09 January 2025
19 mins Read
Each year it seems like a new trend emerges in Melbourne’s ongoing craft beer movement. Yet the consistency is what makes the city’s scene one of the world’s best.
While locals are spoilt with some of Australia’s best restaurants, cafes, and bars, no one has really experienced the capital of cool unless they’ve crawled through the best pubs in Melbourne. From Fitzroy and Footscray, these historic watering holes tell the story of a beer-loving culture that has been built from the ground up.
Below, you’ll find a guide to some of our favourite Melbourne pubs alongside some of the stalwart breweries that work so hard to keep this city competing on the global stage for hop supremacy.
Personality is key to standing out in this packed scene, so we’ve curated the list based on character, creativity and popularity to help give you a decisive to-do list the next time you and your friends want to dive head-first into one of Melbourne’s defining traits.
Best for: A classic Melbourne pub packed with friendly locals every day of the week.
Marquis of Lorne is a constant hive of activity and one of the best pubs in Melbourne. Many locals would even rate it above all others. Such is the strength of this Fitzroy pub’s spotless reputation, which has only gotten stronger since a massive refurbishment in 2014.
At just over 150 years old, the historic pub tells the story of Fitzroy and its community, maintaining a distinct charm in an area that mixes grit with grace on every corner. Regulars seem just as taken with the hearty gastropub menu as they are with the seemingly endless taps across each level.
The best way to play at Marquis of Lorne is to grab some local pale ales and sink them under the sun. The small rooftop bar is one of Melbourne’s finest, peering out over the action of Fitzroy each night. Note that that pub is only open until 11pm every night, except on Fridays and Saturdays when you’ve got until 1am to soak up the vibes.
Address: 411 George St, Fitzroy
Best for: A buzzing beer garden and all the pub classics Melbourne locals can’t get enough of.
Garden State Hotel slings (Image: Supplied)
Best pub in Melbourne CBD? If it’s not, then Garden State Hotel is at least one of the front-runners. The classic pub is best known for its sprawling beer garden, framed by giant ficus trees and a seamless indoor-outdoor design.
The multi-level pub has plenty of distinctive spaces, from the vibrant Public Bar to the downstairs cocktail bar, the Rose Garden.
Wherever you end up, you can expect an eclectic mix of ideas all mashed into one. Grab a pint of your favourite pub beer at Public Bar if you’re in for something casual, but anyone planning to make a day of it should plan to crawl across all four spaces. Think of it as a pub crawl without leaving the pub itself.
Address: 101 Flinders Ln, Melbourne
Best for: Catching a local band mid-week with a greasy cheeseburger in hand.
The John Curtin Hotel is an important fixture of the long and winding Lygon Street. Perched on the strip’s city end, the historic pub and live music venue is an essential link in any discerning pub crawl.
You’ll almost always find a mixed bag of a crowd packing The Curtin, whether they’re just there for Sonny’s Fried Chicken or catching some great local bands on a weeknight. Whatever the reason, everyone is there to have a good time.
An all-day session is the way to go for this pub. Doors fling open at 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays, watching the space fill up with groups of mates who plan on spending all day immersed in the rustic atmosphere, which resists modernity with a classic rock & roll mentality that has endeared since the venue first opened in 1859.
Address: 29 Lygon St, Carlton
The Union Hotel has an undeniable charm that attracts Brunswick locals. (Image: Visit Victoria)
There isn’t much about Union Hotel that distinguishes it from your prototypical Melbourne pub. A leafy beer garden, rowdy trivia nights, live music, classic pub grub and numerous taps with all the usual suspects. Yeah, pretty standard.
But it’s the simplicity that makes Union Hotel such a good time. The bells and whistles are stamped into the sticky pub floors, and it’s all part of that undeniable charm that keeps Brunswick locals coming back for more – often a few times a week. Sometimes no-frills is exactly what you need.
Address: 109 Union St, Brunswick
Best for: British pub classics elevated by local Victorian produce
Middle Park Hotel opens at 12pm each day and is usually packed before the sun goes down. Working across the 45 taps is a mission, but that’s the pub has so many regulars. Pairing some classic British pub grub with a couple of cold ones at Middle Park Hotel is basically a rite of passage for Melburnians.
The historic pub, which opened in 1889, straddles the fine line between Australiana and that classic British vibe. Wash your Scotch eggs and black pudding down with local Victorian beers for the quintessential experience.
Address: 102 Canterbury Rd, Middle Park
Best for: The quintessential Melbourne pub experience, firing on all cylinders seven days a week
Sip beer at this historic St Kilda music venue. (Image: Supplied)
It’s not enough to say that Hotel Esplanade is an iconic Melbourne pub located in St Kilda. It is, of course. But it’s also so much more, with 12 bars, two restaurants and three stages spread across six levels all contained in a mansion-esque white building that’s over 140 years old.
Since it first opened in 1878, this seaside mansion has been as much an emblem for Melbourne as the city’s iconic laneways. Just about every Australian band has cut their teeth in one of those bandrooms while punters dive into the choose-your-own-adventure variety on offer. Everything from brunch at The Espy Kitchen to dinner at Mya Tiger keeps regulars coming back.
Try some barrel-aged beer from local legends at The Espy Kitchen before catching a gig at The Gershin Room if you’re short on time. The Espy is always a good idea.
Address: 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda
Best for: Supporting independent breweries in a modern pub
Signposted by glaring neon, The Royston is Richmond’s favourite local and a beacon of good times for the community. A handsome interior, cobbled together with wooden walls and stone floors, keeps things minimal and modern, while a fierce commitment to supporting independent breweries gives the pub an admirable purpose.
In fact, the Royston was Melbourne’s first pub to exclusively tap the region’s independent breweries, shying away from the big names and giving locals something to be incredibly proud of. The food is just as good, with elevated pub classics and a scope that includes more than just a few vegetarian afterthoughts. It’s one of the most contemporary pubs in Melbourne and represents the city’s changing tastes.
Address: 12 River St, Richmond
Best for: Some of the best live music in Australia
The Tote has hosted iconic bands like The White Stripes. (Image: Visit Victoria)
While regulars at The Tote may miss the bare-bones and sticky floors, this heritage Collingwood pub is thriving in its new skin. Relatively new, anyway. A major refurbishment in 2010 positioned The Tote as a modern masterpiece while still retaining some of that gritty history.
Popular for mid-week gigs, the pub is an important fixture of the Australian music industry and has played host to some of the greatest homegrown bands throughout the years. That’s why the band room is still considered the venue’s beating heart, constantly packed out and sloshed with beer stains.
Head out to the expensive courtyard for a more laid-back vibe and enjoy some classic pub food before or after a gig.
Address: 67-71 Johnston St, Collingwood
Best for: Late-night cocktails in the hidden basement bar
Bunker down in the basement bar for a few late-night cocktails. (Image: Visit Victoria)
There are many reasons one would find themselves at Harlow. The massive beer garden is the front and centre, but those in the know would climb down to the basement bar and hide away with a few late-night cocktails any day of the week.
After being updated from its seedy past as The Great Britain Hotel, this modern alehouse is plastered with street art and handsome decor. It might not fit the bill for a classic pub, but this forward-thinking venue gets by with strong connections to local breweries and an equal focus on excellent cocktails and well-sourced wine.
Address: 447 Church St, Richmond
Best for: A large communal dining hall with upscale pub food
Captain Melville may be one of the oldest pubs in Melbourne, dating back to 1853, but you wouldn’t have guessed it from the decor. While it still holds onto its long and storied history, the pub enters the modern age with worldly pub food and a broad drinks list that takes in local beers, wines and cocktails.
The Colonial-style dining hall is the heart of this CBD pub and the best example of its push for modernity. Numerous native plants sit pretty on the tables, while olive trees and eucalyptus gum nuts bring the outdoors inside.
Bring your appetite. There’s no trace of salt and pepper calamari or loaded fries. Here you’ve got restaurant-quality fare using local produce. Expect dishes like steak tartare, wild mushroom tagliatelle, and confit duck leg.
Address: 34 Franklin St, Melbourne
Best for: Food that isn’t your typical pub grub and a few beers out in the courtyard
Builders Arms Hotel serves up hearty pub snacks to pair with your beer. (Image: Visit Victoria)
From fine dining to elevated Chinese cuisines, The Builders Arms Hotel in Fitzroy has a long history of flipping pub dining on its head. Andrew McConnell’s high standards for food have blessed this Fitzroy pub many times over, drawing regulars away from standalone restaurants.
But don’t mistake this for anything but a great Melbourne pub. The well-dressed bistro may be the workhorse and the venue’s biggest point of distinction, but great local beers and a decent wine list are just as important.
Grab a frothie and head to the vibey courtyard for the best experience. Although if you’re more of a wine drinker, you’ll appreciate McConnell’s focus on new-wave producers and young winemakers across Australia.
Address: 211 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
Best For: Afternoon drinks before a game at Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Botanical Hotel is a Melbourne institution on Domain Road. (Image: Supplied)
Sandwiched by some of Melbourne’s best parks, Botanical Hotel benefits from its Domain Road location. The National Gallery of Victoria is just a short walk away, as is the Shrine of Remembrance and South Yarra Station. Convenience is key for this humble pub, so you’d find just as many tourists as you would locals.
Location may be key, but the drinks list is another solid reason to work through Botanical Hotel’s offerings. The rotating taps list the usual suspects alongside a great rotating selection of local brewers, sticking with what works in Melbourne: the perfect balance between mass-market and supporting independent.
Address: 169 Domain Rd, South Yarra
Best for: A cosy British atmosphere that feels like a warm hug straight from London
Sink a few cold ones in the sunny beer garden. (Image: The Lion & Wombat)
The Lion & Wombat is as good as hopping on a flight to London. While Melbourne has several authentic British pubs, few can match the transportive atmosphere of this St Kilda favourite. It’s hard to compete with something as monolithic as The Espy, but this venue confidently carves its own slice of the seaside suburb.
From the Union Jack flag to the coat of arms, there’s no mistaking this neighbourhood classic for anything else. You’ll find many ex-pats here any day of the week, carefully breaking Scotch eggs and washing premium fish fingers sandwiches down with some of Stomping Ground’s finest. Or, even better, British-influenced cocktails like the Cuppa Tea with ginger, lemon, peach and jasmine-infused gin.
Address: 107 Grey St, St Kilda
The Drunken Poet is everything you’d expect from an Irish pub. (Image: Supplied)
The Drunken Poet is the best option if you’re searching for an Irish pub in Melbourne. Don’t just save this for St Paddy’s Day either. Given its proximity to the Queen Victoria markets, this cosy little pub is the best place to unwind with a pint of fresh Guinness after running around one of Melbourne’s best markets.
The focus is on live music and beer, but those after food need to contend with small bites like toasties and pickled eggs. Head along on a Friday night to watch The Drunken Poet spring to life; you might even catch some traditional Irish dances.
Address: 65 Peel St, West Melbourne
Head up to the rooftop bar for a sundowner. (Image: Supplied)
The Cornish Arms likes to march to the beat of its own drum in the endlessly cool suburb of Brunswick. A big point of difference here is the food. There are more than just a few options for vegans as well as those with other dietaries. This not only makes the pub much more accessible for everyone, but it leads the charge in the changing trends of how we eat and enjoy Victoria’s storied produce.
The menu changes all the time, imbued with a creative spirit that could easily tempt a carnivore over to plant-based goodness. Get the vegan souvlaki and head out to the colourful beer garden, framed by murals.
Cornish Arms is a friendly family pub, and RMIT is only a short walk away, so you’ll find a very mixed crowd here every day of the week. That just means it’s harder to get a spot up at the sparkling rooftop bar which has a separate snack menu and also mixes up some great classic cocktails.
Address: 163A Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Best for: Moody gothic details and an impressive restoration of an old church
This historic venue dates back to 1854. (Image: Supplied)
The Wesley Anne has been shaped into a former 19th-century church and retained much of the original details that make it such an awe-inspiring building in Northcote. Much like Reine & La Rue, which is one of the best restaurants in Melbourne right now, the Wesley Anne impresses with its high ceilings, gothic standards and a head-turning wrought-iron chandelier.
The Northcote pub is most popular for having live music most nights, best complemented with some time in the beer garden where an open fire keeps punters cosy in the colder months. Grab whatever the meat pie of the day is if you want the best experience, but other dishes worth matching with your ale include a peppered kangaroo fillet and a generous vegetarian tasting plate.
Address: 250 High St, Northcote
Best for: Beer and steak night any day of the week
The Terminus Hotel flirts with modernity but is perfectly content with being a pub lover’s pub – simple, a decent amount of taps, and excellent steak. That said, ever since it changed hands in 2021, this historic pub has really pushed itself when it comes to classic pub dining.
Cinder, the pub’s polished dining room, is tasteful and feels like a step away from the venue’s long history. Order everything from delicious poke bowls and cured salmon to veal cotoletta and that gorgeous 1kg Riverine Rib Eye.
But if you’re here strictly for the beers, stick to the front bar or spill out into the massive courtyard. 17 taps help keep up the variety with a good mix of legends and new styles.
Address: 492 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North
Take a seat in the beer garden. (Image: Supplied)
We simply couldn’t have a list of what we think are the best pubs in Melbourne without giving a nod to The Standard. This Fitzroy classic was first licensed in 1865 and remains one of the area’s best pubs and most reliable meeting spots.
The whole community is here each day of the week, magnetised by the modest design that keeps The Standard as very much your everyday pub. Just good beer, live music and good people with very little frills aside from the generous food menu.
Address: 293 Fitzroy St, Fitzroy
Competing with The Espy is no easy feat but Newmarket Hotel has plenty going for it in the iconic suburb of St Kilda. The slight wear and tear is part of the charm, lifted by a great sense of indoor-outdoor spaces that make the spot perfect for afternoon beers whenever the sun pops out.
Everything about this historic pub echoes influences from California, from the food to all the sessionable beers that rotate through the bars dynamic 17 taps. Grab a light ale and use it to wash down some soft-shell crab tacos in one of the many outdoor spaces – it’s one of the best things to do in St Kilda.
Address: 34 Inkerman St, St Kilda
Best for: A restaurant-quality South American meal paired with lighter styles of beer
Have your fill of craft beers, from kettle sours to summer ales. (Image: Bodriggy Brewing Company)
Bodriggy is consistently pumping out some of the best beers in Melbourne. Which is surprising, seeing as you’d think they spread themselves a bit thin at the team’s Abbotsford venue. Food, wine and cocktails are just as much a focus as the beer at this popular mid-week hang.
Make sure you’re hungry for some Central and South American cuisine like smoked swordfish and ceviche. The freshness pairs well with those typically lighter styles of beer, making Bodriggy Brewing Company a great place to mix and match.
Head upstairs if you want a more intimate cocktail lounge, but the real action lies in those rotating taps which could showcase everything from kettle sours to summer ales.
Address: 245 Johnston St, Abbotsford
Best for: Anyone who wants to lose themselves in an entire world dedicated to craft beer
This vibrant venue boasts an indoor lagoon, 72 craft beer taps, a hidden tiki bar, and a playground. (Image: Moon Dog World)
Over 70 taps are spread across Moon Dog World in Preston. While they started out small in Abbotsford, one of Melbourne’s most popular brewers has created an immersive experience that even includes a waterfall and a lagoon.
Post yourself up at the tiki bar or hang in the beer garden with its expansive playground. There are plenty of ways to play at Moon Dog World, turning this expansive warehouse into what is essentially Willa Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for craft beer enthusiasts.
Get across all Moon Dog’s experiments and crowd-pleasers, ticking off styles like imperial stouts, pilsners, IPAs, sours, lagers, and pale ales. Ask to see the hidden barrel-ageing room if you really want to take your experience to the next level.
Address: 32 Chifley Dr, Preston
Callum and Nat Reeves have complete faith in the staying power of hop-forward brews. Kaiju, which launched in 2013, is known for those big, bold flavours that appeal mostly to hardy beer drinkers who prefer the classics. And despite the push for modernity with Melbourne’s ever-changing craft beer movement, it’s worked well for the team.
Kaiju Beer & Pizza is still one of the most popular breweries in Melbourne, carving a warehouse space with around 16 taps – some of which could never change, lest regulars start a riot.
Grab some hand-stretched pizzas for your crew but be mindful of all the carb-loading. These big-bodied beers are unapologetically aggressive for many visitors, but Melbourne locals can’t get enough.
Address: 27 Hume St, Huntingdale
Sip your way through an extensive range of craft beers. (Image: Supplied)
Stomping Ground’s beer hall is one of the rowdiest spots in Collingwood. You may even feel like you’re in Munich when you walk into the converted warehouse space, brimming with life with that life-affirming smell of fresh hops spilling everywhere.
The label’s founders, Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone, are stalwarts when it comes to the craft beer movement across Australia. They started The Local Taphouse in St Kilda while also founding the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS) to help solidify Australia as one of the most inventive markets for beer in the world.
The bar has a style for everyone. Name your favourite beer and it’s likely Stomping Ground has refined it and offered their own twist. Head along in winter when the team tap some delicious stouts.
Address: 100 Gipps St, Collingwood
Best for: A mid-week beer and pizza night
Step inside Mountain Goat Brewery for a cold pint. (Image: Supplied)
While a lot of Melbourne’s best breweries like to go large and immersive, Mountain Goat keeps it rather simple for their Richmond production.
The label has been around since 1997, helping establish the craft beer movement in Melbourne long before the world started paying attention. And while the label sold to Asahi in 2015, there’s still a fierce sense of authenticity when you walk into that beer hall and sit amongst the large fermentation tanks.
It’s all about beer and pizza here. Simple is key, so work your way through the core range like Hightail Ale and Two Step Cider while fighting your friends for the last slice. There’s always some one-off experiment or limited edition being tapped behind the bar so settle down with an obscure style, preferably after the free brewery tour held every Wednesday evening at 6:30pm.
Address: 80 North St, Richmond
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