Best cocktail bars in Melbourne

Melbourne's best cocktail bars

Black Pearl

304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

A regular on the World’s Best Bars list, Black Pearl offers unique cocktail creations that allow the bartenders to really show off their skills – and with two bar areas open til the wee hours of the morning, there's plenty of space and time to enjoy your evening. 

Downstairs you’ll find a more relaxed scene, with people lounging on sofas and ottomans or propped up at the bar chatting with staff as they create off-the-cuff cocktails. Upstairs in The Attic is where the magic really happens, with a cocktail list so long that you'll need a dozen visits to get through it.

Bourke Street Green 

501 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD

Bourke Street Green is like a lush tropical paradise right in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. Thankfully, Melbourne’s unpredictable weather won’t dampen your afternoon or evening, as the partially covered roof will keep you toasty and dry.

You’ll find all sorts of inventive cocktails at Bourke Street Green, like the staff favourite Mezcal Sour or the savoury Old Nutty, made with rye whisky.

There’s also a long list of local beers, wines, and a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails and drinks too, if not everyone in your group wants a cocktail. 

Brunswick Aces

124 Western Street, Brunswick 

Brunswick Aces is an alcohol-optional bar, where every drink on the menu is available in non-alcoholic and alcoholic options. It caters to the growing trend towards sobriety, as well as those are just keen to drink a little less.

Curated by the Brunswick Aces team that created Australia's first zero-alcohol gin, this bar serves a rotating menu of beers, wines, cocktails and range of bar snacks. The bar is open each Friday and Saturday night, with special events taking place during other nights of the week.

Ugly Duckling

238 Swan Street, Richmond 

There's nothing ugly about this stylish cocktail and wine bar with a bespoke cocktail list. This hidden gem in the inner east of Melbourne is just perfect for date night. 

At Ugly Duckling, the menu changes to match the season, with summer seeing lots of fruity creations, whereas winter is all about deeper, more robust cocktails. Right now, the Pink Coral Gimlet is a stand-out, made with Applewood coral gin, citirc and malic acid, lime, and a sherbet rim.

Jungle Boy

96 Chapel Street, Windsor

Perhaps one of the best hidden bars in Melbourne, Jungle Boy lies behind what looks like a coolroom door in the sub shop Boston Sub in Windsor.

Once you enter, you’re met with an oasis of hanging plants, mounted animal heads, exposed brick walls, and cocktails served in tiki mugs.

Bar None 

72 Auburn Road, Camberwell

Bar None is a cocktail bar in the east of Melbourne that feels as comfortable and relaxing as having a drink in your living room. Settle in with a charcuterie board or some dips and bread for a relaxed night of great cocktails and service to match.

Camberwell was actually a 'dry area' until 2015, with residents needing to vote to approve liquor licences for venues. Nowadays, cocktail and speakeasy bars are welcomed. And Bar None's 150-page cocktail menu has something for every kind of drinker, from classic margaritas and negronis to curious creations like the Oscar Wilde, made with scotch and vanilla.

The Everleigh

Level 1/150-156 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

The Everleigh has been an institution since it first opened in Fitzroy, going from strength to strength and winning accolades including Australian Bartender Cocktail Bar of the Year in 2018 and Best Victorian Bar of the Year in 2019.

Sit at the long marble bar and have a chat to the bartenders, who can make you any number of classic or custom cocktails. The old-world decor like chesterfield armchairs and mounted deer heads add a luxe ambiance to the bar, while the attentive table service makes The Everleigh feels a class above other cocktail bars in Melbourne.

Byrdi

211 La Trobe Street, Tenancy GD075, Melbourne CBD

Ranking number 30 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2019, Byrdi is something else entirely when it comes to the best cocktails in Melbourne – because it’s not often the ingredients for said cocktails are prepared months in advance.

You can expect your cocktails at Byrdi to come with ingredients that have been fermented, smoked, reconstituted, or sometimes all the above. You can even pick up some of Byrdi’s bottled cocktails to take home at the Blackhearts & Sparrows wine store next door. And if you fancy something to eat while you’re at Byrdi, there is a small but refined menu with items like pistachio sherbet-topped lettuce hearts or Bunya nut and pickled pea tarts.

Nick & Nora’s

80 Collins Street via 11 Benson Walk, Melbourne CBD

Nick and Nora's is a swanky cocktail and champagne bar in Melbourne's CBD that takes you back in time to the 1930s.

The champagne at Nick & Nora’s is broken down into categories using words like ‘crisp’, ‘dry’ and ‘sweet’, with glasses starting from around $17 up to bottles worth more than $2,000. The cocktails are just as classy, with cunning variations on classics like the Dirty Martini. Liquid nitrogen is used in many of the creations, adding a sense of theatrics to the evening.  

Settle in with a cheese and charcuterie board, as well as some very elegant cocktail options for a night of refined class.

Lay Low

93 Buckley Street, Seddon

Another of Melbourne’s best cocktail bars is Law Low, found through a hidden door inside a clothing store in the west of the city. Behind the door, you’ll find a long bar slinging bespoke cocktails created with house-made and seasonal local produce.

Lay Low's neighbours The Brotherhood Yiros have collaborated to create an exclusive food menu with the bar if you're feeling peckish, which you can enjoy in the lounge or on the upholstered bench seats lining the walls.

Above Board

Level 1/306 Smith Street, Collingwood

Above Board is not your average cocktail bar in Melbourne, offering simply 25 cocktails and a 12-seater island bench. This intimate bar is owned by bartender Hayden Lambert, who wanted to offer 25 perfect cocktails as opposed to hundreds of varieties that are less than average.

You’ll still find classic cocktails such as a Negroni, Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Martini, as well as some unexpected combinations that are subtle but still pack a punch. Just don’t expect loads of fancy garnishes and theatrics, as Lambert wants his cocktails to speak for themselves, without the need to dress them up.

Eau de Vie

1 Malthouse Lane, Melbourne CBD

Another one of the city's great hidden bars is Eau de Vie, which feels like entering a 1920s American speakeasy. Dim lighting, old-world decor and attentive service makes this cocktail bar into a night to remember.

Eau de Vie offers some truly unique cocktails, like the Banderillero: served smoking in a horn with chorizo-infused mezcal, habanero bitters and other complex ingredients. You can also order a tasty selection of canapes to accompany your drinks, from freshly shucked oysters to charcuterie boards. And if you truly want to experience the bold world of whisky, Eau de Vie also offers a five-course degustation dinner that takes you on a journey where whisky and food collide.