What an interesting year for bars. While Gimlet’s hotly anticipated sibling cocktail bar Apollo Inn arrived with fanfare, there wasn’t an onslaught of high-profile openings.

Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. Bars that opened on lockdown’s coat-tails got to come into their own, honing their craft full of punters and becoming even better for it.

Meanwhile, the crop of newcomers includes some doing their darnedest to diversify our drinks landscape (with native ingredients and izakaya style). Others are companions to well-loved spots, making waves in their own right. And a bevy of openings in the ’burbs further proves that delicious drinking lies beyond inner-city limits. Cheers to that.

Apollo Inn

A masterclass in restrained refinement – that sums up Apollo Inn, the first cocktail bar for restaurateur Andrew McConnell. Sibling to fine diner Gimlet, the bar is so effortless in its elegance and assured in its offering that it exudes the swagger of a spot that’s earned its stripes over decades. That explains the hype, alongside four martini choices and an orderable-in-its-entirety snack menu.

165 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, apolloinn.bar

Baby Snakes

The disco ball is spinning. The frozen Mai Tais are churning. And Footscray locals are bringing the banter. How could you have a bad time at this party palace? Owner Mark Nelson’s wine list gets two ticks for “smashable” and “smartly selected”. It’s also a great gig spot for local DJs and bands.

30 Chambers Street, Footscray, babysnakes.com.au

Bahama Gold

Old Palm Liquor’s next-door bar and bottle-o could have easily settled in its sibling’s shadow. But Bahama Gold has forged its own identity. Understatedly excellent, a lo-fi wine list goes hard, the menu even harder (the pastas!) and the sound system has turned a breezeway into a big old party.

135 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, bahama.gold

Bar Bellamy

This newcomer combines the casual welcome of a neighbourhood cafe and the rigour of a great cocktail bar (see: a clever spin on a dirty martini made with lupini bean brine). In a room with an antique fireplace, sage-green accents and scallop-edged light fixtures, chef Barney Cohen brings some of the tricks he was known for at tapas restaurant Nomada, such as a chicken-liver parfait cannoli.

164 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, barbellamy.com

Bar Tobala

A heartfelt homage to Mexico, this half-teal, half-timber bar feels a world away from the busy intersection on which it sits. Cocktails are on the spicy and smoky side, spiked with agave spirits. Mexican cervezas come thick and fast, and the menu has grilled street corn and tacos of all descriptions.

237 Melville Road, Pascoe Vale South, tobala.com.au

Beverly

Golden hour is Beverly at her best – the sunset creeping through the skyline and into the 24th-storey rooftop, with its glass ceiling and doors wide open, inviting in the breeze. It’s all about the 270-degree view, but the made-for-Instagram design is worthy foreground fodder. Plus, the booze list is as broad as Beverly’s appeal, from Bellinis to four-figure wines.

Level 24, 627 Chapel Street, South Yarra, beverlyrooftop.com.au

Black Pearl

Much has changed since 2002, which makes the endurance of this stalwart – the longest-standing bar on this list – all the more extraordinary. The revelry is still very much revving, albeit sometimes behind closed venetians, thanks to on-the-money cocktails, matesy hospitality and the prospect of kicking on in The Attic.

304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, blackpearlbar.com.au

Byrdi

Against the bright lights of Melbourne Central food court, Byrdi’s warmly lit corner signals something singular. Hyper-locality and innovation reign as Luke Whearty and Aki Nishikura, of acclaimed Singapore bar Operation Dagger, continue blazing their own trail. Every cocktail tells a story that the staff relay with precision and panache.

Shop GD075, Melbourne Central, 211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, byrdi.com.au

Capers

As tiny and briny as its namesake, this Thornbury bolthole by cousins Christian Evripidou and Anastasios Konnari was inspired by their yiayia, giving the space and snacks a whole lot of hominess. There’s nothing gimmicky about the Greek salad martini, deliciously dirty and garnished with an olive-cucumber-tomato skewer.

843 High Street, Thornbury, capersthornbury.com

Caretaker’s Cottage

How can a bar that takes such care in what it does feel so damn carefree? Who knows, but that’s what made this charmer an instant Melbourne classic. It’s in a compact bluestone cottage behind an old church, except the holy trinity here is as follows: martini, milk punch and Guinness. All killer, no filler.

139-141 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, caretakerscottage.bar

Commis

Anyone acquainted with Carlton North icon Gerald’s will see a glimmer of it at this new spot by two seasoned alumni. Despite its newness, there’s a lived-in quality to the space and a well-oiled-ness to the service. Fresh popcorn from an old-school machine and a warming Butter Beer cocktail happily coexist with nettle gnudi in unctuous mushroom broth and splurge-worthy celebration wines.

56-58 Johnston Street, Collingwood, commis.com.au

Deeds Taproom

Kitsch, converted-warehouse brewpubs are quintessentially Melbourne. But Deeds’ drama-dialled-up taproom is the polar opposite. It’s all schmick black steel and shadowy feature lighting. Still, the brewing operation remains on full display behind the bar, where you can sip a lamington-esque coconut brown ale and tear into hot sauce-slathered chicken wings.

4 Paran Place, Glen Iris, deedsbrewing.com.au

Don’s

A real dynamo just off Chapel Street, Don’s knows how to bring the party. A vast communal bar makes intermingling great again. Pasta by the spoon and a two-hands-necessary fried chicken sanger keep things delicious, while $4 soju shots are an unexpected impulse order. The natural-leaning wine list is solid but snappy.

202 Commercial Road, Prahran, dons.place

The Everleigh

A pure representation of what makes Melbourne’s cocktail bars truly world-class, Michael and Zara Madrusan’s 12-year-old bar has everything down to a fine art. From suave speakeasy style to service that anticipates your every need, to a cocktail collection that knows no bounds, it’s inextricably linked to the fabric of our city’s drinking culture.

Level 1, 150-156 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, theeverleigh.com

Interlude Bar

Native ingredients are the rule at this trailblazing cocktail bar where martinis are enlivened with Davidson and Kakadu plums, and warrigal greens and lemon myrtle star in the dishes. But it’s less about trends, more about championing Indigenous culture for owner-operators Kaylah Truth and Apryl Day, two proud Aboriginal women.

44 Chapel Street, Windsor, interludebar.com.au

Izakaya by Tamura

Fitzroy is pub central, but this big bluestone boozer stands out for its Japanese style. The house draught is a Stomping Ground-collab rice lager, the Martini is dirtied up with house-made tsukemono (Japanese pickles) vermouth, and the sake is dangerously smashable. Long tables are made for blanketing with izakaya classics, like triumphant karaage.

343 Smith Street, Fitzroy, izakayabytamura.com

Jayda

Aleppo pepper spices up the Marg and ras-el-hanout makes the Old Fashioned new again at this svelte CBD laneway bar. Jayda is the first foray into the cocktail world for Shane Delia, the man behind the Maha restaurants. It has the same Middle Eastern magic as the Mahas but a more freewheeling feel, care of tastefully tweaked cocktails and a saucy lamb sandwich that’s the late-night snack of dreams.

19 Bond Street, Melbourne, barjayda.com.au

Kaiju

This backstreet brewpub is as big and bright as the smiles on the crew’s faces as you make a beeline for the bar. Best known for fresh tropical ale Krush, Kaiju’s Huntingdale HQ offers the whole catalogue: zingy sours, bold American brown ales and beyond. Hungry? Crowd-pleasing pizzas churn out of the open kitchen.

27 Hume Street, Huntingdale, kaijubeer.com.au

Little Drop of Poison

If you spy a crowded laneway off Eltham’s tree-lined main drag, it’s likely this is the poison they’ve picked. Capturing the conviviality and cramped charm of Spain’s tapas bars, 20 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD, this is as much a place for downing gildas in one bite as it is for a full-blown meal, plonked elbow-to-elbow in the bustling burgundy-hued dining room.

937B Main Road, Eltham, littledropofpoison.com.au

March

Can’t snag – or afford – a seat at Peter Gunn’s Collingwood fine-diner Ides? Adjoining wine bar, the moody March, delivers a cross-section of the experience for a fraction of the price. Perch at the black and gold marble bar, order a (reasonably priced) glass of beaujolais and go fingers-first into a plate of glistening sweet-and-sour fried quail.

90 Smith Street, Collingwood, marchmelbourne.com.au

Morris House

There are four floors to discover at this new pub-adjacent addition to the CBD, but the real reason you’re here is the rooftop. Clean, green and covered from the Melbourne skies, the L-shaped space is thronged mid-week by young professionals working their way through four margaritas on offer, while weekends are all about gal pal lunches and groups downing quick pre-game beers with pub grub.

120 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, morrishouse.com.au

Ms Botanica

If you like your snacks at the swankier end of the spectrum, you’ve come to the right place. With rattan finishes and fans spinning lazily overhead, this gin bar could be plucked straight from the tropics. But then there’s saltbush in your martini, and an ex-Cumulus chef crowning madeleines with trout roe. Add a magic-hour vista over Ballarat Street, and you could only be right here in Yarraville.

34 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, msbotanica.com.au

Music Room

Hard to find, even harder to leave – this should be the final destination on your tour de Her, a four-storey CBD behemoth from the Arbory team that also includes the Euro-loving Her Bar, Thai diner BKK and a rooftop bar. Music Room is their answer to the listening bars of Japan, with a ceiling-spanning light installation that pulsates in time with the tunes.

Level 1, 270 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, her.melbourne

Naught Distilling

Melbourne gin distiller Naught has nailed the speakeasy brief at its cocktail bar – a victory for Eltham’s drinking scene. It always feels late at night (there are no windows) and a still takes pride of place. Cocktail flights give you a taste of three award-winning Naught gins in three classic combos while passionfruit smoke crowns the theatrical Saturn cocktail.

Shop 2, 32 Peel Street, Eltham, naughtgin.com.au

Navi Lounge

Ever tried a sun-dried tomato highball? How about a milk and honey martini? Fine diner Navi’s next-door cocktail bar colours outside the lines with such confidence and follow-through you’ll forget about the classics. Cocktail flights come with matched snacks to make a mini degustation. Plus, if you’re lucky, chef-owner Julian Hills might pop out to deliver your dish.

83B Gamon Street, Yarraville, restaurantnavi.com.au

Odd Culture

Fermentation will get you fizzing at this Sydney-import bar and bottle shop. In pole north-side position, it specialises in wild ales, wines that dial up the funk, and sour Negronis. Shuffle past the shelves of lesser-seen bottles to find the vibe out back and order another transplant from the Newtown original: potato-chip-studded chicken-liver parfait doused in fish-sauce caramel.

296 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, oddculture.group

Olivine

“A wine bar like no other” is a ballsy tagline, but for Olivine it’s not hyperbolic. It’s a bar behind bars, at Coburg’s Victorian-era Pentridge Prison; the old bluestone cells are now intimate booths, the best seats in the house, cosied up with colourful carpet and velvet banquettes. A hushed atmosphere lets you take in the enormity of the novel-like, 500-bottle wine list.

1 Pentridge Boulevard, Coburg, olivinewinebar.com.au

One or Two

Andy Chu cut his bartending teeth at The Everleigh, Above Board and Byrdi. His first solo venture, in a Chinatown laneway, has a competitive cocktail game bolstered by rarely seen whiskies. The monochromatic fitout allows the season-specific drinks to do the heavy hitting and past home runs include the flavour-bomb blueberry yoghurt milk punch.

18 Celestial Avenue, Melbourne, oneortwo.com.au

Rodolfos

The mayhem is margarita-fuelled at this breezy rooftop tequileria above a busy thoroughfare. About 18 margs are on the roster, including one of the spiciest in town – starring Melbourne-founded Metoro’s mezcal infused with chilli in-house – and other variations with espresso, hibiscus and coconut. For between sips: a trio of punchy al pastor tacos.

483 North Road, Ormond, rodolfos.com.au

Vinoshis Beverage Shop

A golden glow beckons you inside and gold-standard service entices you to stay at the jewel in East Ivanhoe Village’s crown, which is equal parts bottle shop and bar. Dog-walking locals browse the shelves while barflies sip the day’s by-the-glass pours. The selection ranges from salty Sicilian skin contacts to silky-smooth Loire Valley gamays to zingy SA field blends.

253 Lower Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe East, vinoshisbeverageshop.com

The Age Good Food Guide 2024 Awards will be announced on October 30, presented by Vittoria Coffee and Oceania Cruises. The Age Good Food Guide 2024 will be on sale from October 31, featuring more than 450 Victorian venues, from three-hatted fine diners, to suburban wine bars, regional chicken shops, and food-court icons. Venues listed in the Guide are visited anonymously by professional restaurant critics, who review independently. Venues are chosen at our discretion.