Melbourne hits high tide for new bars from floating watering holes to waterfalls

Melbourne is spoiled for choice when cocktail hour rolls around, as new bars spring up in unlikely places. From a new floating bar on the Yarra to a blink-and-you'll-miss-it brick cottage amid towering skyscrapers, these new venues provide plenty of fodder for conversation over a couple of rounds.

Yarra Botanica (Sandridge Bridge, Southbank) is the latest floating bar to grace our city's river, bringing an entirely Victorian drinks list and a mostly local menu. Six sourdough pizzas featuring Salt Kitchen charcuterie and That's Amore Cheese join small plates such as tempura sardines from Port Phillip. Greenery defines the two-storey structure, which has been built to handle all four seasons.

New CBD bar Yarra Falls (381 Flinders Lane, Melbourne) is aiming even higher in keeping things local, mixing cocktails with seasonal ingredients only and incorporating native Australian plants that are sourced responsibly. A late-summer amaro includes foraged wattleseed, green fig from owner Brendan Keown's backyard, lemon myrtle and bush honey. The 25-seater also features an artificial waterfall.

Tiny but mighty could also be the motto of Caretakers Cottage (139-141 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne), a two-room public bar inside a brick house on Wesley Church land in the CBD. It's been kitted out with red leather banquettes, greenstone tables and a serious sound system. Owners the Fancy Free team are honouring quirky English pubs with Guinness on tap, punch, Welsh rarebit, and a dog-friendly policy.

Ides chef Peter Gunn has fulfilled a long-time dream of a bar to accompany his fine-diner. March (90 Smith Street, Collingwood) is both a standalone casual venue for small plates such as kimchi-dressed beef, and a honeycomb parfait dessert, but also a bar for Ides guests pre- or post-dinner. Wine, sake and sherry are drawn from Ides' cellar.

Alphington cafe Kissaten has opened a side operation at YarraBend (37 Mills Boulevard, Alphington), the suburb-within-a-suburb on the site of a former paper mill. Operating out of two shipping containers, the pop-up brings a similar Japanese-inspired approach, offering a tight drinks list featuring a margarita made with umeboshi-infused tequila and yuzu, an Oyabun sour made with Toki whisky and Kirin Ichiban beer. Food is about four weeks away; expect okonomiyaki and more.

Lygon Street has struck gold with Good Measure (193 Lygon Street, Carlton), a small and relaxed bar doing clever things to cut down on waste. A wall of 21 taps dispenses not just beer but wine, sake and batched cocktails. A plum Garibaldi combines plum liqueur, scotch rested on skins and stones of the fruit, mead and soda, and is one of several seasonal cocktails using produce from local farms. By day, it's a cafe serving Code Black espresso and hearty sandwiches.

It's not new but it's a first for Murrumbeena. Local Ericka Argiris opened Murrumbeena Wine Bar (77 Murrumbeena Road, Murrumbeena) to showcase mostly small, family-run wineries doing interesting things, while staying true to a neighbourhood bar philosophy in an area that's lacked a local. That means happy hour, pinot night on Wednesdays, and events such as trivia and gin tastings.

Late-night city favourite Arlechin (Mornane Place, Melbourne) returns after a short hiatus with some fresh Italian snacks in tow and a 3am closing time from Thursday to Saturday. The "midnight spaghetti" now has a sidekick of fettuccine carbonara, while Venice gets a showing via sardines in saor (slow-cooked sweet and sour onions).

And out of town... Castlemaine has lots of pubs, but fewer spots to kick back with a Manhattan and a plate of gnocco fritto. Bar Midland's Radio Room (Shop 1, 2 Templeton Street, Castlemaine) is remedying that with its cosy eight-person bar adjoining the restaurant, serving fried rabbit with aioli, kangaroo cotoletta and honey ice-cream sandwiches, all from local producers. Everything in the glass is Victorian, too, from bitters to fortifieds.