There’s also a Thai cocktail bar hidden above a critic-approved laneway restaurant, two cosy new spots for Abbotsford locals and a massive beer garden in Melbourne’s south-east.
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Aussies may be drinking less, but Melbourne’s bar scene is showing little sign of slowing down, with a slew of new openings to check out as summer winds up. Here are eight to try – and what they’re best for.
Mikey’s features a martini stained-glass window (right).
For (a surcharge-free) Sunday happy hour:
Mikey’s, Abbotsford
Mikey’s
Tonight, two former Bodriggy bartenders open their own bar, and it’s just across the road. There are plenty of places to drink nearby, so “we’re very much looking to complement, not compete”, says co-owner Spencer Paul. “Nightlife breeds nightlife.”
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A dirty martini stained-glass window marks the spot at Mikey’s, a cocktail-forward bar and beer garden pouring local brews and spirits. The From Melbourne With Love is a Manhattan made with Starward honeycomb whisky and Saison black-walnut vermouth. Sunday’s all-day happy hour means $10 pints and $12 cocktails.
268 Johnston Street, Abbotsford, mikeys.bar
Nightbird is nesting at the back of Godby Hotel.
For a pub with a “secret” bar:
Godby Hotel, South Yarra
It’s been a train station and the debaucherous Rah Bar, but this Toorak Road site has now entered another new era as the Godby Hotel. From Julien Moussi’s Only Hospitality group (Beehive Hotel, Hotel Collingwood and more), it’s billed as a pub, but its offering runs the gamut wildly.
The menu globe trots from sushi and sashimi to vodka rigatoni and a parma. And beyond the convivial front bar, through “secret” pivot doors, is Nightbird, a dimly lit den inspired by the vinyl listening bars of Japan.
163 Toorak Road, South Yarra, godbyhotel.com.au
A snack of fried mackerel with herb salad at Joop Joop.
For Thai cocktails with matched snacks:
Joop Joop, CBD
Dinner at critic-approved Thai diner Boon Choou is likely to surprise and delight. That’s just as true for its new cocktail bar, hiding upstairs. Some signature cocktails are paired with a bite-sized Thai snack (perhaps a vibrant herb salad atop fried mackerel), and martinis aromatic with coconut and pandan are inspired by black sticky rice pudding.
Joop Joop briefly opened late last year before closing due to building issues, but it’s reopening imminently.
Level 1, 11 Heffernan Lane, Melbourne, boonchoou.com
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Huzzah’s retractable roof.
For a supersized, all-seasons beer garden:
Huzzah, Glen Iris
Too decked out to go to waste, Deeds Brewing’s Glen Iris taproom has been reborn as Huzzah, a year after its untimely closure. New owner Steve Jeffares, co-founder of Stomping Ground, wants Huzzah to be a true locals’ bar for the south-east.
A retractable roof gives the beer garden an indoor-outdoor flex, and the beer program remains strong and locally charged. Crowd-pleasing wines and spritzes are on tap, too. And to eat? A substantial menu ranging from pinsa (Roman pizza) to pub classics.
4 Paran Place, Glen Iris, wearehuzzah.com
For cocktails in an old convent:
Cam’s Kiosk bar, Abbotsford
In 17 years, Cam’s Kiosk has woven itself into the fabric of Abbotsford Convent’s creative community, open all day, every day. But it’s also become a perennially popular dining destination, alongside hatted sibling Julie.
To keep catering to walk-ins and casual visits, owner Cam Miller opened a tiny, timber-clad gallery bar adjoining the dining room where you can settle in (or wait for a table) accompanied by art and Americanos.
1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford, camskiosk.com.au
Blackhearts & Sparrows’ new wine bar.
For boozy bottle-o vibes:
Blackhearts and Sparrows By the Glass, Fitzroy
One of Melbourne’s favourite indie wine stores, Blackhearts and Sparrows, has nearly a dozen locations around town. Its latest, in Fitzroy, is a little different. Called By the Glass, it’s as much a low-fi bar as it is a bottle-o, letting you try before you buy at a reasonable price.
“We’re not putting the usual restaurant mark-up on … so [wine] might come in at $5 a glass cheaper,” says co-founder Paul Ghaie.
Sit at the communal table, snack on cheese and charcuterie and sip whatever’s open, perhaps $10-a-glass Gum rosé or a swanky chablis.
351 Smith Street, Fitzroy, blackheartsandsparrows.com.au
The Terrace atop Hannah St Hotel.
For an under-the-radar rooftop:
The Terrace Lounge at Hannah St Hotel, Southbank
Southbank’s suave new Hannah St Hotel houses five venues by the hospo pros at The Mulberry Group (Hazel, Dessous, Lilac). The most talked-about is corner bistro and bar Coupette, but ascend to the 10th floor to find a rooftop bar that flows from inside to outside. It’s greenery-filled to emulate a Parisian conservatory, but the cocktail list is undeniably Australian, featuring a spritz of mango and Geraldton wax.
19 Walker Street, Southbank, hannahsthotel.com
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For French-Vietnamese flair:
Buvons, CBD
The tagline of this elegant, emerald green cocktail bar – set to open this weekend beneath a Collins Street office tower – is “Vietnamese roots, French spirit”, delivered with a few playful flourishes.
Caffeinate with an icy cocktail channelling ca phe trung (Vietnamese egg coffee) or a tiramisu powered by Vietnamese iced coffee. Also expect a tight edit of fine French wine, and snacks that lean French-Vietnamese.
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