32 great wine bars and wine restaurants in and around Melbourne 2026
It's not just coffee that Melbourne can pride itself on: the Australian city is buzzing with restaurants and wine bars of every style, size and ethos. That means plenty of good wine!
Don't miss these wine lover's hangouts, selected by Melbourne Ambassador Liinaa Berry.
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![The Local Drop @ 116 Rokeby, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Address: 116 Rokeby Street, Collingwood
116 Rokeby is the brick-and-mortar extension of The Local Drop, the personalised wine service co-founded by Jagdev “Jag” Singh, now taking shape in the industrial edges of the backstreets of Collingwood. After years of building a loyal following through thoughtful subscriptions, private tastings, and access to cult allocations, Jay has opened the doors to a space that brings it all together with confidence and clarity of purpose. This is part retail shop, part bar, but most importantly, it’s a venue anchored in relationships; between importer and grower, sommelier and collector, bottle and dr...
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![Bar Olo, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9347 0292
Address: 165 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Bar Olo is the younger, slightly looser sibling of Scopri (an institution in Carlton). It’s got all the charm and warmth of an old-school Italian enoteca, with a slick Melbourne edge. Think dim lighting, parquet floors, and a little bar buzzing with the sound of well-poured wine and animated conversation. Now, let’s talk about the real reason you come here: Barolo. This place boasts over 120 different bottlings of the stuff. That’s right, they’re not just flirting with Piedmont; they’ve put a ring on it. But don’t worry if you’re not ready for a deep dive into Nebbiolo as there’s plenty more...
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![CIRCL Wine House, a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9125 1777
Address: 22 Punch Lane, Melbourne
There are wine bars, and then there’s CIRCL, a place that pushes the boundaries and celebrates the full arc of a sommelier’s devotion. Tucked on Punch Lane, just near Sunda, CIRCL is a project shaped, curated and fully realised by Xavier Vigier, whose depth of experience shows in every page of the list. After more than a decade in the game, during which he won multiple national awards for his work at Ten Minutes by Tractor, including at Star Wine List of the Year, he’s now poured all of that knowledge, and all of that love, into this space. One hundred wines by the glass. Yes, you read that...
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![Lilac Wine, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 9973 2061
Address: 31 Stephenson Street, Cremorne
Lilac’s Wine Bar philosophy is a deliberate focus on smaller producers deeply engaged in the vineyard embodying a hands-on approach that allows the site and soil to speak through the wine. A distinctive feature lies in showcasing classic examples of grape varieties and regions side by side with less conventional counterparts from the same grape and location – a harmonious blend of the classic and the modern. I love this approach and I have myself previously written some lists highlighting comparative tastings because it gives perspective and allows a deeper understanding of the world of wine....
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![Kirk's Wine Bar, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9600 4550
Address: 46 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Kirk’s Wine Bar has that European pavement café charm, where the wine is always flowing, the food is just what you need, and there’s no such thing as staying for just one. Sitting on the corner of Hardware Lane, it’s Melbourne meets Paris meets that little bistro in Rome you still think about. Mornings start with strong coffee and a pastry, afternoons slide into long lunches and crisp white wines, and by night, it’s buzzing with people drinking something delicious and looking like they’ve made the right life choices. The wine list is sharp, with a mix of classic, natural, and everything in b...
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![Le Splendide, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Address: 9 Toorak Road, South Yarra
Le Splendide is the more seductive sibling to France-Soir, not trying to recreate the full-throttle Parisian bistro experience but offering something far more intimate. You don’t go to Splendide to be seen on social media. You go to disappear for a while, and be present. Jean-Paul Prunetti started France-Soir in 1986, and his vision hasn’t slowed for a moment. Le Splendide feels like a dream he’s been perfecting for decades; something elegant, cinematic, a little mysterious. There’s burlesque in the mood, velvet in the shadows and a delicious sense that, once you’re in, the outside world doesn...
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![Napier Quarter, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9416 0666
Address: 359 Napier Street, Fitzroy
If Napier Quarter were a person, it’d be that impossibly cool friend who always knows the best wines, makes effortlessly good food, and somehow pulls off vintage linen shirts without looking like they’ve just emerged from a pile of laundry. Nestled in the backstreets of Fitzroy, this tiny, sun-dappled, European-style wine bar and café is proof that less is more. The wine list is thoughtful, restrained, and perfectly in tune with the place. Expect a small but mighty selection of lo-fi, food-friendly wines; a love letter to France and Italy but with plenty of local gems in the mix. For what it’...
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![Lee Ho Fook, a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9654 8239
Address: 11-15 Duckboard Place, Melbourne
Lee Ho Fook is not your average Chinese restaurant. If you’re expecting lazy Susans, MSG-laden banquets, and bottomless teapots, think again. This is Victor Liong’s playground, where Chinese flavours get dialled up, refined and thrown into a whole new gear, but without losing their punch. It’s a whole new identity and has been an important part of the culinary landscape in Melbourne. The entrance? Through a laneway, of course. Because all great Melbourne dining experiences start with a moment of “Wait… am I in the right place?” Step inside and it’s moody and humming with energy. The tea-smoke...
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![Tedesca, a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 488 010 706
Address: 1175 Mornington-Flinders Road, Red Hill
Chef Brigitte Hafner and wine lover and photographer James Broadway offer this beautiful luxurious farm retreat built in a 1920 property. The dining experience is a small menu where most of the products come from their biodynamic farm in an ‘agriturismo’ style. The rest is sourced only from ethical providers in Australia. James puts a lot of love into his wine offering and doesn’t like things to be set in stone. He is all for spontaneity. Unlearn what you have learned with no script, no fixed wine pairing, and just go with the heart. Instead of an encyclopedia of a winelist, James offers a d...
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![Brico, a wine bar and restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9191 7990
Address: 555 Nicholson Street, Carlton North
You walk into a place like Brico and you know it's been built by people who live wine. Not in the showy, flexy way, but in that deeply thoughtful, boots-in-the-vineyard, hands-on-the-glass kind of way. Tucked into a quiet stretch of Nicholson Street, it’s part neighbourhood hangout, part industry haunt, part tiny portal into the minds of two people who really give a damn. The owners cut their teeth at Melbourne's Bar Liberty and London's P. Franco, and it shows, in the confidence of the selections, the clarity of purpose, and the deep respect for wines that come from healthy soil, honest farm...
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Phone: 0419 399 220
Address: 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Cathedral Coffee might not sound like a place where you’d drink a bottle of Jura with lunch, but that’s exactly why I love it. It’s unexpected, understated, and quietly brilliant. Tucked inside an arcade off Swanston Street, it’s one of those spots you don’t stumble across. You’re either led there by someone in the know, or you spot a few chairs scattered along the corridor and feel just curious enough to peek in. And that curiosity pays off. By day, it’s a proper café, open at 7.30AM, pulling espresso shots, serving food, catching the rhythm of the city. But three nights a week, it stretche...
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![Clover, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9421 2645
Address: 193 Swan Street, Richmond
If you know Lyndon Kubis, you already know the vibe: effortless cool, genuine hospitality, and a wine list that offers one of the most diverse collections of lesser-known, smaller, artisan producers, with a reassuring number of familiar wines as well. He’s the same mind behind Toorak Cellars, The Moon, The Alps, and the importing portfolio Foreign Fruits, who's been curating the Melbourne wine scene quietly and confidently for years, and Clover is the culmination of all that experience. It’s elegant, yes, but unpretentious to its core. No posturing, no fluff, just a space where great wine an...
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![Chauncy, a restaurant in Heathcote, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 4432 7951
Address: 178 High Street, Heathcote
Chauncy is the best thing that has happened to regional Heathcote since the gold rush. When in Melbourne, you must take time to visit the regions that embody so much of what the local ingredients are about. In an intimate setting of only 16 seats nestled in an 1854 heritage building with an old-world feel, the cuisine combines French bistro with a hint of Italian influences. The wine list offers a classic selection of the regions you would expect to visit in the old world; Barolo, Burgundy, Champagne and Bordeaux, but also a lot of surprises coming from the lesser known regions, hence an eni...
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![Magnolia, a wine bar and restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Address: 295 Sydney Road, Brunswick
Bar Magnolia doesn’t open every night, which means its only three days a week (Thursday to Saturday) are busy, joyful, with the room full of people who have been waiting to come in. This small, serious wine bar sits quietly just off the start of Sydney Road, like it’s been there longer than it has. Inside, it’s soft light on brick, bentwood chairs, stained glass catching just enough of the day, and a room that invites conversation. Things here are done properly, but never too fussily. The wine list is tightly curated, sharp in its focus. There’s structure and acid, a bit of funk when called f...
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![Waxflower, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: 0434 491 699
Address: 153 Weston Street, Brunswick
There's something that happens when you walk into Waxflower: your step slows, your shoulders drop, and before you’ve even looked at a menu, you’re already vibing. It’s more than a wine bar. It’s a listening room, a groove den, a bar that runs on rhythm as much as it does on Riesling. There’s always someone at the decks, flipping vinyl, warming the space with funk, soul, jazz, or some left-field groove that makes what's in your glass taste even better. The vinyl collection is serious, and the sound system isn’t there for show. The atmosphere is palpable. Not overpowering, but present. Music is...
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![Aru Melbourne, a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9939 8113
Address: 268 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Aru is a must-visit in Melbourne if you enjoy bold flavours and food cooked on open flames. It has a very smart international wine list to accompany the intriguing dishes and unconventional combination of ingredients. With a South East Asian penchant, every dish is tweaked with flair, and their vegetables are lifted with so much flavour you could just eat that and be content. There is a great selection of aromatic wines to match the flavours, with classics from Europe, Italy, France, and a strong Australian representation.
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![Amaru, a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 9822 0144
Address: 1121 High Street, Armadale
Owner and Chef Clinton’s food is inspired by fine Australian ingredients, which he cooks with various culinary techniques from around the world to produce intriguing and flavorful dishes. My birthday lunch experience there lasted four hours, and we enjoyed eight courses with a bottle of white Burgundy that opened up well across the time. We ended up with two glasses of Victorian Shiraz from a top producer from their usual pairing menu for the red meat. They serve so many snacks, to begin with, you almost leave thinking you had fifteen courses, not because you are stuffed, but because you hav...
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![Bar Liberty, a restaurant and wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9415 9025
Address: 234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy
Effortlessly cool and very much a place that brought nostalgia to me whenever I wasn’t living in Melbourne, Bar Liberty is the inspirational Fitzroy place for wine and good food. I can say that because I lived in Fitzroy for many years. It has to be one of my favourite places to visit when in town, perfect for gorging on the vibe of the natural wine bar scene. It has one of the most exciting wine lists around, combining many of the more revolutionary producers but also an equally impressive selection of cocktails. You will not be let down by the food either. All is sumptuous with a warm cosy...
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![Bar Merenda, a restaurant and wine bar in Daylesford, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 0476 076 764
Address: Shop 3/22/24 Howe Street, Daylesford
Nestled in the beautiful countryside of Daylesford, one and a half hours from Melbourne, Bar Merenda is the brainchild of owner-operator Andy Ainsworth, also a winemaker and wine lover who was previously based in Sydney, and who was recognised working for one of the most boutique independent wine importers Andrew Guard Imports, responsible for bringing into Australia wines like François Cotat, Pierre Overnoy and Ganevat amongst others. With several years in the game, Andy is able to source rare allocations of iconic wines complemented by a menu with produce sourced from local, ethical growers...
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![Bellota Wine Bar, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 9078 8381
Address: 181 Bank Street, South Melbourne
A sibling business to Prince Wine Store, one of the most established wine shops in Melbourne, Bellota is especially known for being able to bring in wines from the shop with a small corkage fee. Ruling the southside of Melbourne with its extensive collection, there are gems to be found at every corner, and along with being a registered wine educator and provider of WSET courses, the place is buzzing with people passionate about bringing to the fore access and demystification of the wine world to its community. A menu that is tantalisingly good and always on point with wines picked from both th...
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![Coda Melbourne, a wine bar and restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 9650 3155
Address: Basement/141 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Coda is now part of the institutions of Melbourne. I recall going there for dinner and drinks when I first discovered the greatness of the Melbourne hospitality scene around 2009. Set in an underground trendy industrial chic space, Coda offers a clever combination of Vietnamese with a French influence, celebrating great Australian produce. The wine list has quite a big selection of half bottles, which I guess is to compliment the share plates, in the spirit of sharing different wines with different flavors. The list leans on French wines, with some of the more obscure local wines encouraging...
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![City Wine Shop, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: (03) 9654 6657
Address: 159 Spring Street, Melbourne
Just on the edge of the city, where the city ends and the hip northern suburbs begin, you will find City Wine Shop on the ground floor of a three-storey Victorian-era building. This institution operates both as a retail and on-premise wine shop with an ever-evolving wine wall. The wine list reflects the wine wall, so you have the choice to pick from the wall or the list. With a mostly classic selection, you can enjoy by-the-glass things like a Saumur, a fine Pinot from a top New Zealand producer or something delicious from the Adelaide Hills. This place is an institution as I think it has pl...
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![Enoteca Boccaccio, a restaurant and wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 9276 0103
Address: level 1/1046 Burke Road, Balwyn
Italian Wine List of the Year International Open 2026
The d’Anna family has been operating the Balwyn store from their rich Italian heritage and enriching Melbourne’s culinary landscape with authentic Italian flair with a modern twist. A project that organically evolved from 60 years of being an Italian wine and food store and grocer whilst operating successful Italian wine distributing company Mondo Imports, Enoteca Boccaccio finally offers an outlet for all the produce and vino to be enjoyed by day and night coupled with a serious offer from the kitchen. An extensive list from both their own Italian imports with verticals of Barolo and the ow...
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![Entrecôte, a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 9804 5468
Address: 142-144 Greville Street, Prahran
Entrecôte is a French brasserie serving amazing steak frites. The place can feel both sophisticated and more relaxed at the same time, welcoming guests who want to finish a business meeting with a creme brûlée, couples who want to celebrate their anniversary, dates, or larger group bookings and events. It is a busy venue with a timeless spirit - the thoughtful arduous work of a passionate owner and wine lover. You should enjoy bumps of caviar with Champagne as an arrival shot. As would be expected, the wine list is mainly French. French classics with a good representation of Australian wines...
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![Embla, a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 455 122 121
Address: 122 Russell Street, Melbourne
Embla truly embodies the essence of Melbourne wine bars. This small intimate wine bar takes bookings, but most of the time, this is a place kept for walk-ins. This reflects the true spirit of walking by and deciding, on a whim, to drink a good bottle by yourself at the bar and engage with the staff or walk in with your mate for a lunch of thoughtful and satisfying snacks. Because of the nature of the bar, with its walk-in culture, they don't have a huge wine list but instead a selection of wines by the glass at the back of the food menu. The wines aren't listed like the classic Pinot Grigio...
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![France Soir, a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 3 9866 8569
Address: 11 Toorak Road, South Yarra
France-Soir is an institution. I brought my french speaking parents here many years ago when they were visiting from Mauritius. My brother was looking for a nice piece of rib-eye, and I wanted to drink French, so everyone else had to follow. This is the authentic Parisian corner of Melbourne. Always busy and noisy, the waiters seem to all be French-speaking, rushing with gusto amongst the small spaces in between tables, delivering steak frites, canard a l’orange, and pouring wine from a very comprehensive wine list of more than 1500 references. This is proud old-fashioned busy white table clo...
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![Gimlet, a wine bar and restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 9277 9777
Address: 33 Russell Street, Melbourne
Gimlet at Cavendish House is perfectly located for what it offers. A busy venue in a busy part of the Melbourne CBD, it is all-day dining, all-hour cocktail with an attractive wine list that complements their European-inspired dishes using ethically sourced Australian produce made with contemporary techniques. Gimlet is a Chicago-style space located on the ground floor of a heritage building. As soon as you walk in, there is an immediate need to go to the bar for a cocktail, as the name itself tickles this wish. Peruse the menu and winelist whilst enjoying said Gimlet or a glass of Champagne,...
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![Marion, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 3 9419 6262
Address: 53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
One of the venues of Chef Andrew McConnell’s empire proudly boasting several reputable outlets including multi-awarded Gimlet, Marion was the fourth shingle to join the squadron in 2015, after seven years in the making. Sharing its wine cellar with McConnell’s neighbouring business Cutler&Co, a staple in the fine dining landscape of Melbourne, it has since become an all-time favourite watering hole in Fitzroy. Located on the idyllic Gertrude Street and open every day from 12 till 10pm, it is both a refuge for the thirsty shopper looking for a respite and for anyone who loves lunching with a gr...
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![Neighbourhood Wine, a restaurant and wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 9486 8306
Address: 1 Reid Street, Fitzroy North
Simon Denman & Almay Jordaan unveiled this wine sanctuary in Fitzroy North in 2013 boasting a collection of 1200 bottles and 20 odd wines by the glass. Once you walk up the unassuming stairs off the street, you are greeted by a moody dimly lit room dominated by antique wood finishes and warm coloured surfaces. The space feels homely and offers an ideal setting to perch at the bar, where one can relish the tunes of jazz and blues records from the 70s. The food is unpretentious, celebrating classic Australian seasonal fare with a focus on traditional cooking and simplicity. Pick a wine by the...
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![Public, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: 0498 562 323
Address: 179 Saint Georges Road, Fitzroy North
I am so glad I discovered this gem. One of my older colleagues from City Wine Shop, who went on to open his own wine distributing company, has now opened a place to let you enjoy, in refreshing conviviality, amazing food with an obvious selection from his portfolio along with other wines from friends who also import natural wines. This is a place of connection. The stories are always intertwining. The record is always on with groovy tunes inviting you to a tiny ground-floor shop at the front of the tram line with wines to pick from the shelf. This is a place that I am proud to call my local.
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![Society, a wine bar and restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 8618 8900
Address: 80 Collins Street, Melbourne
Society is probably the place to be seen in Melbourne when you are dressed up, in the mood for a lush soiree where you know you will start with a prohibition-inspired cocktail in The Lounge, have plenty of fine wine in the Dining Room, and finish with Negronis on the terrace. With a collection of more than 10,000 bottles, you will find just about anything to satisfy the wine enthusiast to the wine expert. Guided by a strong team of sommeliers, you can feel as soon as you walk in, the culture of wine and the art of fine and luxurious hospitality. Off the busy and glamorous street of the Collin...
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![Cardwell Cellars, a wine bar in Melbourne, Australia.]()
Phone: +61 (03) 7042 1022
Address: 461 Victoria Street, Abbotsford
A small wine shop and bar in Abbotsford that defines itself with a geographic approach and a widespread selection where East meets West. The listings span from classic AOCs and declassified parts of Europe, a thoughtful selection of Australian wines from smaller producers, along with a trajectory of lesser-known bottles from countries like Japan and Lebanon, to name a few. What really puts this wine shop apart is the way they navigate the wine world and present their selection; Cardwell Cellars, awarded a three-glass rating from Wine List of the Year Awards in October 2023, explores wine with...
