Cocktail Bars in Melbourne
This list includes four on the 50 Best world list and one Spirited Awards nominee.
50 BESTCocktail BarCaretaker's Cottage
A public bar in the church caretaker's old cottage: opened 2022 behind Wesley Church by Matt Stirling, Ryan Nordics and Rob Libecans, Caretaker's Cottage does 'smart drinks, top tunes & fun times', freezer-cold martinis on a custom gin, well-poured Guinness (the martini-and-Guinness boilermaker is the move), and a monthly-rotating list. No. 45 on The 50 Best Bars 2026 (No. 19 in 2025) and The Best Bar in Australasia 2026. It was a Top 4 finalist for Best International Cocktail Bar at the 2026 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
139-141 Little Lonsdale Street (behind Wesley Church), Melbourne VIC 3000Mon-Thu 4pm-12am, Fri-Sat 4pm-1am (walk-ins only)Full profile
50 BESTWine BarThree Horses
Three Horses is the Caretaker's Cottage team's second room, on Little Lonsdale Street in the CBD, and it puts its idea in three words: where sherry reigns. No bookings, walk-ins only, and the bar says it will always do its best to seat guests on arrival. Open Monday to Saturday from four in the afternoon until one.
106 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000Mon-Sat 4pm-1amFull profile
50 BESTCocktail BarAbove Board
Twelve seats around a shared American-walnut table, and Hayden Lambert serving you personally: Above Board is 'more dinner party than cocktail bar', hidden up a laneway behind Beermash on Smith Street. Classics and originals, no bookings, groups kept small. No.44 on the World's 50 Best Bars 2021 and back on the extended list at No.100 in 2024.
Level 1, 306 Smith Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066Daily 6pm-1am (walk-ins only)Full profile- Black Pearl50 BESTCocktail Bar
Black Pearl
A Fitzroy institution since 2002, Black Pearl is the neighborhood bar with global reach, credited with fostering some of the best talent the Australian bar scene has produced, named Best Bar in Australasia 2018 and No.30 on the World's 50 Best that year. Downstairs stays inclusive and unbookable until 3am; The Attic upstairs takes the private functions.
304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065Wed-Sun 5pm-3am (walk-ins only)Full profile 
Cocktail BarEau de Vie
Melbourne's 1920s Prohibition den hides down Malthouse Lane: theatrical serves, owner Sven Almenning's Smokey Rob Roy arrives under a cloud of wood smoke, a hidden Whisky Room behind a bookcase with rare bottles and lockers, and late-night dining from the Speakeasy Group (Mjølner, Nick & Nora's, Pearl Diver).
Order thisSmokey Rob RoyTalisker & Highland whiskies, Ron Zacapa 23, house sweet vermouth, orange bitters, wood smoke1 Malthouse Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000Tue-Thu 5pm-late, Fri-Sat 4pm-1am, closed Sun-MonFull profile
More of Melbourne
These are the cocktail bars specifically. The full Melbourne guide ranks the best bars of every style, and the directory lists all 15 with a map and filters.
