Black Pearl ★ 4.8
Black Pearl on Brunswick Street has been named among the world's best bars: serious craft cocktails in a Fitzroy corner pub built around technique above all.
Signature drink: Seasonal bartender's choice cocktail
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Melbourne for grown-ups.
Where to drink
Seamstress ★ 4.5
Seamstress on Lonsdale Street occupies a former garment factory with a cocktail bar on top: dim sum, Asian-influenced plates and a rooftop that fills by 9pm.
Signature drink: Lychee Martini with kaffir lime
Bar Americano ★ 4.6
Bar Americano fits 10 people in a CBD laneway and does not take bookings: the Negroni standard for Melbourne and a lesson in what a small bar can do.
Signature drink: Americano on tap
Cookie ★ 4.3
Cookie on Swanston Street runs Melbourne's longest craft beer list alongside a Thai kitchen: live music downstairs and a crowd that arrives after midnight.
Signature drink: Rotating craft tap list
Siglo ★ 4.5
Siglo above Spring Street has rooftop views of Parliament House: aperitivo hours, a serious Campari selection and reliable late-night crowds on the terrace.
Signature drink: Old Fashioned with Australian whisky
Naked for Satan ★ 4.4
Naked for Satan on Brunswick Street is the Fitzroy rooftop bar: pintxos, cheap vermut and a top-level terrace that draws weekend queues from midday onwards.
Signature drink: House vermouth and soda with olive
Heartbreaker ★ 4.3
Heartbreaker on Russell Street is Melbourne's best near-dive bar: natural wine, punk records and a room that rejects any attempt at pretension from its crowd.
Signature drink: Jungle Bird and cheap beer combos
Dr Morse ★ 4.5
Dr Morse on Johnston Street in Abbotsford sits beneath Victoria Park station: a two-room bar with a serious whisky list from Scotland, Japan and Australia.
Signature drink: Single malt Scotch flight, seasonal highball
Above Board ★ 4.6
Above Board in Collingwood seats 8 at a U-shaped counter and serves rotating seasonal cocktails from a hidden room accessed via Chopper Lane.
Signature drink: Classic Martini with house-clarified brine
Arbory Bar and Eatery ★ 4.2
Arbory sits on a riverside platform beneath Flinders Street Station with Yarra views, an all-day menu and one of the city's best outdoor settings.
Signature drink: House Spritz with Aperol and prosecco
Double Happiness ★ 4.2
Double Happiness on Liverpool Street is Melbourne's beloved Chinese-Australian dive: karaoke booths, cold Tsingtao and a room that fills from Wednesday.
Loop Project Space ★ 4.1
Loop Project Space on Meyers Place is a multi-level CBD arts venue and bar: a rooftop with city views, rotating exhibitions and a decent craft beer selection.