The 50 best pubs in Melbourne

They slipped in an excellent wine list, an exciting collection of craft brews and a bistro menu that wouldn’t look out of place on white linen with candlelight at the Lincoln, all while not diminishing the heart and soul of this pub - something often easier said than done. Punters have loved this pub since seemingly the beginning of time (having been established in 1854), and it doesn't look like they're going anywhere else, anytime soon. 

Here at the Victoria Hotel, the old suburban atmosphere has been preserved far better than most, with paint peeling off bricks, concrete floors and the occasional floral print rug straight out of 1972. Big panes of frosted glass overlook comfortable booths built of fresh wood, and the classic rock on the stereo completes the picture of a true local. To wet your weary whistle, the drinks list aims for simplicity and quality over choice and intrigue. As you'd expect, the food is top-notch. The mains section sees pub classics done with serious skill, and there are even a couple of thoughtful vegetarian options such as the tofu salad and the vegan pakoras. While the footy plays on the weekend, the Victoria is a lot more than just a sports pub.

For years, the Retreat has been a champion of live music in Brunswick. This is not just a good pub with a band room attached; here the music is front and centre, spilling out onto the street from the inviting front bar. Later on in the evenings, this will turn into one of the better dance floors in the area as the bands leave and the younger folk take over to throw some shapes. And even though it’s pumping till 3am on the weekend, you won’t get hassled on this floor.

The Royston was the first pub in Melbourne to put craft beer on all taps. Like, before it was even cool. It still has the air of a smooth older sibling that was mates with that band way before they were famous and doesn’t even try to rub it in. The beers on offer range from standard and reliable to weird and wonderful, and Melburnians just can't get enough. 

The relaunch of the Albert Park Hotel back in 2020 was good news for locals, and for those keen-beans willing to travel from further afield for good drinks and particularly stand-out food. The Happy Valley restaurant offers some seriously tasty Chinese food, such as the Sichuan-style bang bang chicken salad, the spicy crispy beef puffs and the Shandong fish dumplings. The fit-out and the booze on offer are both grand and ambitious too, making this more gastro-pub than pub, but when you're in Albert Park, do you really expect anything less?

Part of Andrew McConnell’s Trader House group, the Builders Arms is one of the more low-key venues in the Melbourne-only collection. The front bar still feels like the neighbourhood boozer it has been since 1853. You can order counter meals to eat at the high bar tables, but the real action is in the attached bistro, which has been through a few changes of its own over the years. The bistro menu is ‘just’ pub food in the same way that truffles are ‘just’ fungus. Start with some snacks that will ruin you for any future bar munchies. Whipped cod roe is silky smooth, scooped with toasty flatbread soldiers, while Ortiz anchovy and stracciatella on toast provides a perfect creamy-salty bite. And we know you know, but just in case you don't, do not skip the fish pie.

Tucked just off the unlikely corner of Carlisle and Balaclava streets, the Taphouse greets you with the comforting smell of heritage wood panelling. Warmly lit by tiny lamps ensconced in the walls, it feels like an old-fashioned gentlemen's club that just happens to have one of the best craft beer lists in the city. As you head upstairs, the aroma of the wood fire on the rooftop terrace beckons, warming the space, which is packed even on one of the first truly cold nights of the year. 

Ah, the Fox. This happy little pub is our pick for the best family-friendly joint in town because you’ll always be welcomed with open arms. Hang out at the cosy front bar to enjoy great banter across the counter, a live blues, jazz, country or soul performance and a pint of the constantly changing craft taps pouring local craft heroes, with many more in the bottle. If the weather’s good, pop out the back with your pooch for a session in the sunny little courtyard. 

The suburban backstreets of Fitzroy are riddled with character-filled old pubs – relics from its past as a working-class stronghold. Those days may be long gone, but the boozers are as vital as ever, and none more so than the Union. Traditional but not stodgy, it attracts a varied crowd of Fitzroy denizens. The covered garden that wraps around the rear of the building is always popular, whether there’s sunshine or rain falling on the roof. Back indoors, boasting a fireplace, well-loved couches made for slumping in and a pool table, it’s an excellent place to pass an evening when the weather outside is unfriendly.

The Palace remains one of the brightest jewels in the crown of Melbourne pubdom. On every scale one could judge a pub, this place just about tops the list. From beer to sports, to food, to service, this unassuming little boozer has you covered. First and foremost, the Palace is made for regulars. It has a community atmosphere that’s hard to find these days, as most pubs have become either sad old boozers or too bright and trendy. Not so here, where the crowd is diverse in age and employment, kids are welcome, and the big shady beer garden is proudly pooch positive. 

The Esplanade Hotel in St Kilda, one of Melbourne’s most iconic pubs, is far too big and sprawling to simply pop by for a pint. It's easy to spend all day at the Espy and go from front bar to restaurant, band room to basement bar, public bar to courtyard, and cocktail bar to balcony before realising it's going to be quite the stumble home. 

If we were in charge of Melbourne’s planning, we’d mandate that every neighbourhood has a place like Westwood. It doesn’t boast the city’s most staggering wine list, an architecturally designed interior, or star dishes that’ll haunt your Insta feed for months. What it does have is an offering where the balance is always in your favour – the quality is high and the prices aren’t, and the bar snacks make the perfect drinking accompaniments - think sardines with crackers or bresaola with pickles. 

If you can remember what fancy pub steakhouses were like in the 1980s, you know all about the Railway. The dining room sports maroon carpets, white paper-on-cloth covered tables, and ’70s house brick walls are crowded with framed netball heroes, jockey colours and Don Bradman driving for the boundary. It’s packed even on a Tuesday with an eclectic crowd of families next to groups of businessmen in shirtsleeves, next to tradies in hi-vis. 

This is ground zero for Fitzroy hipster pubdom, and Fitzroy is ground zero for said scene in all Australia – if not the world. To be at the epicentre here is no mean feat, and after years on top, the Marquis still holds its position as master and commander. Rather than the standard sprawling pub layout, the Marquis is vertical, with the boisterous public bar on the ground floor, the homey dining room and kitchen up the stairs and above that a small rooftop terrace. On the food menu the classics are all still here like the schnitzel and the cult-famous rockling burger. In a city brimming with awesome pubs, the Marquis of Lorne is still right up there. 

Mt. Erica is doing something few have managed to pull off: it’s both a fun place to smash frothies with the lads, or to drink and eat really well no matter the size of your group. It'd be easy for these guys to grab a big commercial beer contract, stick a parma on the menu and be done with it. But this pub respects its clientele and wants to give them the beer, food, wine and service they deserve. Don't miss the great deals on offer weekly: all-day steak on Tuesdays (just $24 for a sirloin chips and bearnaise sauce) and the rotating Sunday roast going for just $25 per person.

Everyone is welcome at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel. Beneath the alpine mural in the sprawling front bar, you might find chunky, tatted rockers pushing wagyu beef burgers past their whiskers, while three-year-olds cruise past them on the complimentary trikes. This is a true community pub, where families feel welcomed rather than just equipped. There are kids' meals, including a daily pie, schnitzel and a cheese pizza, plus crayons, colouring books, and high chairs.

We really like this pub’s friendly service and atmosphere. On a quiet weeknight we notice some elderly ladies are able to launch into an impromptu book club in one corner while a group of metalheads happily play pool in the other. Stop by on Tuesdays for parma night - and bring your vegetarian mates along, as the Park serves up an eggplant parmigiana too.

On any given night at this Collingwood bluestone stalwart, punters of all sorts are sinking cheap pints, smashing pizzas and standing shoulder-to-shoulder watching gigs on the mezzanine level of the 350-person bandroom. All of this is thanks to a new direction that the Gaso took several years ago, to create a warm, welcoming environment that would reflect Melbourne’s incredibly diverse music scene, and the people who make up that ecosystem. 

Tucked away in the neighbourhood streets of Abbotsford just off of Johnston Street, the Retreat is a marvel of Victorian pub design. The original chandeliers and dark-turned wood survive, and stained glass decorates the windows, doors and the cabinet above the bar that follows its S-curve through the cosy front room. The Retreats serves up a real quality-without-pretence brand of kick-ass pubdom. 

Ask any Prahran local, and they’ll probably have a fond story for you about the Duck. The much-loved hotel has been servicing the neighbourhood since the late 1800s, with one of the few intact Victorian-era hotel facades remaining in the area. When it came time to its recent refurbishment, the team made sure to stay true to its rich 150-year-plus history, elevating its gastro-pub status with a new layout and refined menu. Head chef Ben Pigott offers up a classic brasserie menu, centred around the new wood-fired grill. Feast on wood-fired wholemeal flatbread with black garlic toum, grilled Shark Bay scallops with herb butter and charcoal-grilled duck breast with braised red cabbage, crispy potato hash and plum jus. Expect all the classic pub specials during the week, including a steak night, trivia night and burger and pot special, with $7 schooners and $8 house wines between 4-6pm.

The Royal Oak Hotel's website proudly proclaims that it has been serving Fitzroy since 1871. It has retained its popularity by providing a welcoming atmosphere, a substantive wine list and a solid food menu. While you can find crowd favourites such as chicken schnitzel and battered rocking with chips, the Royal Oak takes things up a notch too with wagyu beef tartare, cured kingfish with horseradish cream and confit duck legs with white beans. 

The Carringbush Hotel stands out from a sea of other great pubs thanks to its inventive food offering. Tacos and nuggets, sushi rice bowls and lasagne, but here's the kicker: it's all vegetarian or vegan. Don't miss taco Tuesdays, where the tacos are just $4.50, and they're all vegan. You'll find wines on tap, ethical ceramics and plates, beers on tap rotating between local favourites and left-of-centre drops. 

It might look like a tiny German castle, or maybe an elaborate British firehouse, but inside the Woodlands Hotel it’s an all Victorian party, all the time. Seriously, these people are walking the walk when it comes to local produce. The tap list is primed with a variable selection and the bottled beer list widens its territory – it’s more Victorian than a VFL premiership in there. And you can bet your bootstraps that the local focus extends to the kitchen.

Opposite Queen Victoria Market on Peel Street, the Drunken Poet is Melbourne’s cosiest little shebeen. This place pours some of the freshest pints of Guinness in the land, Vegemite-rich with living yeast, and a cracker Kilkenny to boot. Behind the bar you’ll usually find a friendly publican who’ll remember your name and provide service with a smile. 

The Garden State Hotel is huge and more often than not, pumping. Four levels surround a central atrium that lets natural light permeate from above and also leads down to the basement. Black steel, greenery and an aquarium’s worth of glass give the whole place a greenhouse atmosphere. At any of the bars housed within, chipper and quick-witted staff pour reliable beers, chilled wines and some stellar cocktails - try the frozen Limoncello or the Garden State Amaretto Sour. 

In an age where revivals, renovations and glossy makeovers are making social climbers out of our bars and pubs, our love for the resistance grows, and nowhere do we love better for its rough edges than the Catfish in Fitzroy. It’s a rambling, weathered boozer that knows you care much more about what’s in your glass and what’s on the stage than whether or not the walls are millennial pink and if there’s a Montauk theme to the furnishings (there’s not, obviously). 

Formerly the Crimean, Bobbie Peels holds the spot of one of North Melbourne’s classic old corner pubs. With plenty of space for group bookings and events and flexible catering options, this is a great space for your next casual celebration. The menu changes often and features market specials, think mussels with white wine, grilled peaches with stracciatella or braised pork and apple cassoulet.

The Curtin’s band room has a full schedule of local, national and international acts and there are free live gigs in the front bar every Saturday arvo. Gig posters cover the walls and band stickers plaster the bar fridges, which chill glasses for craft beer on tap like Brooklyn, Barrow Boys and Two Brothers. After takeovers at Huxtaburger and Bluebonnet BBQ, Sonny's have now set up a permanent fried chicken kitchen inside the Curtin. The chicken is brined here for 24 hours and you can order dark or white meat, wings or even a whole bird. 

Goldy's is a favourite hangout for Collingwood locals for many reasons. A friendly and welcoming atmosphere, sweet tunes, cool drinks and tasty food means that Goldy's is everything you want from a pub, and even then a little bit more. A slightly Japanese-leaning menu (on special at the time of writing) gives options beyond the classic parma and cheeseburger (don't worry they are still on offer too), so get your hands dirty on a Japanese chicken curry pie, fried yakisoba noodles or a tuna tataki onigiri kit. 

The Cherry Tree is a local's delight – whether you live or work nearby, you'll be grateful to call this your neighbourhood pub. With everything you could want for a business lunch, a knock-off pot and an easy quick bite to eat. There's free trivia on Tuesday, $25 steak night on Thursday, and even $7 pizzas on Monday. You can't really go wrong!

At catty-corners with the Fitzroy Town Hall lies the almost equally venerable Napier Hotel. Founded in 1866, it’s an atmospheric old-style pub with its original high ceilings, decorative plasterwork and stained-glass windows intact. Animal heads stare down from the walls, and the shelves are loaded with statuettes, old toys and other tchotchkes accumulated over many years. The menu includes old favourites, interspersed with a couple of dishes you may not have ordered at your local pub before, such as smoked kangaroo salad or Sichuan lamb ribs.

Whether you are looking for a beer garden, a spot of live music, or a place to watch the footy, your needs will be met at the Pinnacle. There are ten rotating taps serving up a selection of Australian and New Zealand craft beer and cocktails, from makers such as Stomping Ground, Garage Project, Molly Rose, and Cloud Cuckoo cocktails. The Pinnacle promotes meatless Monday with its $20 veggie main specials, while also recognising the classic with parma Wednesdays where you can get your hands on a parma and pot of Pacific Ale for just $24. 

Located in South Melbourne, the Montague Hotel is a popular backstreet destination for wine, craft beer and top pub grub. Its corner aspect means it can fling open the doors on a sunny day allowing for some fresh air to accompany a long afternoon of drinking. If you're hankering for a quality counter meal, the bangers and mash here are rich, savoury and juicy with a heart-stopping amount of butter in the mash.

It’s the quintessential live music venue to all Gen Y kids, but it’s much more than that. The Corner Hotel is an iconic pub. Sometimes it smells funny and the carpets will always be sticky. You’ll see everyone from your dirty rocker types, bikers, hip-hoppers, groupies, uni students and young families with kids at the Corner, with the crowds spilling over into the rooftop bar at all times of the day and night. 

Standing tall on the corner of Orrong Road and High Street is Armadale's Orrong Hotel, a pub that's been pouring pints since 1875. Its 150-year (plus) tenure has earned it the status as one of the neighbourhood's most beloved watering holes. Inside, you'll find a relaxed bar and dining experience highlighted by warm timber interiors, bold patterned flooring, leather banquette seats, vintage artworks and ambient lighting. And like any good pub, Orrong offers a line-up of delicious weeknight specials. The menu here is filled with elevated pub classics, including Louisiana-style hot wings and a fresh burrata salad. 

While you'd be much more likely to see the crowd that frequents the Rochester at Meredith than at a metal gig, the attitude here is still far more Jack White than Jack Johnson. The Rochester is a pub that’s matured with the neighbourhood, as we all get a bit older and prefer a good chat and a craft beer to cheap pots and a night of blurred memories. But we still know how to party, and so does the Rochey. 

The Town Hall Hotel in North Melbourne is one of those brilliant little pubs that time has forgotten, left to marinate in nostalgia like a rockabilly grandparent. A touch on the shabby side, this is not the place for you if you like your pubs slick and shiny. But if you like a joint that's a bit rough around the edges and honest as the day is long, this little pub should be right up your alley.

The bar at the Middle Parl Hotel is 70 metres long (it's one of Australia's longest) and features 45 taps, so there’s little chance of having to elbow Middle Park’s well-groomed punters out of the way to get at a pint of bitter Red Duck IPA. On the food front you'll find weekly specials but the highlight of the week is the Sunday roast. Also if you go too hard either on booze or beasts, rest easy knowing this hotel is still functional, with accommodation upstairs. 

This chilled-out pub pours a top-notch range of craft beers with sours, IPAs, stouts and easy drinking ales. A sign proclaiming the love of Aussie beer offers suggestions from every state of our great, beer-soaked nation, and the immaculate chalkboard speaks to the heavy tap rotation. A leather-bound beer bible has bottles listed by style with full descriptions. 

You can tell a lot about a pub from its taps. The Terminus stocks such a stellar lineup of craft beers that as brew havens go, this pub hero is one of the best. A renovation in recent years saw the old pub split in two. The south side is a lean, clean beer bar full of shiny fixtures, blonde wood and a beer-friendly menu. The pub’s north end remains a stronghold for fans of the classic local.

As far as Ye Olde English pubs in Melbourne go, the Sherlock Holmes never misses a clue. Down a flight of steps from Queen Street, this cosy basement pub is encased in ancient brick and beams and is always a welcome retreat from the busy Melbourne streets. An excellent and often changing list of English pub ales dominate the taps, all served up with a chipper and helpful attitude. , but won’t think twice about reminding a cheeky punter to keep a civil tongue. The menu is mostly brown and grey foods, in the great British tradition. Bangers and mash, a pie of the day, corned beef with cabbage (our pick of the menu) and fish and chips are all on offer, and while they’re not exactly topping the charts in flair or flavour, these vittles are true to form for a traditional English pub, and will definitely warm you up on a cold night.

This old-style boozer and major player in Melbourne's live music scene has a 200-capacity room, making it a touch smaller than the Gasometer and Tote, with a beer garden, mezzanine and lounge/bistro. On top of its appeal as a music venue, the Railway also draws crowds with its authentic style Italian pizzas, fresh cocktails and a large tapped beer collection. 

The Standard Hotel has been facilitating the "fine art of good times" since 1865, meaning you know it's got it down to a tee. A local favourite, people flock here early in the week for a counter meal, a pint or two, and a chat with whoever pulls up next to them. Pretension is an anathema to the Standard, so much so that they even went through a period in the early ’90s when they refused to serve anyone in a suit. But fear not, all are now welcome with open arms. 

The exterior of this Hawthorn East mainstay has a commanding, fortress-like presence along the skyline as you approach via its namesake road. Inside the Auburn, however, you’re greeted with a pristine warmth akin to an upmarket country pub. Big screens populate most walls, with bar staff more than happy to accommodate requests for background music to be subdued in favour of blaring commentary. The elegance of the connecting wine room permeates a touch of class into the front bar, carried over into the immaculately presented, astroturf-lined beer garden.

A touch of ye olde Londontown in Collins St. All the bells and whistles you’d expect from an English pub: bangers and mash, footy on the telly and English ale on tap. The Charles Dickens Tavern is proud to stay true to its traditional pub atmosphere and offerings, focusing on providing a warm and welcoming vibe rather than trying to stay ahead of the latest trends. 

The venerable Wesley Anne is one of Melbourne’s oldest and prettiest pubs. Housed in a former church, its rough stone walls have seen generations of drinkers, musicians and sinners, in general, come and go. It’s divided into three parts with three very distinct characters: there’s the slightly Gothic main barroom, a warm and comfortable band room and the large, leafy beer garden. Pop into all three or settle into one, either way, you are in for a pleasant arvo or evening of drinking. 

If footy is a religion, the Great Northern Hotel is its mega-church. Nestled away in the inner North, this sprawling sports pub has a well-earned reputation as the premier destination for locals and visitors alike to watch the game. The main dining area can feel like mission control during the crossover between dinnertime and the match, thanks to a massive, wall-spanning screen. Bodies spring up to roar success, while groans of despair rumble under the celebrations. If the main event isn’t to your liking, a bit of table real estate can be claimed in the pup-friendly beer garden. 

Union House is a reliable, low-key, no-fuss drinking hole for the lovely folk of Richmond. Long benches along the street outside offer plenty of opportunities for a beer/doggo combo, while footy on the screens inside keeps the punters entertained. Beer on tap skews crafty and fun, and there is a solid selection of pub grub on offer. Sitting here with the footy on, a cracking local beer in hand, kids running around the tables, rock on the radio, and the old-fashioned trams ding-dinging their way down Swan St, it's as if someone has distilled Melbourne into a single scene. And it's a scene we love, and one we're glad venues like Union House are keeping alive. 

Decorated with skulls, red-tinted stage lights and skateboard decks, the Bendigo is presided over closely by the lords of hard rock. The Bendigo attracts those with tatts and piercings, who drink Jack Daniel's and who lost their hearing years ago from exposure to constant excessive volume levels. There's always something happening at this rowdy spot, so check it out next time you're looking to live a little on the wild side, and don't be scared, they won't bite (at least we don't think they will). 

The Kingston Hotel has recently undergone a substantive renovation, ushering in a new era for the neighbourhood favourite. At the heart of the transformation is the new Marble and Pearl, an upscale dining room designed to show off premium Australian beef and seafood cooked over the charcoal Parrilla grill. A curated list of cocktails and wines from around the globe round out this elevated-pub experience.