Bars & Pubs
Navigating Melbourne's best bars, pubs, breweries and drinking holes
The Frosé craze is landing in Melbourne this summer
We find out the bars bringing the New York trend to our shores
The Alps
Drink by the glass or by the bottle at this cozy Prahran wine bar-meets-bottle-shop
Rufus
It's all about Champagne, cigars and cut crystal at this southside Winston Churchill-themed bar.
Where to drink right now
The 50 best bars in Melbourne
From cocktail lounges to down-and-divey saloons, here's everywhere worth drinking in Melbourne
The best rooftop bars in Melbourne
For beers in the sun or cocktails by moonlight, check out these high-altitude drinking spots
The best new openings in Melbourne
Stay ahead of the crowds with our guide to Melbourne's new and notable bars and pubs
The best cocktail bars in Melbourne
We salute the best shakers, stirrers, mixers and muddlers of fine cocktails in Melbourne
The best bars in Melbourne
The best hidden bars in Melbourne
A bar hidden behind a bookshelf? Inside a fridge?! Melbourne does hidden bars like no other city
The best wine bars in Melbourne
Everywhere you should be sipping red, white and rosé in Melbourne this year
The best bars for dancing in Melbourne
This one's for all the discerning drinkers who also like to dance their pants off
The best pick-up bars in Melbourne
The places where you're most likely to get lucky (and the rest is up to you)
The best bars for first dates in Melbourne
Sit close, sip a cocktail and get to know one another at these cosy Melbourne drinking spots
Choose your favourite drink
The best whisky bars in Melbourne
The best places to drink Scotch, Japanese whisky, American whiskey and much more
The best rum bars in Melbourne
Get a taste of the tropics at these bustling rum bars around Melbourne
The best gin bars in Melbourne
Gin's having a moment in Australia: here's where to get your hands on the best gin cocktails in Melbourne
The best craft beer bars in Melbourne
The best beer halls and beer bars to sample the latest and tastiest microbrews from Melbourne and beyond
Melbourne's drinking hotspots
Chapel Street
Say hello to tequila, dumplings and tiki drinks along Melbourne's famed shopping strip
Fitzroy
Strap on your party boots and cocktail helmets: nowhere does fun drinking quite like Fitzroy
Brunswick
Work your way from cheap beers to cocktails to sweet tunes along Sydney Road
Smith Street
With Prohibition-era cocktails, arcade bars and even a bocce bar, Smith Street's bar scene is a blast
St Kilda
Set your sights on the sea (and some damn good drinks) in the home of backpacker boozing
The best pubs in Melbourne
The 50 best pubs in Melbourne
Get the lowdown on Melbourne's best pubs in every corner of this great drinking city
The best pubs with fireplaces in Melbourne
Escape winter with a stick of firewood and a freshly pulled pint at these Melbourne pubs
The best gastropubs in Melbourne
These fine institutions are serving up some seriously good pub grub that won't break the bank
The best beer gardens in Melbourne
When the sun's out, here are our top picks for boozing in the great outdoors
The best live music pubs in Melbourne
Melbourne is truly blessed in the live music stakes. Here are a few of our favourite places to catch a gig
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Blue Ribbon Day
Across Victoria, since 1837, 159 police officers have died in the course of fulfilling their duties. On Thursday September 29, all Victorians can help memorialise them by taking part in Blue Ribbon Day, which raises funds for emergency facilities to be built in the name of those police who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Run by the Victorian Police Blue Ribbon Foundation, the campaign has high profile sponsors this year in Woolworths, Crown Resorts, BankVic, Westfield and more. To show your support, you can donate at Woolworths Supermarkets before and on Blue Ribbon Day. Donations can also be made at the website and at police stations.
Pizza & Hip Hop
Fratelli Fresh is keeping your knock-off session fresh with their weekly pizza and hip hop night every Friday and Saturday. From 10pm, fresh pizzas will be coming out of the oven for $15 (perfect for those late-night munchies). The bar will be pumping out drink specials for the late-night revellers, so look out for the $7.50 special on select beer and wine, and sip on $10 Aperol Spritzes. top DJs will be spinning the best hip hop tunes at Alfred Place Melbourne's top DJs will be spinning the best hip hop tunes at Alfred Place and Fratelli Fresh has lined-up these headliners over the next few weeks, who will all be accompanied by local DJ talent. Friday September 9: Helena EllisSaturday September 10: DJ Moto (from Kiss FM)Friday September 16: Duchess KaySaturday September 17: DJ AK
The best places to watch the AFL grand final
Wear your colours and get into the spirit of the grand final day at five of Melbourne's best venues to watch one of the biggest games of the year. The Botanical, Portsea Hotel, Skinny Dog Hotel, Half Moon or the Penny Black will be ready for your grand final day celebrations with barbecues, after parties and tipping competitions. The BotanicalThe Botanical is probably the lushest place you'll watch the game from. Live coverage at this high-end South Yarra pub kicks off on plasma screens from 10am. Start your day with a grand final big breakfast special or head in a little later for the barbecue, but don't miss the tipping competition at the Main Bar. Predict who will win and by how many points to win a two litre growler of craft beer, and a gift voucher for a dining experience at the Botanical. Stick around for the live entertainment and after party. Skinny Dog HotelDoors at Kew's favourite footy venue open at 11am where the game will be live on all screens. If you book for four or more guests you'll receive a main meal and two schooners of tap beer/cider for $29 per person. There will also be $4 beer and cider and $5 glasses of wine and sparkling all day. Half MoonHalf Moon will kick off game day festivities at 11am. The game will be on live and loud on all screens. Saddle yourself up with a craft beer and watch the game among Brighton locals. Penny BlackPenny Black will be getting into the final fever with a long weekend party. Kicking off on Friday night, My Echo will
The Royal Melbourne Show
Some come to the Show for the rides; others come to marvel at award-winning edible sculptures (otherwise known as cakes). Crowds flock to pavilions filled with baby animals and champion dogs. All are united in a mutual love of showbags. This year, around 450,000 visitors are expected at Melbourne Showgrounds over 11 days, September 17-27. Due to its popularity, the outdoor animal display has doubled in size this year, offering families more chances to watch and take part in interactive milking and shearing shows and horse demonstrations. Pat-a-Pig and Pat-a-Chook pens will give kids a real down-on-the-farm experience and they can also plant and take home their own seedling. The Winning Tastes Pavilion celebrates Melbourne’s food scene with pop-up restaurants and eateries including Bomba, Mr Claws, Pho Nom, Mr Miyagi, Royale Brothers Burgers and Burn City Smokers serving up their delicious signature dishes – the days of dagwood dogs as your primary food option at the Show are long gone. There's also a Winning Tastes Dessert Bar and Winning Tastes Cocktail Bar. Look out for the free craft workshops for adults and kids, while the Horses in Action program will have horses and riders competing across over 250 different classes. Find out which woodchoppers can hack it at 50 events over at the Woodchop Pavilion. If you're on the ball and buy your Show tickets online on or before September 16 then you can get them at a 20 per cent discount. That's money that can be spent on a fe