Bar hop: Five hot must-try Melbourne bars

February 7, 2016

A hot bar is about more than the thermostat. You need great drinks, smart staff, a fun crowd, and an elusive X-factor that's impossible to manufacture. These drinking holes all have it, and are worth putting on your dance card for the last days of summer (it's a leap year, we get an extra day).

Heartbreaker

An instant classic from day one, this dark and dirty city saloon nails the dive-bar brief. There's a killer jukebox, sticky pool table, wipe-down booths, enabling staff and the most Instagrammable neon sign in town. Masterminded by the crew from the Everleigh, it keeps it simple with tap beers, whisky shots, and four pre-mixed cocktails bottled like perfumes. Best for party punks

234a Russell Street, Melbourne, 03 9041 0856

South Press

A shamelessly upmarket wine bar for South Yarra's bright young things, this sleek venue is worlds away from the Chap-lappers of Prahran and the hipsters of Windsor. It's relaxed but refined, with Billecart-Salmon by the glass and substantial nibbles, such as pork terrine on crusty white bread. There's a brilliant courtyard choked in vines, and a sharp selection of Aussie wines to take away or enjoy on the spot.

Best for south siders

27 Toorak Road, South Yarra, 03 9866 4635

Lulie Street Tavern

Get in while you can – this warehouse site is set to be demolished next year, which is a shame because the low-key, single-room boozer might be the local of your dreams. Cast in an eternal blue neon glow, it's down-at-heel and gimmick-free, with longnecks, boilermakers and some of the most friendly staff in town. Pizza joint Rita's is over the road if you need a feed. Expect drink specials, live music and loose times.

Best for Abbotsford anarchists

Rear, 288 Johnston Street, Abbotsford, no phone

The Nelson

St Kilda was crying out for a bar like this. It's got a dose of Euro swagger, top-shelf snacks and 38 rums on the menu. Fronted by a sunny courtyard near the residential patch of Acland Street, there's a lengthy list of tapas bites and more than a dozen rum cocktails, from a powerhouse Zombie to Waking Up With Ron, a lethal spin on the espresso martini.

Best for beach babes

Unit 2/56 Acland Street, St Kilda, 03 9537 3582

Welcome To Thornbury

Like a gateway to the gentrified north, this food truck hangout could be dubbed Welcome to Parenthood, such is the crowd of Bugaboo-pushing young families lining up for tacos and beers. It's a massive enterprise, licensed for over 700, but what could have been a high-concept nightmare is very welcoming indeed. Don't miss the Burger Invitational from March 8-9, when the city's best burger vans roll up for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

Best for pretty parents

520 High Street, Northcote, 03 9020 7940