The Best Gin Bars in Melbourne Serving up Botanical Bevvies

If there's one thing Melbourne does well, it's bars. Be it hidden down a disused laneway or perched on a rooftop with glimmering views – this city sure knows how to drink in style.

And if there's one breed of bar this city does extra well, it's those of the gin variety.

Join us as we sip our way through the best gin bars in Melbourne.

Little Lon Distilling Co

Inside a tiny cottage in the CBD, you'll find Little Lon Distilling Co., a micro-distillery creating small-batch, craft gin.

Licensed for just 20 people, they house a gin still in one room and fermentation tanks in another. Book in to secure a spot at their cosy cocktail bar or if the weather permits, the extended garden for a cheeky G&T or two.

For the full experience, opt for a masterclass that includes a tour of the digs and guided tastings of their various infused gins – think rhubarb and violette, or fresh lychees.

17 Casselden Place, Melbourne

1806

You know a bar means business when it's named after the year that the word 'cocktail' was first recorded in use. While gin isn't their only game, 1806 knows more than a thing or two about this beautiful botanical.

There are only a few spots scattered around the city that serve up the mother of all gin cocktails; the Corpse Reviver #2 and this is one of them. With gin, orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc, and Absinthe, this bad boy is not for the faint-hearted. 

169 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

Patient Wolf

Patient Wolf’s shiny Southbank HQ is a playground of gin making, tasting and most importantly - drinking. After outgrowing their original Brunswick home, they moved south in 2019, fitting out a red-brick warehouse with towering copper stills and a svelte new bar.

Cosy, sophisticated and seating up to 30, it’s fast become one of the best gin bars in Melbourne pouring everything from their summery thyme gins to oak barrel-aged numbers.

34-36 Market Street, Southbank

Bad Frankie

It’s a case of locals-only at one of the best gin bars in Melbourne, Bad Frankie. This sleek Fitzroy bar is shaking things up by serving over 80 Australian-born gins – all part of a 150-strong regional drinks list.

Sourced everywhere from Collingwood to Kyneton, this loving ode to Australia sees clever cocktails paired with the likes of native pepper berry and quandong. Proof that everything you need is right here.

139-141 Greeves Street, Fitzroy

Brogan's Way Distillery

Brogan Carr has forged her path in the male-dominated distilling industry, starting from three gins back in 2019 to the expansive collection of craft gins and vodkas now available today.

At Richmond-based Brogan's Way Distillery, you can join the journey with weekly tours, cocktail-making classes and gin-making workshops that’ll have you popping open a bottle and proudly declaring “I made this”.

Alternatively, simply pop into the bar to sink a few G&Ts and nibble on cheese.

61 North Street, Richmond

The Everleigh

If you like your cocktails with a little old-style panache then sidle on up to a leather-lined booth at The Everleigh.

Expertly crafting drinks from the ‘golden era’, this iconic venue matches style with substance for a deserved spot in the best gin bars in Melbourne hall of fame.

Whether you’re pining for a Negroni, Martini or a Gin Gimlet – no one mixes it like they do.

1 150-156 Gerturde Street, Fitzroy

Four Pillars

A short hour's drive outside of Melbourne will take you to charming country town of Healesville, also known as the home of everyone's favourite gin distillery: Four Pillars.

Once there, take a seat at the bar, drink in the scenic copper stills and order yourself a tasting paddle to sample this world-class fare. Just don't forget to pick a designated driver!

2A Old Lilydale Road, Healesville

Union Electric

Featuring a gin menu spanning everywhere from the Yarra Valley to the wilds of Oregon, the team at Union Electric sure knows their stuff.

But where they really excel is in whipping up a steady stream of fresh fruit and vegetables to pair with your poison. Indeed, nothing matches their crisp apple juice with tangy lemon and a dash of Aussie-distilled Westwinds Sabre.

13 Heffernan Lane, Melbourne

Gin Palace

It’s all in the name of Gin Palace. Tucked behind the obligatory Melbourne laneway, this speakeasy-style boozer with its lush fit-out and dim lighting offers everything you could ever want from a gin bar.

And then some. Because once you take a peek at the extensive menu, you’ll be settling into one of their plush booths for the long haul and getting aquainted with one of the best gin bars in Melbourne.

10 Russel Place, Melbourne 

Lily Blacks

Lily Blacks is a through-and-through local institution. Their moody, candle-lit brand of Art Deco chic is nothing short of irresistible, while the old-school drinks menu is soaked in nostalgia.

Whether you’re looking for a jazzy cocktail, or you like your gin a little stronger – you’ll find the perfect mix tucked away here in Melbourne’s storied ‘Paris end’.

12 Meyers Place, Melbourne

Bijou Bottle Store

It's safe to say that Bijou Bottle Store is one of Melbourne's best gin bars. With Ben Luzz (Managing Director of Gin Palace) at the wheel, this pint-size bar come bottle store naturally knows a thing or two about gin.

Taking inspiration from the century-old dwelling in which it resides, Bijou's rich interiors ooze sophisticated old-world charm well beyond its size.

Where the gin is concerned, look no further than their signature Bijou Cocktail. 

194 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 

Eau De Vie

Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you that Eau De Vie possesses a certain je ne sais quoi.

A luxe inner-city cocktail bar with the gin list to match, this is the kind of establishment where you know you’ll be truly looked after.

Call it prohibition-era chic, but they just don’t make them like this anymore. Plus, as this is one the best gin bars in Melbourne, they know how to whip up a killer gin martini.

1 Malthouse Lane, Melbourne

Loving our list of the best gin bars in Melbourne and looking to continue the fun? Find a new favourite with our edit of the best new restaurants around the city, or get a little fancy with a taste of the best French restaurants in Melbourne.