Best Pubs in Melbourne
Pubs are as much a part of Melbourne as trams and coffee – a pillar in the city’s architecture and a place where other basics of our culture, such as music, cuisine, and footy, may be hung.
The bars listed below stand out as strong proponents of that culture. Some of them have been recognized as some of Melbourne’s top live music and sports bars. We hope you enjoy exploring Melbourne’s bar scene as much as we do.
Table of Contents
Top Pubs in Melbourne
The Esplanade Hotel
Young and Jackson Hotel
Lamaro’s Hotel
This lovely early 1850’s tavern, hidden down a quiet leafy street, has recently been reopened by acclaimed chef Geoff Lindsay and restaurateur Paul Dimattina. The menu focuses on pub cuisine with a contemporary touch, prepared ‘just right.’ The main bar’s centerpiece is a magnificent marble semi-circular bar, which is both intimate and elegant. This is a favorite hangout for that all-important long languid lunch.
Address: 273-279 Cecil St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Marquis of Lorne
Tears were shed for one of Fitzroy’s golden girls when the Marquis of Lorne Hotel closed. The Marquis’ new owners, a company with extensive hospitality experience, have achieved the ideal balance between modernizing the property while maintaining its traditional attractions. The loyal hordes that flock here after dark for a pub supper that’s a cut above have worn the timbers of this backstreets bar smooth. Allow a platter of creamy, salty taramasalata skewered with crunchy shards of pita bread to keep you over until your pillowy gnocchi with garlic and greens arrives at your rooftop perch.
Address: 411 George St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
The Lincoln
Stomping Ground
Stomping Ground is a terrific pub for a delicious pub dinner and Stomping Ground Brewing Co beers, which Melbourne foodies will love. Stomping Ground is a terrific spot for a quiet lunch with family or friends, and the great kids play area with a multi-level cubby house created from salvaged materials is a highlight.
A burger or fish and chips, a fruit and vegetable snack plate, and kids ice cream are all on the kids menu. Snacks, a curated range of mains including a number of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, and a couple of shared mains – lamb shoulder and beef brisket – that you can combine with various sides – are all available on the adults menu.
High chairs and a fantastic walled play area are among the amenities.
Address: 100 Gipps St, Collingwood VIC 3066
Mt. View Hotel
The Duke of Wellington
The Mitre Tavern
Grosvenor Hotel
The Grosvenor Hotel delivers authentic, honest pub dinners in a refurbished late 1800s pub with industrial-chic design and a spectacular marble bar, and is known for its bistro food and superb wine.
Enjoy exceptional steaks, burgers, or wood-fired pizzas every night of the week, matched with a fashionable cocktail or a selection of local and foreign craft beers. The Grosvenor Hotel is the ideal pub hangout all year round, catering to a variety of occasions.
The excellent flavor and softness of grass-fed Victorian beef is combined with a crisp craft lager. It doesn’t get much better than that. This is an absolute must-try!
The Railway Hotel
The Railway Hotel, in the heart of Windsor, has been providing classic pub meals and hard-earned beer to Melburnians for over 20 years and has stood the test of time. The Railway Hotel is a restaurant/bistro as well as a bottle shop that is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The Railway Hotel is an award-winning restaurant that doesn’t simply offer up your usual pub meal; with up to 90% of the menu derived from the owners farm in the gorgeous Strathbogie Ranges, provenance is assured in all the produce that is sourced for a true, quality meal.
Middle Park Hotel
The pub of the iconic Middle Park Hotel has just had a facelift, and now features a beautiful bar, a cozy dining area, and a two-level outside deck/beer garden.
They have a diverse menu with something for everyone, and I consider it to be one of Melbourne’s top gastropubs. They’ve got it all, whether it’s a hearty pub favorite or a more sophisticated feast showcasing the finest of Victorian products. The hanging lamb kebab is clearly the ‘wow’ dish here and they also specialized in steaks. Everything is wonderfully presented.
High chairs, a handicapped toilet, a changing table, coloring pages on the back of the kids menu, and pram access are among the amenities.
The Woodlands Hotel
The Retreat Hotel
Braeside Brewing Co
Braeside Brewing Co is a family-owned and operated brewery and café in Mordialloc’s industrial sector.
The sleek, contemporary stylings of the repurposed industrial building are highlighted by an eye-catching pizza oven.
The menu includes all of the foods that go well with beer, as well as a $10 kids menu. High chairs, an enclosed children’s play area, pencils and sketching materials are all accessible, and the warehouse size allows for plenty of room for prams.
Great beer, stone-fired pizza, and a friendly atmosphere await you.
The Wheelers Hill Hotel
The Wheelers Hill Hotel has a cafe with a lush aspect, as well as gambling and sports on TV.
The Wheelers Hill Hotel, which opened in 1876 as the Mulgrave Post Office, is now a contemporary bar with spectacular views of the Dandenong Ranges.
You may relax inside the Family Bistro, by the toasty fireplace, or outside on our large shaded lower terrace, which overlooks magnificent vistas.
The main menu consists of pub classics with a few new foods tossed in (such as a fattoush salad), while the children’s menu is equally straightforward. I believe the gigantic playground in the main eating area will be a hit with the youngsters.
The Tote
The Townhall Hotel
The Royston
Labour in Vain
Set amid the bustle of Brunswick Street’s ever-gentrifying gentrification, this corner tavern has certainly seen its share of loud music and good times. The name is spelled Labour or Labor, depending on which door you look at, a written nod to that brief period in Australia’s history around 1900 when officials toyed with dropping the U in “labour.” Built in 1853 and ordained as a pub in 1998, the name is spelled Labour or Labor, depending on which door you look at, a written nod to that brief period in Australia’s history around 1900 when officials toyed with dropping the U in “labour.” It’s decorated with creaky bar chairs and harsh wooden benches, the floors are sticky, and the single drinkers all seem like members of punk bands from the 1980s.
Address: 197A Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Builders Arms Hotel
Andrew McConnell and his co-conspirator Anthony Hammond have brought the tavern up to date with a whip-smart whitewash paint job that will either delight or dismay you, depending on how you felt about it when it was fuchsia. There are only a few charcoal seats and tables to prevent photokeratitis, aside from a weathervane-style light sculpture (Google it). The front bar is laid-back, but in a Cumulus manner rather than a pub way (read: you’ll still need to wear slacks), and the counter food selection is exceptional.
Address: 211 Gertrude St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
