From the long-awaited return of old favourites to colourful new comers, here are 11 notable new Melbourne bars to try this month. Catch up on last month’s openings here.
–
Meyers Place
Get your old crew back together and make a stop at the new/old Meyers Place bar. Melbourne’s original laneway bar has returned from years in the wilderness to find a wonderful new home, neighbouring the likes of Pellegrini’s, Lucy Folk and Romeo Lane. Much of the former fit-out has been moved in or lovingly recreated. Even the menu’s largely the same aside from the rare savvy update.
7/24 Crossley Street, Melbourne
Fancy Free
Here for a good time, not for a long time, Fancy Free bar is collaborating with rotating restaurants and will see special guests from the World’s 50 Best Bars list popping by. The cocktail list will change at whim featuring full strength concoctions alongside on-trend low alcohol and zero proof drinks. The founders’ aim is to capture a community vibe in the city… and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
381 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Bar Clara
This subterranean bar situated at the east end of Chinatown is focused on thoughtful, produce-driven cocktails. They’ll often take classics like bellinis, pina coladas and bloody marys and make them better, more modernised and refreshing. But there are still treats on the menu in the form of dessert-inspired drinks; we’re so coming for the Banoffee Special. It’s cosily lit down here, with leafy features and emerald velvet accenting chocolate tones.
87 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Estelle
The former Estelle Bistro and ESP have been reinvented as – simply – Estelle. One half is a sophisticated, Alexandra Green-designed wine bar where you can still get a good feed via share plates and upscale bar snacks. The wine focuses on local drops, while the cocktail list sticks mostly to classics and Estelle’s established signatures. Sounds like there’s no need to step into the adjacent new restaurant; we’re quite happy right here, thanks very much.
243-245 High Street, Northcote
Magnum and Queens
The wine store becomes a little wine bar. It was an obvious choice for this beautifully fit-out store to welcome their wine-curious neighbours to sit down and stay a while longer. Now you can choose a bottle straight from the shelf or a smaller serve from a rotating weekly list to have with grazing snacks. Go in, grab a glass of something refreshing, and simply ponder what took them so long?
2/274-278 Coventry St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Also try: Tamura Sake Bar (Fitzroy) for jazz-accented Japanese/ a roadtrip up north to the sun-dappled, lakeside destination of Nagambie Brewery & Distillery (Nagambie) / The – actually pretty nice – retro-hued divebar that is Nasty’s (Thornbury) / the new cellar door at Jimmy Rum Distillery (Dromana) for sampling of rums and soon-to-be rums / the fruity new rooftop bar at Peaches (Melbourne) / Finally, Reunion Island Pool Club(Melbourne), the rooftop bar with actual swimming pools is fully open to the public so you can take full advantage of the last of this balmy weather. Cover image Albert Comper.
Opening something delicious soon? Tell us – via sarah@drinkmelbourne.com.au – so we can tell everybody…
