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The Best Happy Hours in Melbourne for a Post-Work Wind Down
Head straight out of the office and into good spirits with the best happy hour specials in Melbourne.
After-work drinks shouldn’t require overthinking, and Melbourne delivers in every direction. From rooftop bars pouring sky-high spritzes to neighbourhood spots serving sharp specials and generous bites, the city knows how to turn a weekday into something easier.
With happy hours running all week, you can raise a glass without stretching the budget. Cocktail lovers, wine fans and beer devotees will find plenty to love in this round-up of Melbourne’s best happy-hour stops.
Monday Martini Club at Daphne
Brunswick East’s newest hotspot, Daphne, has already perfected the Monday ritual. From 4pm, Martini Club kicks off with $15 martinis — crisp, cold and mixed with the same finesse that defines the rest of the menu. Think Hannah Green’s signature hospitality, Sam Peasnell’s razor-sharp cocktails and a room glowing with walnut, marble and low-key glamour. Stamp your card; the tenth martini you have there is complimentary.
Happy Hour: Mondays, from 4pm
52 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
Sundown Social at Fleet Rooftop Bar
Golden hour hits different from the 15th floor, and Fleet knows it. Sundown Social serves $15 seasonal cocktails, $12 wine and mini ’tinis with skyline views that do half the seducing. It’s breezy, bright and built for those who like their after-work drinks with altitude and a touch of theatre. The city shifts, the lights spark up, and suddenly, two hours doesn’t feel like enough.
Sitchu Tip: Arrive early — sunsets fill fast.
Vibe Hotel, 1 Queen Street, Melbourne
Pendant Public Bar
A new Fitzroy classic with proper neighbourhood charm, Pendant keeps things easy with a daily happy hour worth planning around. From Monday, and again, Thursday through Sunday, the bar pours all tap beers — Guinness included — and a selection of wines by the glass for $10 from 4pm to 6pm. It’s simple, generous and exactly the sort of happy hour in Melbourne that makes a late-afternoon drop-in feel very well timed.
Happy hour: Monday, Thursday to Sunday, 4pm to 6pm
Specials: $10 pints and wines (Guinness included)
334 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Yugen’s Kanpai Hour
Kanpai to that. Across two hours, Wednesday through Sunday, Yugen’s bar transforms into a sake-soaked prelude to the night — walk-ins only. This is happy hour, reimagined the Yugen way: Sydney rock oysters with soy, ginger and shio kombu meet their match in a pour of Kazuma Chikuha, while that cult prawn toast finds harmony with a glass of Miwasakura Omusubi — a masterclass in small bites, big flavour, and exquisite restraint.
Happy hour: Wednesday through Sunday, 6pm to 8pm
605 Chapel Street, South Yarra
Little Hours at Cordelia
From Wednesdays to Fridays, 2pm to 5pm, Carlton’s newest neighbourhood spot is serving Little Hours: mini cocktails paired with snackable bites for just $20. Pick a Negroni or a martini, with buttery fries, or a slick mini wine-and-shellfish combo (oyster or scallop). It’s perfectly pitched: chic enough to feel special, casual enough to swing by solo or with friends. The ultimate happy hour in Melbourne. Tiny drinks, bold bites, and zero fuss.
Walk-ins welcome — this might just become your new mid-afternoon ritual.
Happy hour: Wednesday to Fridays, 2pm to 5pm
180 Rathdowne Street, Carlton
Lilac Wine Bar Aperitivo Hour
Lilac Wine’s happy hour runs for the full hour, and it’s so good you’ll want to book a table at 4pm on the dot. Slurp on $4 oysters, $10 beers and wines, $12 spritzes, a $10 tiny martini (it’s adorable), $12 negroni and a $25 Aperitivo plate. The vibe is relaxed yet lively, making it a must-try spot to unwind after work or kick off a casual evening with friends.
Sitchu Tip: Don’t miss the chance to pair your drinks with their carefully crafted small bites that complement every sip.
Happy hour: Tuesday to Saturday, 4pm to 5pm
31 Stephenson Street, Cremorne
Bar Olo
Bar Olo’s Aperitivo Hour is a study in effortless Italian indulgence. Running Wednesday to Saturday from 4pm to 6pm, it pairs spritzes, cocktails or wine with complimentary gourmet bites, turning a simple drink into a refined early-evening ritual. The room stays low-lit and intimate, with corners made for conversation and a steady, inviting atmosphere.
Happy hour: Wednesday to Saturday, 4pm to 6pm
165 Nicholson Street, Carlton
The Walrus
Late-night bargains rarely hit this well. The Walrus steps in with a happy hour made for night owls, pouring from 10pm to 11pm. It’s the ideal stop when the evening refuses to wind down. Expect $15 martinis and negronis, $3 oysters and a supper menu that rolls on until midnight. The energy is smooth, the drinks land beautifully and the whole thing feels like a clever little secret for anyone who prefers their happy hour after dark.
Happy hour: Everyday, 10pm to 11pm
9 Inkerman Street, St Kilda
Baby Pizza – Seasonal Aperitivo Sessions
Baby Pizza never lets the mood dip. This Richmond favourite brings a hit of ‘la dolce vita’ to every afternoon with its seasonal aperitivo served daily. This time around, it’s all about Aperol hour. From 4pm to 6pm, sip $9.50 cocktails, $7.50 wine and $6.50 Peroni Rossa. Think Aperols, Fragola Spitz, Agrumato Fizz and a lineup of bright, fizzy drinks built for warmer days. It’s no surprise Baby remains a go-to for effortless, sun-soaked afternoons.
Happy hour: Daily, 4pm to 6pm
631–633 Church Street, Richmond
Margarita Mondays at Hotel Nacional
Why let the weekend have all the fun? Kickstart your week at Hardware Lane’s only 100% gluten-free Mexican rooftop bar with all-day two-for-one margaritas every Monday. From classic lime to spicy chilli, creamy coconut, and frozen passionfruit, these margaritas are pure sunshine in a glass. Bonus points for their smoky mezcal and cheeky Lagerita twists!
Gather your crew and make Mondays feel like Fridays, because life’s too short for boring weekdays.
Happy hour: All-day Monday
23-25 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Shabooh Shoobah
We wanted to gatekeep this gem, but Shabooh Shoobah’s $10 happy hour is just too good not to share. With summer coming around again, their frozen pineapple margaritas and frozen mojitos are absolute hot-weather game-changers — fresh, bold, and packing a punch. Happy hour runs 4pm to 6pm every single day (dangerous, we know). Throw in a zesty grapefruit Paloma, a classic Negroni, and snacks that slap, and you’ve got yourself a vibey little haven. Trust us, this spot is your new obsession.
Happy hour: Daily, 4pm to 6pm
59A Melville Road, Brunswick West
Marion
This isn’t your standard Melbourne happy hour — Marion’s La Hora del Vermut is a whole mood. A sunlit pause in the day, built around vermouth on ice (slice essential) and Spanish snacks that flirt shamelessly with indulgence: think razor clams, confit seafood toast and the classic Gilda. It’s transportive, deliciously slow and made for warm afternoons. And yes, the siphon-made Preparado con Sifón brings its own tableside theatre.
We’ll happily cheers to that.
Summertime only
53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
True South
$9 wines, $6 pints, and $15 cocktails? Yes, please! True South has you covered, Monday through Thursday, from 4pm to 6pm. Grab your crew and settle in at this super cool Argentine restaurant and bar for a stylish bayside happy hour in Melbourne. With stunning views and killer drinks, it’s a delightful midweek treat.
Sitchu Tip: Stay on Tuesday for trivia at 7pm — it’s a good time waiting to happen!
Happy hour: Monday to Thursday, 4pm to 6pm
298 Beach Road, Black Rock
Nina’s Bar & Dining
Brunswick’s neighbourhood darling, Nina’s, has nailed the art of the knock-off. Tucked beside the bike path near Anstey Station, this spritz-slinging bolthole pours $10 spicy margs, sunrise-y vodka coolers and limoncello, Aperol or rosé spritzes from 4pm to 6pm, Tuesday to Saturday — with shokupan, skewers and $4.50 oysters (or 6 for $25) to match. Add a tidy wine list, charming locals and golden-hour light, and it’s an easy habit to justify.
Happy hour: Tuesday to Saturday, 4pm to 6pm
11 Florence Street, Brunswick
Sushi Baby
This pastel-toned sushi haven is already famous for its inside-out salmon aburi roll, but its happy hour might be the real headline. From Tuesday to Sunday between 5pm and 6pm, Sushi Baby pours $10 cocktails that taste far more indulgent than the price suggests. The sweetest part? Every drink arrives with a complimentary baby bite, giving you the ideal excuse to settle in for another round.
Happy hour: Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm to 6pm
414 New Street, Brighton
Post Office Club Hotel
A bistro-pub meets modern convenience store, the Post Office Club Hotel has been a St Kilda mainstay since 1871 — and its latest chapter is all about good food, good wine and seriously good deals. The happy hour offering? $15 cocktail of the week, $8 selected tap beers and $10 wines, and freshly shucked oysters for $3.50 a pop. Swing by on a Wednesday and you’ll catch their $25 steak frites special — très magnifique.
Happy hour: Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm
306 St Kilda Road, St Kilda
Prince Alfred Hotel
Richmond’s beloved Prince Alfred Hotel — home to one of the city’s best beer gardens — knows how to do a weekday wind-down. From 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday, you’ll find $10 pints, $8 house wines, and $8 basic spirits on pour. With laid-back vibes and pub classics on rotation, this is the kind of happy hour that feels more like a standing appointment.
Happy hour: Sunday to Friday, 3pm to 6pm
619 Church Street, Richmond
Dolly
From 5pm to 7pm each weekday, this chic basement bar brings a touch of glamour to any after-work or pre-theatre drink. Descend the Art Deco staircase and settle into the 1930s-inspired surrounds for $15 signature cocktails and $10 premium wines by the glass.
Happy hour: Monday to Friday, 5pm to 7pm
20 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Chancery Lane
This is happy hour in Melbourne, but dressed to impress. Every Wednesday to Friday, Chancery Lane transforms Le Jardin into a luxe pre-evening escape with $15 champagne, $15 cocktails and $6 Moon Dog lagers, all paired with perfectly shucked $3 Southern Rock oysters and other elegant bites. It’s the ideal way to reset after work — or start the night on the right note. Walk-ins only.
Happy hour: Wednesday to Friday , 5pm to 7pm
430 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Good Heavens
Escape the office and slide straight into good spirits at Good Heavens, the retro rooftop sitting above Bourke Street with plenty of personality. Happy hour delivers $8 wine, bubbles and pints on weekdays, and if you swing by on a Sunday, the $10 Spritz specials seal the deal. Walk-ins are welcome, sunshine encouraged.
Happy hour: Monday all day; Tuesday to Friday, 3pm to 6pm
Sunday Spritz Sessions: $10 a spritz
2/79 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Evies
It’s happy hour every day of the week at Evies, Fitzroy’s colourful disco diner inspired by New York City in the 80s. Wind down with $6 wine, bubbles, beer, cider and seltzers – or get revved up for the night with $10 espresso martinis and other cocktail faves. While you’re there, grab some diner-style comfort food, with vegan options for almost everything on the menu.
Happy hour: Daily, 4pm to 7pm
230/232 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Republica
There’s nothing like a beachfront drink to ease into the evening. Settle in at Republica, a relaxed St Kilda staple with a courtyard that becomes prime real estate on warm days. Happy hour brings $12 Aperol Spritzes and $15 espresso martinis, setting you up perfectly for beach volleyball on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm.
Happy hour: Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm
10–18 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda
Made your way through the best happy hours in Melbourne? Continue your exploration of the city’s vibrant nightlife with our roundups of the coolest pubs and underground bars in town.
