The best hidden bars in Melbourne

The bar is a command centre at the heart of this tiny room, with only a handful of seats facing Hayden 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. Stepping through the understated black door will immediately transport you to Shimokitazawa in Tokyo. 

One daring duo, a subterranean space in the same building that houses regal Reine and La Rue, and an original vision to shake things up in Melbourne: these were Purple Pit’s trifecta of selling points when it quietly opened late last year. And they were the right ones to spark instant intrigue. The new cocktail bar is a joint project from none other than restaurateur Maurice Terzini (Sydney’s Icebergs) and drinks maverick Joe Jones (Romeo Lane).

This mysterious cocktail bar is the newest sibling to the glowing jewel in Andrew McConnell’s crown Gimlet at Cavendish House, and is nestled deep within a 1920s Neo Renaissance-style building on the corner of Flinders and Hosier Lanes. 

This swanky bar and restaurant Melbourne boasts a not-so-secret-anymore cellar bar that you have to access via a bookcase. State of Grace isn't a one-trick pony, though, with the venue featuring three levels of fun from the ground level restaurant to the rooftop bar.

An ol’ disco classic once preached to us that ‘young hearts run free’, and at Young Hearts, that's exactly the vibe. The boozy enclave hidden upstairs from the Windsor stretch of High Street strip features rotating local DJs, kitchen talent, live music and art exhibitions.

This subterranean wine bar is located in the historic Richard Allen and Sons building. You'll see a lot of food traffic through the basement windows, great for Melbourne footwear-watching (people-watching's weirder cousin), and a glimpse of the outside action only serves to make it feel cooler and calmer inside. Get stuck into the snacky menu (spanner crab donut, anyone?) while you drink your way through the bar's excellent cocktail and vino selection. Dessous is the one to pick if you're keen to impress a date. 

So good they named it thrice, this hole-in-the-wall down Meyers Place is a blessing for locals, tourists and city revellers alike. You can’t miss its sign, a neon yellow arrow blaring ‘pizza pizza pizza’ from the window. What you may miss, however, is the cosy cocktail bar nestled out the back, accessible by paring back a shiny black curtain – the perfect nook for a discrete nightcap. 

In the basement at the end of an alley, Beneath Driver Lane feels equal parts Melbourne, Chicago and Diagon Alley. The folks behind the bar are all practised professionals; personable, knowledgeable and looking sharp in black chef coats. What they’re mixing up is pretty sharp, too. 

Burrow underground to the Paris-via-New York brasserie Bar Margaux, a place where oysters are shucked, Champagne popped and steaks sizzled until the tiniest of hours (3am on Fridays and Saturdays). Time itself seems to melt away in this meticulously realised world where candlelight glows suggestively through Georgian wire glass partitions, where lipstick-red booths curve around marble tabletops and the only thing on the cards is indulgence.

This relatively newish speakeasy is tucked away in a heritage-listed 19th century building, down a laneway that was once known as a bustling hive for hat, soap, clothing and candle makers and traders. You enter the bar via a space disguised as a Victorian-era dressing room. Do a final fit check in front of a full-length mirror door, before entering a wardrobe that conceals the secret watering hole inside. Here, you’ll be entranced by opulent chandeliers and marine lights set against a backdrop of exposed stone walls.

Found in the heritage-listed Tavistock House – one of only a handful of pre-Gold Rush buildings left in Melbourne – this Flinders Lane bar weaves stories of Melbourne into almost every element of its offering. It stands close to where the Yarra Falls once stood, a historic meeting place for many of the peoples of the Kulin Nation both pre-European settlement and after, which explains the indoor waterfall found inside the bar. Yes, there's a waterfall here. How neat!

Abbotsford residents are lucky to call Lulie Tavern a local – but did you know this treasured rock and roller has a secret rooftop bar called Full Moon Feevr? This watering hole carries Lulie's great vibes just a few floors higher, the drinks menu boasting a top-quality Tommy's Margarita, as well as a range of saloon-style cocktails that'll get the party going. 

This leafy courtyard bar with chilled tropical vibes and tiki masks is hidden behind a fake fridge at the back of sandwich shop Boston Sub. Just go into the fridge and keep going.

The city’s oldest pub has a secret. Loch and Key is hidden up a rickety staircase, behind a bookcase in the Captain Melville bar. Loch and Key is best known as a late-night reveller, when the couch-filled warren of rooms come to life, but its early evening appeal shouldn't be ignored, as the balcony is a beautiful spot to watch the sun go down.

Bartenders pull out all the stops – and the liquid nitrogen – at this city speakeasy offering a magical mystery tour of history’s greatest drinks. There's even a whole room dedicated to whisky.

Everybody knows about Black Pearl, but did you know that there's another cocktail alcove upstairs? It tends to be only open on Friday and Saturday, and there's a lot of mystery around this secret haunt, but make the most of the wonderful table service if you manage to get in.

It’s not very common (at least not in Melbourne) for a hotel bar to pop off but that’s exactly what happened to Curious, which opened at the W Melbourne in 2021. There's a fun music and drinks program all year round, and the space hosts a rotating lineup of DJs – both established and on the up. Get around the current events.

A grande dame of the Melbourne bar scene, this louche, basement-level cocktail lounge has been keeping people loose and liquored for just shy of 20 years. The default drinking spot among the city’s post-shift bartenders, plus tie-loosened office workers and huddles of tourists, this enigmatic speakeasy is at its hedonistic best as the night wears on. With a few drinks under your belt, the swathes of velvet, tapestry and animal print take on a bordello-chic vibe, and the admittedly wallet-stinging prices don’t hurt nearly as much.

Find yourself out west? Never fear, for the City of Maribyrnong is far from a desert when it comes to ultra-cool and vibing secret bars. Lay Low in Seddon is one of them, an unassuming drinking hole positioned stealthily within a trendy clothing store. Is it a bit cosy? Sure, but once you're inside, you'll feel all the love and a surprising amount of energy packed into the space. The cocktails here are king, made from fresh local produce in-house and with an extensive range to choose from. We know where we're spending our next happy hour.