing. Fortunately its musical director, Michael Tortoni, has honoured the club’s long legacy at this new alleyway space in grittily hip Brunswick. His homage includes a careful replication of Bennetts Lane’s brilliant acoustics, along with a program that simlarly showcases international greats and nurtures local talent. With one or two nightly sets, you might encounter anything from standard bearers to extreme experimentation. Bar offerings are basic but thoughtful, including a superbly sustaining three-cheese toastie.
Contact: 00 61 3 9080 4398; jazzlab.club
Opening times: Sat-Thu, 8pm-12am; Fri 8pm-3am
Reservations: Recommended
Price: £-££
St Kilda & Innner South
Bar di Stasio
Owner Ronnie di Stasio is Melbourne’s most staunch champion of ‘Italianality’, a mecurial quality that this casual counterpart to upmarket Cafe di Stasio next door, utterly embodies. It’s a seductive, sexy space, packed with seductive, sexy locals, and tended by kind, knowing staff. Take in conceptual art star Callum Morton’s blood red-scaffolded portal then perch at the marble bar overlooked by a blownup Baroque masterpiece. Wines are Italian or from small local producers, there’s winning negronis and a concise menu of moreish things like herbed frittatina (mini-frittata), seafood fritto misto in a cone, lamb chops or a sublimely simple spaghetti.
Contact: 00 61 3 9525 3999; distasio.com.au
Opening times: Daily, 11.30am-11pm
Reservations: Recommended
Price: ££
The Woods Bar of Windsor
Dark wood, taxidermy, and swing tunes from speakeasy times mean this neighbourhood bar is especially magic on wet, gloomy evenings. It also happens to be one of Melbourne's best whisky bars, with over a century's worth of choices, including rarer drops and whisky-based cocktails. That said, the guys here are also capable of a decent martini. Food options lean towards sharing plates, with standouts including pulled pork, truffled mushroom and Wagyu beef sliders, as well as a cult-status San Danielle prosciutto, Gruyere and truffle toastie.
Contact: 00 61 3 9521 1900; thewoodsofwindsor.com
Opening times: Tue-Thu, 4pm-1am; Fri-Sun, 12pm-1am
Reservations: Not necessary
Price: ££
