The Best Cocktail Bars in Melbourne to Try This Weekend

Whether you like yours shaken, stirred, fruity, bitter or sour – nothing beats kicking off a night out with an expertly-made cocktail.

Melbourne is home to world-class drinking spots and cocktail bars, from opulent Golden Era-inspired dens to modern bars reinventing the category. Expert bartenders, an immaculate ambience and delicious snacks make the best cocktail bars in Melbourne the perfect spot to nurse your next Negroni.

Cameo

Take your drinks sky-high in Melbourne's most chic and intimate cocktail lounge inside the Ritz Carlton. Crowned a finalist in the Best Hotel Awards for 2024, Melbourne meets New York in Cameo's sleek space, with dark wood panelling,  mirrored walls and soft furnishing throughout, creating a warm, elevated area to unwind in style.

Make your way to level 80 at the Ritz for an evening of world-class spirits, vintage drops, expertly-shaken cocktails and select wines by the glass and soak up the jaw-dropping views of Melbourne sparkling below. 

Level 80, The Ritz Carlton, 650 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Apollo Inn

From the wizards behind acclaimed Gimlet comes neighbouring Apollo Inn, an evocative cocktail bar in Melbourne that's one to add to your must-visit list. 

A little backstory: In 1844 one of Melbourne's first public houses, the Apollo Inn, opened on the corner of Flinders Lane and Russell Street, where Gimlet now sits. Now, today's ode is to the ageless art of the cocktail, the bar, the bartender and the drinker. 

Settle into the intimate, moody, supper club-like space, and sip on one of the best martinis in the city (there are four styles to try). Whether you're joining for a pre or post-dinner bev drink or the main event, you're guaranteed a sophisticated night of classic cocktails and a menu of snacks and share plates designed with drinking in mind. 

Try: Make like Gwyneth Paltrow with a Gibson martini. Tres chic!

165 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Jayda 

Confident, sexy and unique, Jayda seduces passers-by with a cheeky red neon glow. She's serving on all fronts too - with a strong snack game (it is Shane Delia we're talking about here) and show-stopping, exclusive cocktails (Strawberry & Cream Negroni, anyone?), as well as beautiful art deco vibes that ooze sophistication. Walk-ins welcome. 

19 Bond Street, Melbourne 

Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters

Oysters and bubbly are a tried and true combination, but what about oysters and cocktails? Pearl Diver is a swanky bar entering the waters with a refreshing concept: a choose-your-own oyster adventure matched with tiki-inspired cocktails and classic drinks remixed with Victorian spirits.

Take your pick of rock and pacific oysters sourced from the Sapphire Coast to Coffin Bay served natural, dressed in crème fraîche and caviar, or grilled Kilpatrick. Expect lots of sours, punches and fruit-forward tipples to match. 

56 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Byrdi

Byrdi is the sleek CBD bar that plays with ingredients that are smoked, fermented and fortified in any number of combinations, resulting in cocktails that are as eccentric as they are delicious.

The space is a designer’s dream, infusing minimalism with warm textures and materials.

Corner of La Trobe and Swanston Streets, Melbourne

Nick & Nora’s

The Golden Age aesthetic continues to inspire today’s bars, but few are doing it as well as Nick & Nora’s. They’re full throttle on Gatsby-esque opulence with a glamorous design and theatrical cocktails worthy of celebration.

The extensive cocktail menu is as sophisticated as you’d expect from a Speakeasy venue (Eau de Vie, Mjølner), divided into sours, spritzes, punches, stiff drinks and more. Expect your drinks to be made and presented with dramatic flair (think liquid nitrogen) accompanied by oysters, cheese and charcuterie for nibbling.

80 Collins Street, Melbourne

Bouvardia

One of Melbourne’s more intriguing cocktail bars, Bouvardia serves just 11 cocktails... and you’ll want to try them all. Each has a dedicated page on the menu, showing its flavours, volume, ABV and even acidity, highlighting the bar’s precision.

The bar plays with lacto-fermentation, native ingredients and uncommon ingredients, resulting in fascinating drinks like the Honey, I Burnt the Yoghurt, which incorporates salted honeydew, Packham pear and caramelised yoghurt. The dark, moody space is an exercise in elegant minimalism, accented with pink banquettes and an emerald-green marble bar.

Level 2/169 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Lily Blacks

This comfy laneway spot exudes warmth and know-how. It’s where discerning drinkers go to see a familiar face behind the bar and get an outstanding drink late at night – until 3 am, in fact.

A short, snappy list eliminates decision anxiety, while tapas-style snacks like Spanish morcilla and beef empanadas keep peckishness at bay.

Try: the Passionista, a bold blend of scotch whisky, passionfruit, white chocolate, star anise and absinthe.

12 Meyers Place, Melbourne

Bar Margaux

This hidden gem is a transportative basement bar inspired by the French brasseries of New York, serving luxurious cocktails and playful bistro fare ‘til late. Margaux’s vintage-inspired red leather banquettes, black and white subway tiles and dim lighting snatch away all sense of time as you keep the drinks rolling.

Start with a tiny, three-sip Martini before choosing your way through ‘light’, ‘fresh’, ‘stiff’ and ‘late’ cocktails shaken expertly by their team.

Try: the Irish Coffee for a late-night jolt of energy – it tops Irish whiskey and fresh coffee with a layer of cream.

111 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

The Everleigh

Tucked away on Gertrude Street, The Everleigh evokes faded memories of the speakeasy bars of old. It’s only fitting then that they serve up ‘classic cocktails from the golden era’, with chandeliers and suave bartenders in vintage waistcoats. This place is all old-world, with plenty of elegance, oodles of ambience and a touch of romance. 

Perfect for an after-work drink, this quaint gem is at the top of its game with high-end service and stunning libation creations.

Try: Leave it up to the bartender! They want to make sure you’re drinking exactly what you want to drink, so much like a game of ‘Guess Who?’, Bartender’s Choice is a process of elimination that you'll go through together find the ultimate drink for you. 

150-156 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy

Above Board

A seat at Hayden Lambert’s tiny 16-seat cocktail bar is one of the most coveted in Melbourne. The exclusivity allows his team to give each visitor deeply personalised service, and the resulting experience is reminiscent of what you’d find in the upscale bars of Tokyo or London.

Expect a regularly rotating list of cocktails that take inspiration from around the world, alongside classic drinks made to exacting standards.

306 Smith Street, Collingwood

Amelia Shaw 

Named after The Retreat Hotel’s first licensee in 1842, Amelia Shaw continues the tradition with its boutique cocktails and late-night party vibes. It takes its design cues from later in history, namely American West Coast Deco with some constructivist and contemporary twists.

Settle into Brunswick's secret cocktail bar and indulge in some of its finest tipples, ranging from the house Paloma to a dry martini with a lemon twist, with lots of fantastic wine and spirits in between. 

Retreat Hotel, Level 1/280 Sydney Road, Brunswick 

Eydie's 

Cool but unpretentious, laid-back Eydie's is a northern suburbs gem, layered with a personalised approach to cocktails and a menu that dances through in-house concoctions to classics with a twist. The welcoming and fun-loving team of bartenders are happy to chat with you through their selection of spirits to create something they think you’ll love.

Try:  If you need a quick pick-me-up Espresso Martini or a low-key Negroni night-cap, Eydie's has got you covered.

86 Lygon Street, Brunswick East 

Joey Smalls

You need to check out the extensive cocktail list at Brunswick's vibey Joey Smalls, best paired with tasty burgers, fried chicken and sets from local and international DJs. From seasonal tipples to well-worn classics like Pornstar Martinis, Mai Tais and Amaretto Sours, it's hard to go wrong with your selection here. Plus, the fit-out is seriously gorgeous. 

284 Sydney Road, Brunswick 

Lay Low

Enter through the hidden door to find Seddon’s favourite minimal waste cocktail bar, a vision of polished concrete and ambient light. The drinks at Lay Low are spirited in more ways than one, always striving for creativity without throwing out the rulebook.

Sip on house cocktails infused with native ingredients like the Umami Mary, a take on the Bloody Mary spiced with Pepperberry. They also do fantastic zero-alcohol cocktails that put the mocktails you know to shame.

93 Buckley Street, Seddon

Where to next? After settling in at one of the best cocktail bars in Melbourne, it's time to find a venue to suit any vibe, by checking out our favourite cool pubs and underground hangouts.