Melbourne | Drink

Melbourne is a city famous for its eclectic mix of bars, cafes and restaurants. Here’s some of my favourite bars I stumbled across on a recent city break to Melbourne…

Punch Lane Wine Bar

We happened upon this cosy bar whilst waiting on a table for dinner elsewhere, and I am so glad we did. The service here was wonderful, a lovely Parisian bartender helped us to navigate the extensive wine list, giving us tasters, and recommending her favourite to us- a gorgeous French Pinot Blanc, which we went for in the end.

Candle lit, with red leather benches and walls lined with bottle upon bottle of wine Punch Lane has a warm feel. We were quite disappointed when we got the call saying our table was ready for dinner! The perfect spot for a pre dinner drink and nibbles. Find them here.

Section8

Perhaps the bar we had most trouble finding, but also perhaps my favourite of the bunch was Section 8. This is a container bar, and by that I mean a bar literally made out of a shipping container, tucked away down the romantically named Tattersalls Lane, just off Little Bourke Street in China Town.

It’s open every day of the week and is a cash only bar, so come prepared (we didn’t!). Serving up a whole host of brews, from Brooklyn Larger, to Melbourne Bitter you won’t have to break the bank to enjoy a night here. The music is funky, and the backdrop even more so. Chairs and tables proving too mainstream, you are invited to sit on a collection on crates and wooden pallets, which creates a very informal relaxed atmosphere, and encourages groups of punters to spill into others and mingle more than your usual layout.  We got there fairly early on a Thursday night, and the crowd of casual drinkers slowly descended onto the dance floor as the night went on.

This was my last night in Melbourne and I decided to not take my camera, which is a shame as this was probably the most visually pleasing bar we saw, covered in graffiti and collages of posters and magazine clippings, but I suppose you will simply have to go and see it for yourself! Find them here.

The Rum Diary

If you fancy a rum-soaked evening this is your one-stop shop. The impressive and extensive array of rums on offer from all over the world, is matched with friendly and knowledgeable bar tenders, who are keen to educate and not judgmental at all if you don’t know your stuff when it comes to rum.

My friend and I ordered a cocktail, the third in our party couldn’t see anything on the cocktail list which was grabbing her, so the bartender took control asking her what’s she looks for in a cocktail and whipped up his take on a Zombie, complete with a flaming passion fruit. The spectacle was exactly what you want when watching your cocktail being made, and it left me with serious drink envy.

Be sure to grab a seat at the bar in order to watch the bartenders to their thing, and marvel at the impressive back bar. Well priced, quality cocktails, which a relaxed late night vibe. Find them here.

Black Pearl 

Just a couple of doors down from The Rum Dairies, and recommened to us by the bar tenders there (always trust a bar tenders choice of bar), is Black Pearl. It’s interior is hidden from the street by curtains across the windows, and so it’s somewhat veiled in mystery, but make sure you don’t pass this one by, it earned a spot in the top 50 bars in the world in 2014.

From the word go this bar was like none other I’ve been to before, the menu is made up of playings cards depicting cocktails, both classics and in-house originals…

I went for the Copo De Vida, a bright, fresh and fruity cocktail which went down like a treat. The prices are just a tad higher here, but you can see why, the quality of the experience and ingredients used is worth every penny.

Black Peal’s interior is cool and simple, leather sofa’s provide the perfect spot to sink a few beautiful cocktails with friends, and forget about any sort of serious matters for a couple of hours. Or even better grab a seat at the bar, if it’s not too packed, and watch the bar tenders work their magic. Find them here.

You now know where to drink in Melbourne, keep your eyes peeled for a guide to Melbourne eateries soon!