A banner at the 2015 Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards — Photograph: Graham Denholm

Photograph: Graham Denholm

Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards: Past winners

Each year, we crown the champions of Melbourne's bar scene. Here, you'll find them all in one place

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Since their inception in 2013, the Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards has quickly established itself as the bible for Melbourne's drinking scene. From Bar of the Year to the People's Choice, a Bar Awards trophy signals an establishment that is a notch above the rest.

Here, we present all of our Bar Award winners, dating back to our inaugural champions in 2013. For the most up-to-date guide to Melbourne's bar scene, be sure to check out our most recent winners of the Time Out Bar Awards, as well as our round-up of the 50 best bars in Melbourne.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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Bar of the Year: Eau De Vie

Cocktail bars
Melbourne
price 2 of 4

Photograph: Supplied

Old-world opulence is writ large across this exceptional speakeasy.

Other awards: Best Bar Team

Craft beer
Melbourne
price 2 of 4

Photograph: Graham Denholm

Drink like a 19th-century steel worker at the CBD's shrine to whisky.

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Best Cocktail Bar: The Everleigh

Cocktail bars
Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

Delivering an intimate, polished experience from go to whoa.

Wine bars
Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

It's natural wine, oysters and tasty bites at a bar doing more with less.

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Best Party Bar: Heartbreaker

Melbourne
price 1 of 4

Photograph: Amanda Summons

Melbourne finally gets the party-hard bar it deserves.

Book online

Best Bar Food: Hihou

Cocktail bars
Melbourne
price 2 of 4

Sake, whisky and game-changing Japanese snacks are the drawcards.

Book online

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Best Bartender: Nathan Beasley, Black Pearl

Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

Still ahead of the game after more than a decade in play.

Other awards: Hot Talent Award, Luke Sanderson

Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

Among the popular girls, pretty Polly takes the cigar.

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Legend Award: Gin Palace

Cocktail bars
Melbourne
price 3 of 4

Three cheers for gin, juice and debauchery until the small hours.

Bar of the Year: The Everleigh

Cocktail bars
Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

An oustanding cocktail bar in every way.

Collingwood
price 1 of 4

For true late-night drinking and eating, it's the new New Orleans.

Book online

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Best Wine Bar: Harry and Frankie

Wine bars
Port Melbourne
price 1 of 4

Port Melbourne's game-changing wine bar.

Melbourne

The beer barn and Thai eatery in Curtin House never fails to deliver.

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Best Bar Team: Black Pearl

Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

We prefer to think of it as a diamond in the rough.

Also: Hot Talent Award (Will Sleeman).

Cocktail bars
Melbourne
price 2 of 4

Melbourne's best cocktail bar has done its homework.

Also: Best Bartender (Hayden Lambert)

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Best Party Bar: The Beaufort

Carlton
price 1 of 4

Ribs, rum and a guaranteed good time, every time.

Melbourne
price 1 of 4

Freaky drinks, hidden nooks and a magical rooftop forest.

See our latest Bar Award winners

Bar of the Year: Black Pearl

Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

Photograph: Graham Denholm

The formula is simple: great cocktails, good chat and a stellar iPod mix of doo-wop, bluegrass and 'Ride like the Wind' by Christopher Cross.

Also: Best Bartender (Evan Stanley)

Cocktail bars
Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

You won't find better shaken or stirred drinks in Melbourne than at this Gertrude Street speakeasy.

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Best Wine Bar: Bellota Wine Bar

Wine bars
South Melbourne
price 2 of 4

South Melbourne, a suburb formerly known as the deadly desert, is now a destination for any fan of good wines and great times.

Fitzroy
price 1 of 4

A bar custom-built for fun, Mr Wow's comes complete with a pool table, bocce, ping pong and popcorn.

Book online

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Best Bar Food: Cumulus Up

Melbourne

Photograph: Graham Denholm

It will come as a shock to nobody that Andrew McConnell, the chef-restauranteur behind Cutler and Co and Cumulus Inc, does good bar food.

Book online

Best Small Bar: Hihou

Cocktail bars
Melbourne
price 2 of 4

Simon Denton's stunning Japanese cocktail bar has sophistication and grace, with just a hint of insanity as well.

Book online

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People's Choice: Carlton Club

Melbourne
price 2 of 4

Decadence was clearly a watchword for whoever designed the Carlton Club, with its superb tropical rooftop and abundance of stuffed animals lining the walls.

Brunswick

A very serious craft beer barn with a sprawling beer garden (perfect for spending balmy nights and sunny Sundays) and good food, too.

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Hall of Fame: The Standard

Fitzroy
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended

Brunswick Street may be ground zero for cocktails in Fitzroy, but lurking in the back streets is one of Melbourne’s finest establishments for getting in your cups on sunny days, freezing nights and boring Mondays.

Read review

See our latest Bar Award winners

Bar of the Year: The Everleigh

Cocktail bars
Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

This elegant bar has come to represent the pinnacle of sophisticated drinking in Melbourne.

Cocktail bars
Melbourne
price 2 of 4

This Japanese bar has more grace and charm in its toilets than most bars could ever hope to possess.

Book online

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Best Small Bar: Bar Americano

Cocktail bars
Melbourne
price 2 of 4

This tiny Italian-style bar has three seats, enough room for about ten more people to squash in, and some of the finest cocktails in Melbourne.

Melbourne
4 out of 5 stars
Recommended

With its palm fronds, Hawaiian prints, skulls and tropical drinks, the LuWow is a lucid acid trip in The Temple of Doom.

Read review

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Best Bar Food: Eau De Vie

Cocktail bars
Melbourne
price 2 of 4

Photograph: Supplied

Here is a bar where you can confidently pull up a perch and instruct the bartender to let her rip. You can't go wrong.

Fitzroy
price 2 of 4

Part-apothecary, part-boudoir, this is the place to go if you want a ticket to the cocktail-making-as-science show.

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Best Pub: Grace Darling Hotel

Collingwood

Since its dramatic overhaul in mid 2009, the maritime-themed Grace Darling has become a hipster paradise with a band room, vintage fairs, rock trivia and a youthful, creative vibe.

Burnley

The old Bridge used to be your typical no-nonsense boozer. But an extreme makeover in 2013 turned it into a veritable palace of fun, with an indoor cobblestone laneway, Banksy-style street art and an American diner.

Book online

See our latest Bar Award winners

More Melbourne bars we love

The 50 best bars in Melbourne right now

Cocktail bars

Photograph: Nathalie Saldumbide

Melbourne's bar scene continues to be the envy of the nation, and our late-night credentials only get stronger with every new opening. Here is Melbourne viewed through the bottom of a glass: from its world-beating cocktail lounges to its down-and-divey saloons.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

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Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

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Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards: Past winners

Bar of the Year: Eau De Vie

Best New Bar: Boilermaker House

Best Cocktail Bar: The Everleigh

Best Wine Bar: Bar Clarine

Best Party Bar: Heartbreaker

Best Bar Food: Hihou

Best Bartender: Nathan Beasley, Black Pearl

People's Choice: Polly

Legend Award: Gin Palace

Bar of the Year: The Everleigh

Best New Bar: Le Bon Ton

Best Wine Bar: Harry and Frankie

Legend Award: Cookie

Best Bar Team: Black Pearl

Best Cocktail Bar: Bar Americano

Best Party Bar: The Beaufort

People's Choice: Goldilocks

Bar of the Year: Black Pearl

Best Cocktail Bar: The Everleigh

Best Wine Bar: Bellota Wine Bar

Best Entertainment: Mr Wow's Emporium

Best Bar Food: Cumulus Up

Best Small Bar: Hihou

People's Choice: Carlton Club

Best Pub: The Alehouse Project

Hall of Fame: The Standard

Bar of the Year: The Everleigh

Best New Bar: Hihou

Best Small Bar: Bar Americano

Best Entertainment: The LuWow

Best Bar Food: Eau De Vie

People's Choice: The Alchemist

Best Pub: Grace Darling Hotel

Best Design: The Bridge Hotel

More Melbourne bars we love

The 50 best bars in Melbourne right now