Victoria
We're living in a golden age for booze-lovers when small country towns are getting their own gin distilleries. Slotting in effortlessly along Piper St is…
Must-see nightlife in Victoria
Melbourne
Named for the former tailor shop it occupies, this bar has signature cocktails following themes, named after everything from colours to fashion essentials…
Victorian High Country
Following a stylish makeover, one of Beechworth's most historic pubs now celebrates a distinctly modern and urban vibe. There's a diverse selection of…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
It's a bit of a hike to get here, but you'll be rewarded with excellent and experimental craft beer at this functioning microbrewery. Don't be put off by…
Victoria
While the Freemasons perhaps didn't envisage their temple being converted into a lounge bar 146 years on, this is nonetheless a perfect spot for one. The…
Melbourne
Above venerable Thai restaurant Longrain is Longsong, housed in what was once a 1900s horse stable. There are four-person punch bowls, Asian-inflected…
Melbourne
Too hip to have a sign (look for the stylised mountain/M-shaped neon), this slick venue spills over two levels where visitors can order cocktails from…
Melbourne
Find your habitat at this pub – garden, grungy band room or intimate front bar – and settle in. It hosts free nightly gigs, including acoustic sets in the…
Melbourne
Head up the dingy lift to this rooftop terrace if you’ve had it with dark-wood, Melbourne-moody lounges. Named for a famous 19th-century brothel owner, it…
St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick
Reminiscent of an old-school Brooklyn bar, this warm, woody local has a rotating cast of 20 craft tap beers and an impressive bottle list – try the five…
Victoria
Scandi styling blends with retro 1970s sofas at this friendly spot proving there's more to Mildura than pubs and sports bars. Excellent cocktails and four…
Melbourne
Rowdy Revolver – or 'Revs', if you're local – can feel like an enormous version of your lounge room. But with nonstop music come the weekend and the…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
Adored by Collingwood football fans as the birthplace of the club, the Grace has been given a spit-and-polish and attracts a clientele of pretty young…
Victorian High Country
Redeveloped and modernised in time for the 2019 winter sports season, Kooroora is still the mountain's best option to rock hard and late. There’s live…
Melbourne
There's a buzz around this tiny coffee shop on the perimeter of South Melbourne Market, not only for its expertly crafted brew but for the weekend…
St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick
There's nothing cantankerous about this unruffled local, a few steps (and a million miles) away from Fitzroy St's backpacker bars. Punctuated with various…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
This favourite after-hours hangout feeds night owls pit-smoked meats and waters them with frothy tap beer, absinthe and whisky. Here champagne crates…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
Dr Morse is a classic all-rounder, keeping everyone happy any time of day. The mildly Asian-influenced cuisine is a winner from morning to night, you can…
Great Ocean Road
Birregurra's only pub is this beautiful art-deco building (c 1871) along the main strip. As well as being a local hang-out with a great beer garden, it…
Victoria
Opening its doors in 2018 along the town's main shopping strip, Burra is another regional Victorian microbrewery for beer-lovers to tick off the list…
St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick
Next to the Classic Cinema, After the Tears serves an astonishing range of vodkas and cocktails – the latter served hot, for dessert and in layered shots…
Geelong
Following on from its success in Torquay, Blackman's has opened a taproom in Geelong's hipster enclave. It's in a space once used as the Country Fire…
Melbourne
If this Robin Boyd–designed mid-century building had ears, there’d be a few generations of writers and academics in trouble. There's something for all…
Melbourne
Boatbuilders attracts a mixed crowd of office workers, travellers and Melburnians for its waterside views and backyard vibe. There's a great range of…
Melbourne
This place, with a spotless heritage-listed facade and glass-filled, architecturally designed interior, has different spots to eat and drink. On a nice…
St Kilda, Elwood & Elsternwick
The street-level public bar is the place to go if you’re up for sinking a few pints, wiggling to whatever comes on the jukebox and snogging a stranger…
Fitzroy, Collingwood & Abbotsford
If you're a proud, gay Melburnian, you already know the saying 'all roads lead to the Peel'. One of the city's best-known and most popular gay venues, it…
Warrnambool
So cool that it rocks an ugly brick 1970s motel-style facade – done out with AstroTurf and hipster signage – Rough Diamond does awesome single-origin…
Victoria
Risen from the ashes, the 125-year-old Buchan pub reopened in December 2016 after burning to the ground in 2014. Its rebirth came about via the world's…
Geelong
Two bars in one: choose from the more upmarket front bar, There There (located in a grand old bank building) for evening cocktails, or the more grungy…
Great Ocean Road
Renowned Mt Gambier coffee roasters Mikro have defected from across the border to slot in beautifully along Victoria's surf coast. Superb filter single…
Victoria
Around 12km north of Shepparton en route to Barmah National Park, this rustic garden cidery is a favourite for locals who flock here on weekend afternoons…
Bellarine Peninsula
One of the Bellarine's most scenic wineries, Basils Farm has wonderful views overlooking Swan Bay. Grab a table in the garden to enjoy platters of local…
Great Ocean Road
This pub's enticing street-front beer garden is the place to be in summer. The bistro (mains $19 to $35) has good seafood options, and there are live…
Melbourne
Split into three sections, the Railway Hotel is a smart, casual gastro-pub. Locals hang out at the public bar downstairs pounding beer on tap. The Deck…
Victoria
Ned Kelly and his gang once drank here, but these days you’re less likely to get shot and the food is much better. At the time of writing, the Vine's…
Great Ocean Road
The taproom for Sow & Piglets is inside the Port Campbell Hostel. Overseen by a German brewer, it serves four beers on tap, all unfiltered and…
Victoria
Head upstairs for regular live music on Friday and Saturday nights, a tasty menu ideal for combining with frosty pints or local wine – think burgers,…
Melbourne
Hidden in a graffitied laneway off another laneway – how very meta-Melbourne – the slightly creepy Croft is a laboratory-themed bar downstairs, while…
Melbourne
With a drinks list to make your liver quiver, 300 gins and a serious whisky collection, Gin Palace is the perfect place to grab a soft couch and hard…
