Rooftop bars
Eight new bars to try, from a secret rooftop to a pub in an old train station
There’s also a Thai cocktail bar hidden above a laneway restaurant, two cosy new spots for Abbotsford locals and a massive beer garden in Melbourne’s south-east.
- Tomas Telegramma
- Collection
- Hot & new
The 27 pubs, gelato shops, bars, and pop-ups to put on your list for January, Melbourne
Catch up on all the hot, new and just-reviewed places around town, whether you’re after a counter meal, hangover-curing sandwich or soothing sorbet.
- Review
- Richmond
This reborn Richmond pub captures the good old days but feels very 2026
It’s a new day for The Rising Sun Hotel, which joins the universe of Melbourne pubs that boast Sunday roasts and banging drinks plus a rooftop for late nights.
- Emma Breheny
- Exclusive
- Just open
First Look: Cleo is Melbourne’s new summer hotspot replacing rooftop bar Mid Air
The fresh concept on the 12th floor of Russell Street hotel Hyde Melbourne Place boasts a Med-leaning menu led by a former Cutler and Society chef.
- Emily Holgate
- Exclusive
- Coming soon
Maybe Sammy team to open new bar, leading new wave of venues in the city
It’ll have water views and be inspired by Mexico’s Riviera. Other venues pivot to attract more people, with one operator saying, it’s “easier to make money with bars”.
- Scott Bolles
‘You won’t even recognise it’: Big plans announced for former Madame Brussels site
One of Melbourne’s most storied rooftop bars is being transformed into an izakaya-inspired bar and restaurant.
- Tomas Telegramma
From lofty rooftops to leafy courtyards, five new bars for this gloriously sunny weekend
From South Yarra to Thornbury, these new watering holes (some of them sun-drenched) are worth making plans around to soak up the last of the warm weather.
- Tomas Telegramma
Find French snacks, espresso martini slushies and BYO wine at Sydney’s new bars
Seven new and soon-to-open bars to put on your drinks list for April.
- Bianca Hrovat
What’s happening with Merivale’s original Melbourne restaurant?
The Sydney-based hospitality giant has just snapped up a new site in Melbourne, with grand plans for a drinking and dining precinct. Where does that leave its first purchase, made nearly four years ago?
- Emma Breheny
- Exclusive
- Just open
Explosive pepper steak, date-night vibes, rooftop bar: Glen Waverley’s new Italian hangout
This new kid on the block wants to compete with the drawcard restaurants of Windsor and the city. And it’s got more than a few tricks up its sleeve.
- Emma Breheny