St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick
Within red Pompidou-style scaffolding – the work of artist Callum Morton – lies this buzzing, sophisticated spot, dominated by a grand marble bar and…
Must-see nightlife in Melbourne
Melbourne
You might spy Mörk in top cafes, restaurants and gift stores, but this is where the magic happens. Within a former 1950s bakery, this tiny chocolate cafe…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
Reviving an apparent Brunswick St legend (a man nicknamed Satan who would get naked because of the heat of his illegal vodka distillery), this place is…
Melbourne
Inside what appears to be someone's '70s love-shack party house you'll find this American bar touting 'free love and cold beer'. The menu is mostly…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
A champion of direct-trade, single-origin coffee, this quintessential industrial Collingwood red-brick space takes its caffeine seriously. It's…
Melbourne
Siglo's sought-after terrace comes with Parisian flair, wafting cigar smoke and serious drinks. It fills with suits on Friday night, but any time is good…
St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick
Beneath fine-diner Stokehouse is its casual, buzzing bar-bistro, a light-soaked space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a deck over the beach, looking out…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
After more than 15 years in the game, Black Pearl goes from strength to strength, winning awards and receiving global accolades. Low lighting, leather…
Melbourne
A hidden laneway bar off Howey Pl, Bar Americano is a teensy standing-room-only affair with black-and-white chequered floors complemented by subway-tiled…
Melbourne
Situated as close as a venue can get to the Yarra without toppling in, Arbory occupies the decommissioned platform for the Sandringham train line at the…
Melbourne
The menu here takes inspiration from the diverse cultures that make Footscray so wonderful, whether a burger prompted by the local football team, banh mi…
Melbourne
Black walls, ripped leather banquettes, skeleton beer-tap handles and a rockin' jukebox offer a nice change from too-slick CBD bars. The tough-looking…
Melbourne
Here's how you do a dodgy-back-alley warehouse conversion: plonk a great bar in the middle, expose the brick walls, fill it with steampunky wrought iron…
Melbourne
Tucked away at a laneway's end is this two-storey container bar festooned with giant staghead ferns and graceful palms. Grab a local beer on tap and head…
Melbourne
Not content with hiding bars down laneways or on rooftops, Melburnians are finding ever more creative spots to do their drinking. Where better than mid…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
Melbourne's poster-boy chef, Andrew McConnell, knew what he was doing when he opened Marion. The wine list is one of the area's most impressive and the…
Stomping Ground Brewery & Beer Hall
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
This inviting brewery–beer hall set in a former textile factory is a relaxed, leafy retreat with exposed-brick walls, hanging plants, a kids' play area …
Melbourne
Some might be happy to shell out $30 for the view from the 120m-high Melbourne Star, but we'd rather spend $26 on a cocktail at this sophisticated bar…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
You'll never guess how many days of the year Everyday is open… It's set in a brick warehouse with bench seating and stools out the front; come here for…
Melbourne
This inconspicuous warehouse cafe a little north of Queen Victoria Market has plenty of room to store your bike and sip a splendid coffee with something…
Melbourne
There's no better place for a pre- or post-Nova tipple than this neighbourhood gem. It has a distinctly Melbourne-European vibe: a marble bar and raised…
Melbourne
The neighbourhood bar that everyone wishes they had, where you'll rub shoulders with hospitality staff on a night off, bumble dates and likely share a…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
From a team of hospitality heavyweights, Bar Liberty brings carefully selected wines (more than 300 on the list) and expertly crafted cocktails to Fitzroy…
Melbourne
Nestled among the CBD's high-rise buildings is this fantastic spot for a drink, with a retractable awning and efficient heating system. With a green-tiled…
Melbourne
Look for the festoon lights illuminating the laneway to Arlechin, a bar from the Grossi family of Melbourne hospitality fame. Sit among a glass-walled…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
Sophistication is off the charts at this hidden, upstairs nook. Settle into a leather booth in the intimate setting with a few friends for conversation…
Melbourne
The first Market Lane speciality coffee shop and roastery hides at the back of Prahran Market. The beans here are strictly seasonal, producing cups of…
Melbourne
Wide Open in name translates to wide open in space at this converted-warehouse cafe-roastery, just off hectic Sydney Rd. There's plenty of elbow room at…
Melbourne
This sophisticated hideaway next to the Princess Theatre, entered via a blank wooden door beneath a very discreet sign, is a favoured after-work…
Melbourne
Part bar, part Thai restaurant, this kooky-cool venue with grand bones is one of the more enduring rites of passage of the Melbourne night. The bar is…
Melbourne
This dimly lit haven of urbanity has a phenomenal 900 whiskies on its list, along with 12 craft beers on tap and more by the can and bottle. Snack on…
Melbourne
A big player in Melbourne's third-wave coffee movement, this warehouse cafe is the original roaster for Padre Coffee and brews its premium single origins…
Melbourne
A Chapel St classic and nod to the area's Eastern European influences. With up to 200 vodkas available, you can try drops like clear, oak-matured, fruit…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
A reimagined old boozer that’s retained its charm. Come for a pot of beer by all means, but there’s also decent wine by the glass and fancy versions of…
Melbourne
You've heard of exiting through the gift shop, but what about entering through the bottle shop? That's what you need to do to get to this bar, a handsome,…
Melbourne
Just as in a grand English garden, there are orderly bits and wild bits in this so-hot-right-now multi-purpose venue. Shuffle past the suits into the main…
Melbourne
Posher than your average old Carlton boozer, the Lincoln retains its 1854 historical charm with an art deco curved bar featuring 12 taps. It offers an…
Melbourne
Named after the year the word 'cocktail' was first used in print, 1806 is both opulent and unpretentious. Formerly a brothel, then a cabaret club, velvet…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
The friendly Napier has stood on this corner since 1866. Worm your way around the central bar to the boisterous dining room for the iconic Bogan Burger…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
For a peek behind the scenes at Proud Mary – producer of some of the city's best coffee – swing by Aunty Peg's roasting house. The warehouse shows off the…
