If cocktails, local beer, wine, and spirits paired with great food sounds good to you, Melbourne is the place to be. There are bars on practically every corner, from hidden to small to niche to rooftop, all serving up specialty cocktails to their patrons on a nightly basis. Whatever the occasion, you’ll never be able to tick off every bar in Melbourne, so these ones are some of the best.
For sweeping rooftop views, there are more bars in Melbourne than most of Australia’s major cities. In Melbourne’s CBD, Fleet Rooftop Bar and Hotel Nacional are the go-to spots. Fleet is found 22 floors above Vibe Hotel, claiming the title for the tallest rooftop bar in the famous Flinders Street dining precinct. Their nautical theme echoes Melbourne’s maritime history, and extends past their décor to their cocktails and food menu—think amazing fresh seafood and beachy mai tais. Just down the road is the Hotel Nacional on Hardware Lane. This spot is Mexican-inspired, with a lengthy list of margaritas (we love the frozen ones!), fruity cocktails, and a whole page of different tequila options to pair with gluten-free Mexican that doesn’t skimp on quality. Five-stories up is the best way to enjoy Hotel Nacional, but their ground level is serviceable if you can’t snag a spot on the roof.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are underground bars, which Melbourne has entirely bought into. Head to Trinket after a visit to Fleet’s rooftop for something more lowkey, as these bars are both Flinders Lane residents. Their sourdough pizzas are famous, but the ambiance steals the show for us. The front bar has an open fire to warm your hands on, but travel through a secret wardrobe to find the hidden bar within a bar, lit by moody low lights and velvet curtains. Juliet is another cool underground spot with an awesome initiative behind it. Their wine, beer and spirits lists are focused on supporting women artisans, as well as some of their food produce supply. This basement bar on Little Bourke Street is lit pink neon, with chill vibes for an easy night out.
There are even a handful of themed bars for niche interests if you want something unique. IceBar Melbourne is a bit gimmicky, but worth a visit at least once. Cocktails come in ice glasses, ice sculptures line the walls, and staff offer you gloves, boots and snow capes if you’re feeling the cold. You typically visit IceBar for a good time, not a long time, so luckily it’s located in Fed Square, where there are multitudes of other bars to warm you up when you’re over the frost. Mjolner brings the cold through Scandinavian culture rather than any actual ice, being a Norse mythology-themed bar, found underground in Hardware Lane. Try mead, Denmark sour ale, or pay extra to drink from a Viking horn. StoryVille is another good one, an upstairs fairytale-themed bar, but more the dark kind of fairytale. The décor is whimsical and spooky, with the cocktail menu following suit.