Bars & Pubs
Navigating Melbourne's best bars, pubs, breweries and drinking holes
Time Out Bar Awards 2019: Winners
Melbourne's expectations on how good a bar snack can be just keep getting raised and met, and we're pushing the clock back further and further in this proudly 24-hour city. Our appetite for firewater has meant that no bar is complete without the inviting amber glow of a whisky collection front and centre. And our enthusiasm for a stiff drink has led us to challenge the weather gods with even more rooftop bars. Let's raise a glass to this incredible city, the ace bartenders who make us feel welcome and the drinks that keep us coming back time again. It's what makes Melbourne the nation's most fun place to be after dark. And now, it gives us great pleasure to present the 2019 Bar Award winners...Time Out thanks Urban Alley, Malibu, Perrier, Winterhalter and Waterford for making these awards possible. Brought to you by Powered by Eventbrite
The best bottomless brunches in Melbourne
Going out for breakfast is a prized cultural tradition in Melbourne, and adding a drink to the mix is a sure-fire way to make the most of your weekend hours. Make those drinks free flowing and you’ve got a party on your hands. But not all bottomless brunches are made equal, so we put our stomachs and livers on the line to road test Melbourne’s best. Just want the food? Here are Melbourne's top cafés for your morning pit stop. Just want the booze? Try these 50 ace bars. Recommended: The 50 things to do in Melbourne before you die.
Where to drink right now
The best late-night bars in Melbourne
Just because it's the small hours and you're up for a drink, it doesn't mean you want to be yelling over the music in a nightclub. Thankfully, there's plenty of places in Melbourne to enjoy a quiet(ish) beverage until sunrise – and with the 24-hour public transport network operating on weekends, it's easier than ever to get home. For more nocturnal fun, check out our guide to late-night bottle shops and late-night dining.
The best bars for drinking alone in Melbourne
Look, we're not here to judge. Maybe you just want to treat yourself to a little alone time and a good bottle of wine, or maybe you've clocked off early and need to kill some time before meeting up with friends. Maybe you're freelancing and coffee just isn't going to cut it any longer (oh yeah, we've been there). Whatever the reason, here's where to get a cheeky bevvy on your own in Melbourne. For more ideas, check out our guides to Melbourne's best wine bars, cocktail bars and hidden bars.
The best-late-night eats in Melbourne
Our fair city wears the mantle of ‘Late Night Champion’ with pride. Nowhere else in the country can you party at all hours, and then go out for a civilised meal into the bargain. These are the best late-night eats to keep the pep in your party step for nights when you need to soak up some of those high spirits, or maybe you’re just not ready for the night to be over. For more late-night antics, peruse our guides to Melbourne's best late night bars, nightclubs and bars for dancing.
The best bars in Melbourne
The best whisky bars in Melbourne
Whisky (or whiskey, if you prefer the American varietals) isn't just for hardcore drinkers with stomachs of steel. There are so many types of whiskies – from dark smokey drams to smoother malts – that all a drinker needs to do is find one that suits their individual palate. One of the fastest ways to do this is to find a bar with staff who know how to make a great recommendation. Still thirsty? Here are Melbourne's 50 best bars and the best places to drink a decent cocktail.
The best laneway bars in Melbourne
It's pretty safe to say that the more difficult a Melbourne bar is to locate, the better it is (once you're finally in there). Knowing where to find drinking institutions like EDV and Lily Blacks is pretty much a prerequisite for all cocktail-loving locals. For an even closer look into the city's bar culture, browse our guides to Melbourne's best wine bars, whisky bars and cocktail bars.
Choose your favourite drink
Melbourne's drinking hotspots
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Ladbrokes Mornington Cup Day
Get your best racewear ready for the Ladbrokes Mornington Cup Day on Saturday, March 23. The event is one of the biggest race days on the autumn racing calendar, so you won't want to miss this. On the day, there will be nine races on the card and the winner of the feature race, the Ladbrokes Mornington Cup, will receive free entry into the 2019 Caulfield Cup. There's plenty going on trackside too including live music, food trucks and bars with a view of the races. While you're there, check out the Beach Club, a new addition to Mornington Racecourse this year. Punters will be able to kick back and relax on lounge chairs in this race day haven that will still have views of the day's nine races. If you're bringing kids along, the kids and family area offers entertainment, activities and family-friendly food options. Spend the day at the Steller Garden Bar where you’ll be able to take advantage of a prime position by the tracks and enjoy the races against a backdrop of live music and a shaded garden enclosure. Tickets to the Steller Garden Bar ($160 per person) also includes an all-inclusive food and drinks package featuring hawker-themed food stalls plus beer, wine and sparkling. Meanwhile, the Crittenden Estate Marquee will be hosting a luxe three-course luncheon with an all-inclusive beverage package ($220) that will showcase the best drops from one of Mornington Peninsula's oldest wineries. This will take place in a private garden enclosure adorned with stunning floral
Time Out Bar Awards 2019: recap
More than 500 people packed into Transport Public Bar in Federation Square on a Sunday afternoon to toast the best in the hospitality business. Hosted by the very funny Rhys Nicholson (who doesn’t love a free comedy show thrown in with an awards ceremony?), the event saw ten awards given out across a range of categories. Guests were treated to delicious drinks, great food, sweet tunes from DJ Coco Brown, with a copy of the new Time Out Bar Awards issue to take home at the end of the night. Attendees were also in the running to take home their very own crystal glassware from Waterford simply by taking a snap with the Mobsta crew in the Waterford area. The snack game was strong, with Southern fried chicken, pizzas, charcuterie and cheese platters courtesy of Transport Public Bar doing the rounds. People were sipping on free-flowing Espresso Martinis on tap, Malibu Piña Coladas, Altos Tequila cocktails, Urban Alley beers, and a bespoke cocktail from Perrier. As if that wasn't enough they also got to sample Riot Wines’ wine in a can from McLaren Vale, and ciders from Hills Cider Co. So who emerged victorious in the 2019 Time Out Bar Awards? Fitzroy cocktail bar the Everleigh was named Bar of the Year. The Everleigh is where you get the exacting standards, beautiful surrounds and whip-smart service of a high-end bar in London, but right here in the heart of Melbourne. The Everleigh is the very definition of putting our best drink forward.As well as the top gong, the Best C
Briefs: Close Encounters
If you've never seen the all-male burlesque sensation Briefs, this intergalactic fusion of circus, comedy and cabaret is the perfect starting point. The show has just been a big hit on London's West End and is coming to Arts Centre Melbourne for a limited season. Our friends up at Time Out Sydney absolutely loved the show when it played Sydney Festival last year, giving it a glowing five-star review. They wrote: "It’s been ten years since Briefs first strutted onto a Brisbane stage. In the last decade the group has become an international indie cabaret phenomenon. "Close Encounters sees them take a bold and optimistic leap, while refining what they do. That’s not to say this dirty and dangerous variety show has a strong emphasis on ‘refinement’, simply that it requires real intelligence and creativity to craft a party this wild. The result is perfectly paced, keeping its audience screaming in delight from start to finish. It stands head and shoulders above its cohort of 2010s alt-cabaret. "The company has been blending striptease, dance, acrobatics, comedy and aerial work for several years, but this year’s mix is particularly potent. The technical prowess of these performers is impressive, but the show stands out for its ability to reach out to the audience (sometimes literally) and subvert every expectation. "The entire show looks spectacular and feels coherent: the acts are drawn together by retro-futuristic costuming from Dallas Delaforce (think The Jetsons, Lost in
Billionaire Boy
What would it be like to have a billion dollars? It seems like winning life's lottery (perhaps literally!) would mean an end to any and all problems, but for 12-year-old Joe, mo money does mean mo problems. Joe has everything a kid could want, including a golden underwater Ferrari (we assume just for show; he is 12, after all) and his very own cinema. But that does not mean his life is gilded. He has altercations with the school bully and has to make his peace with his dad's new girlfriend (no mean feat), as well as facing the scariest thing of all for a kid: the world's worst school canteen. There is an Auslan-interpreted performance at noon on April 6 and a relaxed performance for those with stimulus sensitivities on April 10 at 11am. Based on the heartwarming book by David Walliams, Billionaire Boy has been adapted for the stage by Maryam Master, who also wrote the play based on Walliams' Mr Stink. The show is appropriate for kids six and up.
