The best bars in Victoria in 2024
What makes a great bar? There’s the hospitality, first and foremost — it helps, too, if the drinks are delicious. You want a well designed place, somewhere nice to spend some time in — you want atmosphere, experience, and a good time. You also want a sense of place. That’s what the Boothby Best Bars awards are about. We asked bartenders and bar owners to nominate the bars they think are best in their state. And then we polled 100 of them — elite bartenders, influential bar operators, and the smartest bar industry figures — to find out how the rankings should look. The result? The Boothby 50 Best Bars in Victoria. Get a look at the list below.
1. Caretaker’s Cottage
139-141 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne
Caretaker’s is subtle, in its way: the lights, the sound, the timber — everything conveys warmth, just like their hospitality. They don’t shout their pedigree to the world, though they’ve all worked at some of the world’s best bars. The place is small inside, so you’re up close and personal with the bartenders making your drinks behind the bar, which also functions as a DJ booth: an expensive looking record player setup is embedded along one side of the bar, with stacks of vinyl set on the back bar beneath two large, warm-sounding golden speakers. The drinks are always first class, and it might just be the best bar in Australia right now.
caretakerscottage.bar | @caretakers.cottage
2. Bar Bellamy
3. Above Board
Chopper Ln, Collingwood
Located at the end of Chopper Lane, and sitting above a beer bar, you’ll find one of Australia’s best regarded cocktail bars. Helmed by veteran bartender, Hayden Lambert, at Above Board it’s all about old school cocktailing; minimal ingredients, cocktails built in the classic style, an emphasis on banter and hospitality in a small, intimate, beautifully designed space.
aboveboardbar.com | @aboveboardbarmelb
4. Apollo Inn
165 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Despite having opened just last year, Apollo Inn already feels like it’s part of the bar world firmament. It’s an offshoot of the highly regarded restaurant from the Trader House group, Gimlet, with an expert team of bartenders on hand mixing smart takes on classic cocktails, and a chef back there with the bartenders plating up the kind of bar food that’ll have you cancelling dinner plans: think fresh shucked oysters, seafood, and charcuterie and you’re on the right track.
apolloinn.bar | @apolloinn.bar
5. Goodwater
300 High St, Northcote
Goodwater comes from a bar industry supergroup of sorts: led by Nathaniel White (ex-Angel’s Envy), Cara Devine (Behind The Bar on YouTube, ex-Bomba — and the Boothby Victoria Person of the Year 2023), drinks writer and bartender Fred Siggins (Whisky & Alement, Black Pearl), Yao Wong (co-owner of The Elysian Whisky Bar), bar manager John Hallett (ex-The Everleigh), April Hudson (The Keys), and Kia Rasteh, who owns American whiskey retail site, Honey Barrel. The result? There’s really good stuff to drink here, and the best damn bar snacks around.
goodwater.melbourne | @goodwater.melbourne
6. The Elysian Whisky Bar
113 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Owners Kelvin Low and Yao Wong are big fans of whisky, and they’ve cobbled together a collection of hard to find, rare and special whiskies that has made the place a destination for whisky lovers and novices alike. It’s the kind of place where you can sit down at the bar, they’ll open bottles for you to sniff, and talk you through your choices; each visit is an education in deliciousness.
theelysianwhiskybar.com.au | @theelysianwhiskybar
7. Byrdi
8. One Or Two
18 Celestial Ave, Melbourne
Owner and bartender Andy Chu has worked some of the city’s best bars, and knows how to put liquids together in delicious and inventive ways; the 26-seat cocktail bar opposite Chinatown staple Supper Inn is an intimate, dark, minimalist space where Chu and another bartender craft cocktails of the highest standard. Each visit brings something new and delicious to drink, which is perhaps why, on each visit, there’s always an off-duty bartender sat at the bar, watching Chu go about his work.
oneortwo.com.au | @one.or.two.melb
9. Whisky & Alement
270 Russell St, Melbourne
Whisky nerds and novices alike are sorted at Whisky & Alement, the award-winning Melbourne whisky bar owned by Brooke Hayman and Julian White. Now in its 14th year of trade, the bar possesses an up-beat and buzzy atmosphere, and whether you’re keen to dive deep into single malts, discover a heretofore unknown dram, or just knock back the whisky and have a good time, Whisky & Alement does it all.
whiskyandale.com.au | @whiskyandalement
10. Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters
56 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
Pearl Diver is what happens when two of Brisbane’s best bartending talents come to Melbourne and indulge their passions for good eating and drinking; as the name suggests, they do cocktails (their Sea & Shell Martini landed at number six on the 2022 Drink of the Year Top 50), and oysters (a number of varieties are on hand at any given time).
pearldiver.com.au | @pearldiverco
The 2024 Person of the Year Victoria: Trish Brew
The Person of the Year presented by Jack Daniel’s Bonded is an award that goes to that person in the Victorian bar scene who has made an outsized impact on the industry, and who serves as both a mentor and inspiration to others. There’s no better winner of this award than Trish Brew. She’s the national brand ambassador for Fever-Tree, which means she gets to collaborate with the best bartenders and bars across the country. Trish has a long history behind the stick in Melbourne, having run the grand old dame of Melbourne bars, Gin Palace. But as anyone who has worked with Trish will know, there are few people in the industry who are more generous with their time, their advice, and their attention — Trish is someone we can all admire; an example to us all.
11. Embla
122 Russell St, Melbourne
Ever since Embla opened in 2016, bartenders — and hanger-on booze writer types — have been dropping into the place any chance they get. That’s because the wine and food are at a standard you might expect from far grander places, the service is smart and without pretension, the fit out is warm and inviting. Embla always offers something new to admire, whether it’s on the plate or in the glass.
embla.com.au | @embla_melbourne
12. The 18th Amendment Bar
82A Little Malop St, Geelong
Since opening in 2017, The 18th Amendment Bar has flown the flag for choice cocktails and good times in Geelong — their efforts have seen them become a regular fixture of award ceremonies and ‘best of’ lists around the country.
the18thamendmentbar.com.au | @the_18th_amendment_bar
13. Black Pearl
304 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Celebrating its 21st birthday last year, Black Pearl is a bar world legend. Some of the country’s best bartending talents have spent time behind the stick here, and Black Pearl practically pioneered the idea of the neighbourhood joint that just happens to be a world renowned cocktail destination. They closed the doors for a refurb earlier this year, but The Attic is now back open and they are back to what they do best. Long live the Pearl.
blackpearlbar.com.au | @blackpearlfitzroy
Gimlet at Cavendish House
33 Russell St, Melbourne
To sit at the bar at Gimlet, the restaurant and bar inside Cavendish House, is to get swept up in the bustle and brass of a grand bistro; the patrons are well-heeled, the bartenders swift and sure of movement, the cocktails taken in swift succession. It’s one of the country’s finest arguments for eating at the bar.
gimlet.melbourne | @gimlet.melbourne
15. Bar Spontana
4 Saxon St, Brunswick
From the team that brought you beloved Footscray institution Mr West, Bar Spontana celebrates all things naturally — spontaneously — fermented, whether that’s in bed and cider form, sakes, or through the cocktails themselves and in house ferments.
barspontana.com | @barspontana
16. Bar Liberty
234 Johnston St, Fitzroy
When Bar Liberty opened on Johnson St Fitzroy in 2016, it was riding a wave of interest in unstuffying wine — laidback service, interesting drops from smaller producers and minimal interventionists, and delicious food. And in recent years, its cocktail list provided more reasons to drop in, with the Uber-talented Nick Tesar behind the bar until he made a move into the brand world last year. Tesar may have moved on, but his legacy remains in drinks like the Japanese Slipper No. Blue: melon liqueur, Marionette blue curaçao, yuzushu and gin, and one of the Boothby Top 50 Drinks of the Year in 2022.
barliberty.com | @bar.liberty
17. Black Kite Commune
30 Russell Pl, Melbourne
The fourth bar from Ben Luzz and the team behind Gin Palace, Bar Ampere, and Bijou, Black Kite Commune occupies a dark, sleek space at the bottom of Russell Place; the emphasis here is on cocktails and Australian ingredients, put together in often surprising (read: delicious) ways.
blackkitecommune.com | @blackkitecommune
18. Bar Ampere
19. Good Measure
193 Lygon St, Carlton
During the daylight hours, Good Measure trades as a cafe and caffeine is the order of the day; but come the close of business, Good Measure flicks the switch into cocktail hour, becoming the kind of neighbourhood joint where the cocktails are crafted with care from local and seasonal ingredients.
goodmeasure.au | @goodmeasuremelbourne
20. Hats & Tatts
1/246 Russell St, Melbourne
Hats & Tatts is loud, it’s raucous, it’s a little divey — so you know it’s going to be a good time. Since the bar closed up its South Melbourne digs and moved to the big smoke of the CBD, they’ve added in a rooftop, but their play hard drink better ethos remains.
@hatsandtatts
21. Lola Belle
233 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
If you open a place that’s billed as a champagne and Daiquiri bar, you have our attention. Lola Belle is such a bar, and it comes from the folks behind Melbourne bar Union Electric; you’ll find three takes on the Daiquiri here, each of which has been tested and tweaked to deliver flavour, but there’s champagne too — and pots of XXXX Gold on tap if you should be so inclined (and we are).
lolabelle.com.au | @lolabellebar
22. Deadwood
355 Point Nepean Rd, Dromana
On the Mornington Peninsula in Dromana, you’ll find Deadwood — a beachside bar named for the Gold Rush era town in the USA. And what does every beachside suburb need? A bar like Deadwood, drawing upon Americana serving bourbon and rye, with a jukebox that gets a good workout.
deadwooddromana.com.au | @deadwood.dromana
23. Mr West
106 Nicholson Street Mall, Footscray
The award-winning Mr West opened in 2017 in Footscray thanks to owners Caleb Baker and Josh Hodges. There’s a healthy selection of 30 taps pour craft beers and funky ciders from across Australia and the globe, and the cocktails here are flavour-forward and fresh; an extensive range of spirits and minimal intervention wines complete the package. And if you’re not quite done when you’re done, you can pick up something from the bottleshop downstairs, too.
mrwest.com.au | @mrwestbar
24. Gerald’s Bar
386 Rathdowne St, Carlton North
This North Carlton institution is probably the Platonic ideal of the Melbourne wine bar: it’s a place for locals (despite country-wide renown), it’s lived-in, the kind of place you where you eat well when you drink — somewhere you too want to be a local.
geraldsbar.com.au | @geraldsbarmelbourne
25. The Lincoln
91 Cardigan St, Carlton
The Lincoln draws in all-comers, with a healthy selection of delicious and interesting things to drink (wine! great beer on tap!) and some of the finest food you’ll find in a boozer, anywhere.
hotellincoln.com.au | @thelincolncarlton
26. Purple Pit
380 Collins St, Melbourne
Descend the stairs into the basement level Purple Pit — from Joe Jones (Romeo Lane) and Maurice Termini (Icebergs Dining Room & Bar) and you’ll find a space that has lashings of artsy punk Euro vibes with a solid cocktail selection, and great stuff to drink by the glass.
purplepit.com.au | @purplepitbar
27. Napier Quarter
359 Napier St, Fitzroy
This Fitzroy espresso and wine bar trades from the morning until late, with good things to eat and smart, distinctive drops to be had on the wine list. There’s a cosy feel inside, but you’ll want a sunny day and a spot out on the street.
napierquarter.com.au | @napier_quarter
28. Chronicles
91-93 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
Since opening in November of 2020, the blonde-timbered Chronicles — named for a much loved, local independent bookstore that occupied the site before closing in 2009 — has been watering the locals with its mix of good spirits and craft beer on tap.
@chronicles.bar
29. Flaggerdoot
166 Balnarring Rd, Merricks North
Step into Flaggerdoot, the cocktail bar at Mornington Peninsula hotel, Jackalope, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a gallery — albeit one where the most prized works of art come in liquid form. There’s an experimental approach to the drinks here — the jasmine-infused and clarified Gimlet, we’re told, is a crowd-pleaser.
jackalopehotels.com/drink-dine | @flaggerdoot
30. Bijou
194 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Out of the depths of the pandemic emerged this little gem of a wine shop; at the top of Russell Place on the corner of Little Collins, Bijou is a beautiful hole in the wall wine store and bar from the folks behind Gin Palace and Black Kite Commune.
bijoubottlestore.com | @bijou_bottle_store
31. Lui Bar
Level 55/525 Collins St, Melbourne
Nestled 55 stories closer to the stars, Lui Bar has been serving the Melbourne community and all comers since 2011. The closed briefly for a renovation last year, but the bar is back open and serving up inventive and flavour-forward cocktails under the stewardship of manager Elisabetta Luppi.
luibar.com | @theluibar
32. Heartbreaker
234A Russell St, Melbourne
Inspired by the faded glamour of LA rock and roll rooms, Heartbreaker turns the noise and red neons up to 11, whether you’re a late night pool shark or a vagabond at the bar knocking back cocktails from The Everleigh Bottled Cocktail Co.
heartbreakerbar.com.au | @heartbreakerbar
33. Manhattan Bar
9 James St, Geelong
At Manhattan Bar, the clue is in the name. The bar comes from the team behind the award-winning Geelong cocktail joint, The 18th Amendment Bar, and is less classic cocktail den than it is blue neon-hued, 90s Lower East Side dive. Cocktails are batched and on tap, but yeah, should you wish, you can get yourself a jelly shot administered with a plastic syringe (we’d rather knock back a Pornstar Martini or two.)
@manhattan_bar_geelong
34. Bar Olo
165 Nicholson St, Carlton
Get a seat at the bar here — you’ll be in the middle of the action, a room stocked with well appointed people getting the most out of life. There’s 10 seats at the marble topped bar, a back bar lined with amari and vermouth, and many good things to drink: the cocktails lean to the classic with Italianate twists, and the by the glass wine list is all killer, no filler. Throw in some excellent staples — the vitello tonnato is moreish and reason enough to visit — and you’ve got a classic in the making.
barolocarlton.com.au | @barolo_carlton
35. Non Disclosure Bar
2/71 Little Malop St, Geelong
The latest bar to come from the Gorge Camorra portfolio, it’s their third bar on the top 50 this year (The 18th Amendment Bar and Manhattan Bar being the others). For this addition to Little Malop street, they’ve taken the world’s great hotel bars as their inspiration.
nondisclosurebar.com.au | @non_disclosure_bar
36. Union Electric
13 Heffernan Ln, Melbourne
Don’t mind the grumpy Bill Murray on the wall. Union Electric looks like a small sliver of a bar that spreads over two floors, but it packs in the good times; there’s a distinct lack of pretension here, the bartenders pour the rum and gin with big fresh flavours, and there’s always an up-tempo atmosphere. Also: hello, Pina Colada.
unionelectric.com.au | @unionelectricbar
37. Waxflower
153 Weston St, Brunswick
In many good bars, it can feel like the music is something of an afterthought; not so at Brunswick’s Waxflower, where shelves upon shelves are stocked with vinyl records, sleeve to sleeve. The bar is inspired by Japanese listening bars, or kissaten, but it’s not just about the music. Wine is the focus of the drinks here, and they lean towards the natural approach, but if you’re after an aperitif-style cocktail — Martini, anyone? — you’ll be well looked after at Waxflower.
waxflowerbar.com.au | @waxflowerbar
38. Gin Palace
10 Russell Pl, Melbourne
The accolade of ‘institution’ gets thrown around a bit these days; it gets lobbed at bars that have been open a mere five or seven years. Well, Gin Palace has seen those pretenders come and go. Opened in 1997 — we think — and championing gin well before the spirit’s current boom in popularity, Gin Palace was the creation of the late Vernon Chalker, one of the great Australian bar luminaries. Gin Palace continues on, having had a refresh earlier in the year, with longtime bartender and manager and now owner Ben Luzz ensuring the old dame remains as vital as ever.
ginpalace.com.au | @ginpalacemelb
39. Society Restaurant
80 Collins St, Melbourne
If you’re after a luxe restaurant drinking experience, you can’t do any better than Society Restaurant. The long bar provides a luxurious stetting for a Martini — and you’ll get a very good one here — or you might like delving into some of the vintage spirits they have to hand.
societyrestaurant.com | @societyrestaurant
40. Whitehart Bar
22 Whitehart Ln, Melbourne
You gotta love what Melbourne can do with a car park and a few shipping containers. Whitehart brings together industrial elements and greenery to create an escape from the CBD outside; there are DJs and regular parties happening here, good eats and great beer on tap, and a admirable cocktail selection that skews towards Australian spirits.
whitehartbar.com.au | @whitehartbar
41. The Everleigh
Level 1/150-156 Gertrude St, FitzroyThe mighty Ev. The Everleigh has been a bastion of proper, adult drinking since opening in 2011, pushing classic cocktails to a grateful public and serving them up in one of the country’s most beautiful rooms.
theeverleigh.com | @theeverleigh
42. Nick & Nora’s Melbourne
80 Collins Street via 11 Benson Walk, Melbourne
Nick & Nora’s might be Melbourne’s busiest cocktail bar. The bar comes from the Speakeasy Group, and you can expect their signature style — theatrical serves, a preference for the finer things, and a buzzy, upbeat atmosphere — to be on full display here. Cocktails and champagne are the order of the day — you might even see the odd bottle of champagne being sabred, or better yet, a champagne tower being built.
nickandnoras.com.au/melbourne | @nickandnorasmelbourne
43. Arlechin
Mornane Pl, Melbourne
From the Grossi family comes the return of Arlechin. It’s a late night joint open until 3am, with a smart cocktail list to get stuck into, as well as wines and late night eats.
arlechin.com.au | @arlechinmelbourne
44. Eau de Vie Melbourne
1 Malthouse Ln, Melbourne
The original exponents of liquid nitrogen, Eau de Vie has been serving the burghers of Melbourne since 2011 and entertaining them with a sense of the theatrical, and all the whisky they could possibly want. For well over a decade now, when Melbournians want dinner and a show — and they want that show to be cocktails — Eau de Vie is their first port of call.
eaudevie.com.au/melbourne | @edvmelbourne
45. Renard
209 Mair St, Ballarat Central
Owners Teddy and Louis Powlett have imbued Renard with a very simple mission: to provide good times to the people. And their chosen delivery vehicle for such good times? Cocktails and wine, my friends. Native ingredients and Australian flavours figure on the cocktail list alongside more Continental pleasures; there’s a healthy canned beer list, and a mix of Australian and European drops on the wine list.
renardballarat.com.au | @renardballarat
46. Bar Margaux
Basement/111 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
It’s strange to think that Bar Margaux has been around just since 2019; its New York-inspired French bistro offering, the brassy subterranean room, the escargots and the Black Velvets — all of that feels like Bar Margaux has been a part of our lives a lot longer.
barmargaux.com.au | @barmargauxmelbourne
47. Leonard’s House Of Love
3 Wilson St, South Yarra
What happens when you take a South Yarra house and turn it into a space reminiscent of a Canadian log cabin? At Leonard’s, the result is a neighbourhood bar with burgers, wings, and a lot of whiskey — like an FM radio station playing the hits of the 70s, there’s a lot of comfort to be found here.
leonardshouseoflove.com.au | @leonardshouseoflove
48. Cherry Bar
68 Little Collins St, Melbourne
It’s a Melbourne icon and institution. Though it no longer lives down AC/DC Lane, having moved just down the road in 2019, Cherry Bar is still all about the music, man.
cherrybar.com.au | @cherrybarmelb
49. Maggie’s Snacks & Liquor
98 Lygon St, Brunswick East
Inventive cocktails are the order of the day here, along with an antipodean-focused wine list, this neighbourhood joint opened in late 2023 and has been winning over the hearts and minds of locals and blow-ins alike ever since.
maggiesbar.com.au | @maggiessnacksandliquor
50. Bouvardia
2/169 Bourke St, Melbourne
If it feels like the cocktails at Bouvardia are rather modern, that’s because the approach is — the cocktail list (all san serif fonts and bold colour) helpfully lists the Brix, pH and ABV levels of each cocktail (among other things); but the drinks are anything but clinical, with full on flavour delivered in each glass. It’s a bar that’s more than a little different to the other kids, and that’s a good thing.
bouvardia.com.au | @bouvardiamelbourne