Melbourne will always have a special place in my heart. From its world-class coffee to its charming brunch lifestyle, its sporty culture to its jam-packed cultural calendar, its quirky neighbourhoods to its late night rave spots... there are a million and one reasons why I love this Aussie city. So, when my friend said she was coming to visit, I wanted to pull out all the stops and take her on a tour of Melbourne's well-known speakeasy bars and chic cocktail places... these are my fave 5.
Eau du Vie
Admittedly, this was the hardest bar to find out of the bunch (our bar-hopping list included 10 places) - it was tucked down a little side street, behind a big wooden door we had to knock on. As soon as we walked in it felt like we'd stepped back in time to the prohibition era - dark wood, classy furnishings, and with an extensive cocktail list. Plus, there's a hidden lounge behind a bookcase!
Black Cat
This little cafe is also a cute bar offering up chilled DJ sets, quirky decor and local art in Fitzroy. It's got a great beer garden too - perfect for summer brunches!
Black Pearl
This has been on the world's best cocktail bar list for years now and has won tons of awards, and it was easy to see why. Tucked away in Fitzroy, this mellow bar houses some of Melbourne's best mixologists, with a serious cocktail menu to match! The best part is that even though this is a next-level cocktail bar, they haven't lost the warm Aussie hospitality that makes you feel like you're part of the family.
Everleigh
Another bar where it felt like we'd stepped back in time to the 1920's, the Everleigh is another Fitzroy classic that you can find nestled behind a chicken shop. With bundles of old-world charm, you could imagine this would be a bar that F. Scott Fitzgerald would spend his evenings. The bartenders here have a range of cocktails on the menu, but if you tell them what you're into they'll make one specially for you.
Bar 1806
There's a bit of a theme here - I love a historic bar! Right in Melbourne's CBD, behind some plush red velvet curtains, this prohibition-era bar is suave, sexy, and has an impressively-stocked bar. I loved the drinks menu as well, which tells historic stories through its cocktails.
So, there we have it - my five favourite bars in Melbourne. I also pulled together a blog on top things to do in Melbourne if you want to give that a read too!
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