15 Best Bars in Melbourne to Visit in 2026

Melbourne has, without a doubt, earned its reputation as one of the world’s great cities for bars and nightlife, and nowhere proves it more consistently than the CBD. Duck down the right stairwell or push through an unassuming door and you’ll find a bar with a strong drinks list, bartenders who know their way around it, and an atmosphere that’ll keep you hanging around for your third, fourth and if the night calls for it, fifth drink. From cocktail bars to rooftop bars, whisky bars, gin bars, wine bars and more, these are the best bars in Melbourne CBD right now, for any occasion.

Best Bars in Melbourne CBD at a Glance

• Best bars for cocktails: 1806, Beneath Driver Lane
• Best wine bars: Bijou, Nick & Nora’s
• Best new bar: Three Horses
• Best bars for gin: Gin Palace, Union Electric
• Best rooftop vibes: Goldilocks, State of Grace
• Best bar for date night: Berlin Bar, Mill Place Merchants

1. Eau De Vie Melbourne

Eau de Vie is a hidden, 1920s‑style speakeasy down Malthouse Lane, built around moody lighting, dark wood, jazz and a strong sense of theatre. Drinks are “experience first”: bartenders wheel out martini trolleys, pour liquid nitrogen over glassware, and serve signatures in everything from coupes to horns, so it feels like a cocktail show as much as a bar.

The venue is split into different pockets – bar seats, low banquettes and cosy booths – plus the bookcase‑hidden whisky room with rare bottles and private lockers, and a library space used for five‑course cocktail degustations and events. That makes Eau De Vie a smart choice for impressing dates, special‑occasions, and anyone who wants to lean into whisky, cocktail masterclasses or tasting‑style experiences, rather than just “a quick drink”.

• Address: 1 Malthouse Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

2. Gin Palace

Gin Palace has certainly earned its “institution” tag: it’s been doing gin, martinis and late nights in the same CBD laneway since the ’90s, and the experience has never wavered. When bar industry pioneer Vernon Chalker reopened the doors in 1997 (after being shut down way back in 1870), gin was barely back on the radar, and Melbourne’s laneway bar culture was still finding its feet. At the time, there were only a handful of gins available locally.

Today, entering Gin Palace, you walk into a semi‑basement of low lamps, velvet and curtained nooks, then get handed a gin list (330+) that runs into the hundreds – everything from classic London dry to oddball small‑batch bottles – plus seriously cold, generously poured martinis that arrive at the table instead of the bar.

It’s the perfect bar in Melbourne CBD to take a mate or a date who cares about gin, or when you want to sit on a couch, order a couple of rounds and maybe some snacks, and talk without screaming over a DJ. The late closing time (4pm-3am every day of the week), old‑school table service and mix of industry regulars and night‑owls make it an excellent spot to drink the night away.

• Address: 10 Russell Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000

3. Beneath Driver Lane / Baby Driver

Beneath Driver Lane is already pretty transportive – old bank vault under the GPO, brick arches, candles, blues – but it’s even more enticing that it’s part of a two‑bar ecosystem with Baby Driver upstairs. Downstairs, you’re in whisky‑and‑cocktail territory: strong classics, a big back bar with plenty of Scotch and rum, late‑night bar food and live blues a few nights a week – perfect for people who want to sit in the music rather than have it as background.

Baby Driver, opened as the “funkier sibling”, takes that same love of music and flips the dial from blues to 70s jazz, deep funk and rare‑groove vinyl, with a brighter feel, more wine on the list and rotating kitchen takeovers from chefs like Berbeo Bros and Lady T. The two bars run on different but connected rhythms – whisky and blues in the vault, wine and funk in the laneway – so you can start upstairs for a louder, food‑heavy, vinyl‑driven hang, then drop downstairs when you’re ready for a darker booth, a stronger pour and the bands.

• Beneath Driver Lane Address: Shop/3 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
• Baby Driver Address: 2 Driver La, Melbourne VIC 3000

4. 1806

1806 is a bar in Melbourne CBD that built an entire identity around the moment “cocktail” first appeared in print – 13 May 1806. The venue opened in 2007 in the theatre district and became known for a menu that walks through cocktail history by era, backed by a serious spirits list and a level of table service more in line with a restaurant than a bar.​

Inside, there are three main areas: The Main Room, The Understudy and The Dress Circle. The Main Room is where 1806 feels most like a classic cocktail theatre: low light, red velvet, the back bar glowing behind the counter and small tables clustered for two to four people. It’s the best place for a first visit or a mixed group where you can watch drinks being built, soak up the room’s buzz and hold a conversation over classics and signatures. The Understudy, tucked downstairs, offers a smaller, experimental bar focused on lesser‑known spirits like poitín and arrack. It’s geared towards people who want to nerd out a bit on spirits and off‑beat cocktails. The Dress Circle up on the mezanine overlooks the main room and is a great spot for those who want a bit more of a private perch.

If you consider yourself a cocktail connoisseur, 1806 is where you come when you want textbook‑level classics, historically framed signatures, and staff who can walk you through the story behind a Clover Club or build something off‑menu around a favourite spirit.

• Address: 169 Exhibition St, Melbourne VIC 3000

5. Union Electric Bar

Union Electric is the ultimate antidote to Melbourne’s stuffier cocktail dens. Tucked down Heffernan Lane, this two-tier haunt pairs a gritty, brick-walled basement pulsing with old-school hip hop with a lush, sun-drenched Rooftop Gin Garden.

The drinks menu swaps “speakeasy” pretension for a “modern tiki” soul. Expect vibrant house shrubs, clarified milk punches, and fresh-pressed juices spiked with rum or gin. While the gin list is vast, spanning from Roku to zesty native green-ant gin, the vibe remains accessible, fueled by $10–$12 G&T specials and an award-winning team in funky tropical shirts.

Whether it’s for a post-Chinatown palate cleanser or a golden-hour sesh, it’s the Melbourne CBD’s best bar go-to for high-quality cocktails.

• Address: 13 Heffernan Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

6. Three Horses

If you’re looking for one of the best new bars in Melbourne, look no further than Three Horses. It’s the “big sibling” behind the Caretaker’s Cottage team – still intimate and detail‑obsessed, but stretched out into a long, bright room with a full bar on one side, and high tables on the other. There’s also a turntable near the door with DJs spinning vinyl (Lauryn Hill, soul, jazz, that kind of lane).​

On the menu, sherry is the through‑line, with around 16 cocktails, many of them seasonally rotated, but almost all touched by sherry in some way – from a fino‑laced house Martini (the Jabberwock) to things like the Flor de Jerez with amontillado, rum, elderflower, apricot and lime. You’ve also got Spanish sherries by the glass and bottle, a small list of interesting Aussie wines (often lesser‑known Mediterranean varietals), a house pilsner brewed with a sherry note, and a couple of local craft beer cans; food is minimal, more snack bowls (corn nuts with wattleseed and mountain pepper) than full plates.​

It’s both relaxed and social, and a smart pick if you already like Caretaker’s but want more space (or don’t want to queue for ages), or if you’re curious about sherry and want to explore it via cocktails rather than committing to a dedicated “sherry bar”. Start with the sherry‑spiked Martini and let the rest of the list unfold from there.

• Address: 106 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000

7. Nick and Nora’s

Nick and Nora’s leans all the way into the fantasy: you walk off 80 Collins into a grand hallway lined with hundreds of Champagne bottles, then up to a marble‑topped bar and a maze of velvet booths, private nooks and balconies that all feel like different corners of the same 1930s party. The whole concept hangs off The Thin Man’s crime‑solving couple – menus are styled like little novels, cocktail sections nod to characters, and there’s a steady run of themed events (Champagne “shoey” tastings, whisky walks, sax nights, high‑tea style afternoons).​

On the drinks side, Champagne is the headline: 400‑plus bottles and a long by‑the‑glass list, organised by flavour profile from “crisp and elegant” up to richer, more opulent styles, plus Champagne towers for groups that want a bit of spectacle. The cocktail list is equally big but navigable, broken into sections with flavour cues and character names, and runs from savoury martinis (like the clarified‑tomato Mista Asta) to maximalist builds like the Sherlock’s Supper Bloody Mary and sherbet‑y tequila fizzes.​

On the food side, you”ll find things like oysters with Champagne mignonette, caviar, cheese and charcuterie, and small plates like lobster rolls and chicken‑liver éclairs.

• Address: 80 Collins Street via, 11 Benson Wk, Melbourne VIC 3000

8. State of Grace

State of Grace is built as a three‑act night in one building: an eclectic, chandelier‑heavy restaurant at street level, a secret cellar bar below, and a rooftop terrace above. The street‑level room does modern Australian with a European accent (steak, gnocchi, tartare, share plates) plus a fairly classic wine and cocktail list, and tends to suit work dinners, birthdays and so on.

Fall From Grace, the hidden cellar bar, sits behind a bookcase and down a staircase, switching the mood to darker, lower‑ceilinged and more cocktail‑focused, with a seasonal signature list built around themes like “Garden of Eden”, alongside classics and late‑night snacks.

Up top, the rooftop feels like a separate and more casual venue: open‑air, city‑view terrace with a mix of high tables and lounges, heaters for winter, and a menu of pizzas, share plates, tap beers, tinnies and bright cocktails.

With incredible Melbourne CBD views, it’s an obvious pick for the best bar for after‑work sessions, sunset dates and groups hangs.

• Address: 27 King St, Melbourne VIC 3000

9. Berlin Bar

Berlin Bar is built around a single, clear idea: the Cold War split of Berlin, turned into a seated‑only cocktail bar at the top of a Chinatown staircase. You ring the bell, get let in, then choose between West Berlin – chandeliers, velvet, Champagne‑and‑martini energy – or East Berlin, which looks like a bunker with concrete, wooden benches and communist propaganda on the walls, with the bar itself standing in for “the Wall”.

The menu leans into the concept with signature drinks named for political and historical figures (think JFKs, cosmonauts, Soviet heroes), built on classic specs but with enough twists to make it unique, plus a strong spread of whisky, G&Ts, beer and wine if someone in the group isn’t a cocktail person. Everything is table service, which is a bonus if you hate queuing at the bar.

It’s fun, quirky and slightly theatrical, but the picking a side (East or West) is all part of the fun. 

It’s a great CBD bar when you want something more playful than a hushed speakeasy – especially for first dates or out‑of‑towners – and you’re happy to trade rooftop views for a tucked‑away novelty experience. 

• Address: Level 2/16 Corrs Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

10. Bijou

A high-concept hybrid from the mind behind Gin Palace, Bijou Bottle Store is a Little Collins sanctuary that functions as both a boutique cellar and an intimate bar (and a great spot for a date night). The space is defined by towering, floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with rare spirits and small-batch wines that serve as both the decor and the menu. The selling point here is the “drink-in” bottle shop model: pluck any bottle from the shelf to enjoy on-site for a flat corkage fee, or lean on the staff’s expertise for a daily-changing rotation of interesting wines by the glass and impeccably stirred classic cocktails.

While the footprint is small, the hospitality is expansive. The vibe is warm and decidedly social, trading the anonymity of larger CBD bars for a knowledgeable, neighborhood local energy. To match the sophisticated pours, there is a curated selection of snacks, like think chicken liver parfait, sharp blue cheese, and croque fromage, all designed for grazing. Open until 1:00 AM daily, it’s quickly become the Melbourne CBD’s best wine bar for a midweek catch-up or late-night cap away from the laneway crowds.

• Address: 194 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000

11. Bouvardia

Bouvardia is the bar to visit when you’re bored of seeing the same five cocktails on every menu and want to be pleasantly surprised. Up a narrow staircase on Bourke Street, it opens into a mid‑century‑leaning room – sea‑green and amber banquettes, lime walls, soft orb lamps – that feels closer to a design studio than a bar, with rotating art on the walls and menus colour‑coded to match the drinks.

The list is small but mighty: around ten experimental cocktails at a time, each built around a process (lacto‑fermenting, fat‑washing, acid adjusting) or a piece of produce rather than a classic template, with full stats on ABV, pH and flavour profile printed next to the ingredients. Drinks like Not All Cucumbers Wear Capes (green‑juice‑adjacent gin and cucumber, fennel seed, capers) and Major Tom (lacto‑fermented passionfruit, amazake cream, mandarin curaçao, Aussie corn vodka) are good examples – they read a bit wild, but land balanced and very drinkable.

They also run a no‑waste loop with sister venue Pomelo Rooftop, sending “spent” infusions and by‑products upstairs to be turned into seltzers, and design cocktails with a plan for the leftovers from day one. That, plus engaged staff who clearly enjoy walking people through the menu, makes Bouvardia a strong pick for cocktail people who want to see something new.

• Address: 2/169 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

12. Death & Co

The arrival of Death & Co marks a heavyweight addition to Melbourne’s subterranean scene, bringing the DNA of the legendary New York institution to a moody, dark-timbered basement on Flinders Lane. The bar runs across two low‑lit levels – a ground‑floor room of burgundy leather, timber, booths and a long bar, plus a cellar bar and a curtained “Party Pod” for small groups – all table‑service, all designed so you sit down and stay for the night.

Every menu here starts from the same six “root” drinks – Whiskey Highball, Daiquiri, Old Fashioned, Martini, Sidecar and Flip – and then builds a seasonal list off those foundations. In Melbourne that means signatures like The Telegraph (Four Pillars gin, eucalyptus, Martini‑adjacent), Sound & Fury (tequila, ancho chilli, raspberry and red capsicum, a smoky Margarita cousin) and Buko Gimlet (navy‑strength gin, cachaça, coconut and pandan, a buko‑pandan riff), alongside house modern classics like the Oaxaca Old Fashioned and Naked & Famous.

The “Dealer’s Choice” format is a big part of the experience: you tell the bartender what you like, and they pull from nearly two decades of Death & Co recipes to build something tailored, which is ideal if you know how you like to drink but don’t want to wade through the full list. Food is engineered around cocktails rather than the other way round – gilda skewers, gin‑cured kingfish, tempura “chips and dip”, a dry‑aged cheeseburger, plus a heavy cheese section with things like blue cheese and carrot cake or Brillat‑Savarin with mini apple tarte tatin – all salty, crunchy and rich enough to keep you drinking.

• Address: 87 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

13. Mill Place Merchants

Mill Place Merchants should be more well-known than it is. Housed in a historic, 1840s heritage-listed building, this speakeasy is tucked at the end of a narrow laneway off Flinders Lane. Walk up to a monogrammed red door, open it, and you’ll find yourself in a Victorian dressing room. Then, behind a floor‑length mirror that slides open into the bar, you’ll find bluestone walls, chandeliers, marine lights, Victorian furniture and rugs, with a copper‑topped bar and about 60 seats.

The cocktail list reads like a love letter to early‑20th‑century bartending: classics and house twists, with drinks such as the Opera (gin, dubonnet, mandarin liqueur, orange bitters) and the Millionaire (bourbon, dry curaçao, absinthe, lemon, aquafaba) sitting alongside Gibsons, Pink Ladies, Espresso Martinis and more. There’s also a tight selection of Victorian wines, Champagne, beers and straight spirits, plus a food menu by chef Deepak Mishra that runs from devilled eggs with Yarra Valley salmon roe to mini steak‑and‑ale pies and other bistro-type plates built around native ingredients.

Live music is also a core part of the brief: early evenings start with acoustic jazz and blues, then pick up into swing and big‑band sets, before settling into some soul as the night goes on. Between the music, seated‑service and the slightly theatrical entrance, it’s a must-visit when you’re next in the CBD. 

• Address: Ground Floor/2 Mill Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000

14. Goldilocks

Goldilocks is one of Melbourne CBD’s smaller rooftops, but that’s part of the appeal. You slip in via a slightly scruffy entrance above a Chinese diner on Swanston Street, follow stairwell walls painted with trees, and pop out into a small rooftop with fake grass, partial hut‑style cover and bench seating looking over the city. 

The menu is built around approachable, good‑time cocktails, with a line‑up of signatures with fairy‑tale nods (like Into the Woods and Boozy Bear), plus all the hits – Margaritas, Whisky Sours, French Martinis, Long Islands, Espresso Martinis – done in house style, alongside a decent craft‑beer list, wines and locally made sodas. Food is largely vegan‑friendly Asian‑leaning snacks (dumplings, noodles, fusion plates), with boozy brunch on weekends and a $10 happy hour 4–6pm.

• Address: Denyers, Building Level 5/264 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000

15. Whisky and Alement

Whisky & Alement is where drinkers people go to play. It’s a small, amber‑lit bar off Russell Street with bottles stacked behind the bar, in glass cabinets and on chalkboards, and it’s been doing nothing but whisky (and whisky‑adjacent things) since 2010.

The list runs into the hundreds: core Scotch and Japanese names, plenty of indie bottlings, Australia’s largest collection of Scotch Malt Whisky Society releases by the glass, and regular imports and exclusives that rotate through weekly. You can order single pours, curated tasting flights (including blind flights), or go for boilermakers that pair specific whiskies with local craft beers.

Yet, for all its expertise, the bar remains approachable; the staff are as happy to walk you through a $12 “entry-level” dram as they are to pour a museum-grade relic. With a sharp focus on education, a killer selection of craft boilermakers, and an atmosphere that transitions seamlessly from quiet afternoon drams to a heaving late-night hub, it remains the gold standard for specialised drinking in Melbourne.

• Address: 270 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Best Bars in Melbourne Honourable Mentions

It’s extremely (extremely) difficult to narrow down the best bars in Melbourne CBD, so we have a list of honourable mentions that are most definitely worth your time. The list is written by Aimee O’Keefe and edited by Man of Many’s Melbourne drink & food writer Ally Burnie.

• Bar Margaux: The menu at this Melbourne bar is a roll call of classics, offering the kind of French bistro dishes such as French onion soup, incredible steak frites, or a ridiculously rich lobster croque monsieur. French desserts are also available for those with a sweet tooth. Cocktails are made with precision, featuring all the classics like Martinis and Manhattans as well as “snack-sized” three-gulp cocktails. With a nice beer and wine list offering a good mix of French drops and locally made French varietals, we promise you’ll find your next favourite drink.
• Loch and Key: Hidden up a rickety staircase, behind a bookcase in the Captain Melville venue, you’ll find one of Melbourne’s best bars. Loch and Key comes complete with a blackboard menu loaded with seasonal specials from a citrusy, smoky blend of mezcal to Solerno and blood orange juice. Food offerings are simple and delicious, with the signature pork belly slider brought from downstairs. This place is open all night long, so if you want to keep the party going then this is the spot.
• Heartbreaker: Heartbreaker is more than your standard Melbourne bar. Hit the beers and saunter over to the jukebox for a bit of Fonzie action. Four pre-batched cocktails are the staples of the bar, these include the Negroni, Martini, Old Fashioned and Manhattan. In addition to these, there are also Everleigh Bottling Co’s stable of dry Martinis, smooth Manhattans and rich Old Fashioneds, as well as the Hanky Panky (a variation on a Martini made with gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca).
• Embla: Embla is known for its flavour-filled wine list. Featuring a mix of local and international bottles, the Melbourne bar is a true hotspot for fans of Pinot. Sit back and enjoy the day with a few glasses of delicious wine and drink all your worries away at this fun little spot.
• Kirk’s Wine Bar: Kirk’s Wine Bar effortlessly showcases the balance between new-world charm and old-world sophistication. The wine list is large and full of character, with the old-world staples like Radikon wines and local innovators like Memento Mori wines. Kirk’s Wine Bar also has an amazing food menu, whether it’s for breakfast, post-work drink or even something a little more filling, this place has it all.
• Good Heavens: Good Heavens is a Melbourne rooftop bar, where the focus is cocktails. The list is littered with old favourites such as a Harvey Wallbanger, Mai Tai and Pina Colada, but these aren’t your normal cocktails they’ve been given an upgrade – the rum for the Pina Colada has been coconut-fat-washed, for example, and the downstairs smoker is used to smoke syrups. There is also an impressive list of beer by the bottle, with pilsners, sours and more from Australia but also New Zealand, the US and plenty from Europe.

Why You Should Trust Our List

From the author, Ally Burnie: I’m a Melbourne‑based, food‑ and drink‑obsessed journalist, and I’ve visited many of these venues myself and highly recommend them. For the bars I haven’t made it to yet, I’ve leaned on people who live and breathe the scene – bartenders, owners and regulars – and then cross‑checked that with online forums, Reddit threads and review platforms.

For more on Man of Many’s editorial policy and standards, head here.

Alternatives to Best Bars in Melbourne CBD

If you’re looking to bar-hop to a restaurant after a few drinks why not check out the best Japanese restaurants in Melbourne? Alternatively, you can also check out our list of fun things to do in Melbourne or if you’re looking to keep the party going, we can also help you with your search for the best live music venues in Melbourne.

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