The best cocktail bars in Melbourne

On a Wednesday night, the Wesley Place precinct is anything but quiet. After dark, what should be a corporate ghost town transforms into one of the city's most coveted spots for a world-class cocktail. Caretakers Cottage, "probably" Victoria's smallest bar, has built a reputation that looms large. Being crowned the 21st best bar in the world on the 2024 World's 50 Best Bars list is just the tip of the highball iceberg when it comes to accolades under its belt.

Softly buzzing on leafy Rathdowne Street, Bar Bellamy immediately gets the ‘cool’ tick of approval; lighting is golden-warm and moody, the small space is cosy yet not at all squishy and tasteful custom artworks give the impression of a thoughtfully curated offering to come. The bar is run by married couple Danielle and Oska Whitehart, who together bring experience from a variety of popular Melbourne venues – Archie’s All Day, the Everleigh and Gimlet, to name just a few. 

It’s hard to imagine a Melbourne where Apollo Inn doesn’t exist, such is the impact this handsome and swanky spot has had on the city’s bar scene in its short lifespan so far. Andrew McConnell’s first standalone cocktail bar – which swung open its leatherbound doors in June 2023 – has seamlessly settled into its location at McDonald House on Flinders Lane, maintaining a strong and steady stream of visitors nightly, all hoping to squeeze into one of just 30 highly coveted seats. 

The Black Pearl formula is simple: great cocktails, good chat and a classy, understated atmosphere that welcomes all types. It’s a treasured pocket on Brunswick Street where Melburnians can delight in a taste of some of the most sophisticated drinks born of global and historical cocktail culture, crafted by a bar team unmatched in their knowledge and commitment to perfection. As a result, the team have won reams of various accolades over the years, including Bar Team of the Year at the 2022 Australian Liquor Industry Awards (where owner Tash Conte also won Bar Manager of the Year). The liquor masters here are up for any challenge; dream up an obscure cocktail recipe and their rendition will surely impress.

Kew, long known for its leafy streets and let's just say well-to-do residents, has been crying out for a proper cocktail bar. Chef Joseph Vargetto, the mastermind behind Mister Bianco, has finally answered that call with Bianchetto. It's moody, it’s intimate, and it feels like it was plucked from a Fellini film.

Hayden Lambert is a former Time Out Bartender of the Year for his tenure at the sorely missed Bar Americano. He must have gotten used to close quarters at Presgrave Place, because his current digs are almost as compact. His bar is a command centre at the heart of a tiny room, with only a handful of seats facing Lambert as he dispenses drinks that put the art back into artisanal. 

Any epicure worth their dirty martini knows that an unassuming alley often holds the best treasures. One or Two is further proof of this. Located down a backstreet in the heart of Chinatown, this cocktail bar delivers cool and contemporary without pretence. Stepping through the understated black door will immediately transport you to Shimokitazawa in Tokyo.

Nestled in an intimate second-storey space on the corner of Russell and Bourke Streets, a cocktail bar is rumoured to be serving in-the-know Melburnians some of the most innovative drinks in the city. Everything at Bouvardia is giving fun chemistry lab vibes, from luminescent orb lamps lining the walls and matching olive-green aprons worn by the bartenders to the breakdown of each drink’s various make-up parameters in the menu. You get the volume, ABV, pH, acid, allergens and profile information for every creation, a refreshingly transparent and fascinating insight into the science behind the art of mixology. 

Taking its name as a nod to America's great waterways, Goodwater is rapidly becoming Northcote's worst-kept secret. Inspired by the mighty Ohio – a river integral to America's whiskey heritage – the connection here runs far deeper than just the moniker. From the framed Mississippi River maps by US Army Corps engineer Harold Fisk from 1944 that grace the exposed brick walls to the carefully curated selection of more than 250 American whiskeys flowing as freely as the rivers themselves, every detail reflects a profound sense of place and history. Welcome to Goodwater.

There's an art to inheriting a beloved space. When Ferdydurke closed its doors in April 2024 after 12 years of deliberate grit and good times, the question wasn't just what would replace it, but how. Aster, the latest venture from Office of Public Works (the crew behind Section 8), answers with quiet confidence. The balcony alone is worth the visit. In fact, it's a bit of an enigma — it's seemingly never packed and there's always a spot, which is perplexing as it overlooks such a beautiful slice of Melbourne's inner city.