Heartbreaker, Above Board, Her: Melbourne’s best late-night bars

Few things are as anti-climactic as a bar calling last drinks while you’re buzzing, mid-conversation and mid-cocktail, and have given no thought your next destination.

As the clock nears midnight, knowing where to go (and, importantly, that the next venue will be open) is the key to avoid the night fizzling. So, keep the momentum going into the early hours at these eight Melbourne bars with excellent drinks, vibes and sometimes even snacks.

Above Board

Finding Melbourne’s ultimate hidden bar can be a bit of a task for the unacquainted. There’ll likely be some to-ing, fro-ing and Google Maps-ing in the laneway behind Smith Street’s Beermash bar. But any embarrassment will be quelled as soon as you can snag a seat at the U-shaped bar. Co-owner and head bartender Hayden Lambert serves “cocktails and bad banter” until 1am daily, meaning it’s a late-night ride-or-die for many Melburnians. (Make a beeline after dinner to avoid being left lingering too long in the corridor, watching all the fun unfold.) A tight edit of classic cocktails is done deftly; your nightcap – or supercharger – is sorted. But the cheekily named signatures deserve attention, too; the left-field Salty Boi mixes Fernet-Branca, Oloroso and banana miso.

aboveboardbar.com, open daily 6pm–1am

Baby Snakes

Since slithering onto Chambers Street in Footscray in between lockdowns, Baby Snakes has become one of the most solid options in the area for late-night boozing. It’s got plenty of west-side pride, a playful multi-coloured fit-out, and a strong line-up of DJs and local bands. But it’s owner Mark Nelson’s strong – but not too serious – wine program that helps Baby Snakes punch above its weight. (He co-founded Collingwood’s The Moon and Malvern’s Milton Wine Shop, so he knows vino.) Nothing by the glass is more than $16 (win) and there are some large-format options to work through with your mates. Plus, find fun frozen cocktails and an Old Fashioned involving peanut butter.

babysnakes.com.au, open Fri 3pm–1am, Sat 1pm–1am

Black Pearl

As PM becomes AM in the inner north, it’s almost as if this Fitzroy institution has a magnetic appeal. It’s a pearler of a cocktail bar, world-class even, and its staying power is even more impressive considering the drinking den is turning the big 2-1 this year. In the two decades leading up to this milestone, Black Pearl has made its name by serving consistently on-the-money cocktails; hosting collabs and pop-ups with some of the cocktail world’s biggest names; and as a breeding ground for a crop of seriously exciting Aussie bartenders. But accolades aside, there’s still something about coming in hot on a random Thursday night, slinking up the stairs into The Attic and ordering cocktails you won’t find elsewhere until you incidentally check your phone and it’s 2.56am.

blackpearlbar.com.au, open Wed to Mon 5pm–3am

Caretaker’s Cottage

Little pub, big vibes. And they just get bigger as the night goes on, so much so that last drinks almost always feels premature (even at 1am). This isn’t really the kind of place you stumble upon; it’s in an old, homey bluestone cottage obscured by the Wesley Place church on Little Lonsdale Street. But that means everyone who’s here is here for a good time – and probably closing time – sinking head-y pints of Guinness or the mainstay Milk Punch (currently it’s a red-velvet version). The pub is from the team behind Fancy Free, so we were expecting big things. Naturally, they delivered. And then the World’s 50 Best Bars reinforced what we knew, ranking it 60th best in the world in the 2022 longlist.

caretakerscottage.bar, open Tue to Sat 4pm–1am

The Everleigh

About as quintessential as Melbourne cocktail bars come, the Everleigh is a lesson in old-school cool. With the glam of the Roaring Twenties, and open every single night, what Michael and Zara Madrusan (Heartbreaker, below, and Bar Margaux) have created is in a league of its own. Order almost any cocktail you can conceive and it’ll appear without your bartender missing a beat – they know drinks intimately. Or go down the “bartender’s choice” route, being quizzed on your cocktail preferences and presented with something truly bespoke. The service is A-plus here; as you slip to the bathroom, the bartender might slip your martini into the freezer to keep it ice-cold for you.

theeverleigh.com, open daily 5pm–1am

Heartbreaker

Don’t be alarmed if the bartenders – in between pulling pints – start swinging the emerald-green pendant lights above the bar to within an inch of their lives. It’s a sure-fire sign the night is heating up at the Madrusans’ boisterous CBD bar. After dark, the glowing red “Heartbreaker” neon sign beckons you in from the corner of Russell and Lonsdale streets. And once you’re in, you’re not just staying for one drink. To keep you occupied until the early hours: a jukebox jam-packed with rock’n’roll classics, a pool table encouraging (friendly) rivalry between punters, and whopping New York-style pizzas by the slice from Connie’s, a hole in the wall out back. Plus, topnotch cocktails are ready-made by the Everleigh Bottling Co, so waiting in line won’t kill your buzz.

heartbreakerbar.com.au, open Mon to Wed 5pm–1am, Thu to Sat 3pm–3am, Sun 5pm–1am

Leonards House of Love

There’s a lot to love about Leonards. The south-side party bar is just beyond Chapel Street and all its rudimentary raucousness, but it draws a slightly different crowd with retro ’70s style, beers and burgs for days, and Big House-Party Energy (see: pool table and picklebacks). It’s just the right amount of rowdy, and with that formula, it’s an unsurprisingly safe bet when it comes to post-midnight antics – open Monday to Sunday until at least 1am. New to the House of Love repertoire, though, is a late-night menu that’s available until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. It includes the Wilson Street bar’s signature cheeseburger (starring a juicy brisket-and-short-rib patty); spicy, glazed fried-chicken tenders; and poutine doused in cheese curds and piping hot gravy.

leonardshouseoflove.com.au, open Mon to Thu 5pm–1am, Fri & Sat 12pm–3am, Sun 12pm–1am