The Top 10 Bars In South Melbourne

South Melbourne bars don’t stop short of great drinks. The diverse range of bars, pubs and cocktail joints offer some of the suburb’s best food in an intimate and relaxed setting. Whether it’s a traditional pub or a cutting-edge cocktail lounge you’re looking for, South Melbourne boasts some of the city’s best bars.

1. The Railway Hotel

Bar, Pub, Restaurant, Australian

The Railway Hotel is an ideal bar to visit on a cold, rainy night. The hardwood floor, open fireplace and leather sofas give the warm space a homely feeling. The bar also boasts South Melbourne’s biggest beer garden — a perfect place to spend a summer’s day. The hearty menu takes an American approach with BBQ beef, steak sandwiches and spicy meatballs. Drinks at the hotel are straightforward with an international collection of 10 beers and 24 wines. The Railway hotel is great for anyone looking for a traditional pub experience in a homely space.
Limerick Arms

This spacious sports bar brings out the very best of a traditional pub with a modern layout. Just off the corner of Clarendon Street, the Limerick Arms is a well-established and popular icon in South Melbourne. The bar is open seven days a week, offering 13 craft beers on tap, restaurant quality food as well as pies and parmas. Live sports blast off the TV screens throughout the day and night. With a pool table, log fire, happy hour and pub grub; the Limerick arms offers the best of a traditional Melbourne pub.

2. Honey

Bar, Restaurant, Pub Grub, Australian

Honey is set in a refreshing, chic and industrial layout unique to most Melbourne bars. The balcony and second floor have some of South Melbourne’s best city skyline views. There are over 30 international and local beers to choose from with a collection of mostly Aussie wines. In addition to a carefully selected collection of 10 cocktails, Honey also offers its own original mock-tail options.

3. Hats and Tatts

Bar, Pub Grub, Australian

Hats and Tatts has a jukebox, neon lighting and pinball machine: it’s the closest thing you’ll get to a frat house in this suburb. The menu is unsurprisingly southern inspired with fried chicken and thick cheeseburgers. The bar boasts 450 bottles of spirits with around 150 bourbon and ryes. A wide range of rare beers by the can is also offered on top of famous American brews by the tap including Coors.

5. The George Hotel

Bar, Pub, Pub Grub, Australian

The George Hotel sits opposite South Melbourne’s famous market, incorporating a traditional bar in a homely setting. It offers Australian craft beers as well as multi-awarded imported beers on tap. The George menu caters to a traditional pub-grub lover with steak, parmas and fish & chips. A traditional big breakfast is also ideal before venturing out into the South Melbourne markets. With trivia nights and live music on selected days, the George hotel is an ideal place to eat, drink and socialize.

6. Smalls

Bar, Restaurant, Australian, Pub Grub

With only 24 seats and three floor staff, Smalls provides a more intimate wine drinking experience. The petite bar dedicates itself to delivering the best of small wine producers from around the word. The intimate space radiates a minimalist vibe with black walls as well as a white porcelain bar. Smalls offers a carefully selected list of 80 wines mainly from Australia and Japan.

7. The Wayside

Bar, Restaurant, Australian, Pub Grub

The Wayside offers an informal and relaxed bar setting with restaurant-quality food and plenty of cold beer. The bar offers a wide range of 11 wood fired premium Australian beef options as well as seafood starters and salads. The drinks menu has over 20 beers as well as a short and simple wine/cocktail list.

8. The Palace Hotel

Pub

The Palace Hotel

The Palace Hotel follows Aussie pub tradition with a focus on beer, sport and hearty food. As well as a relaxed lounge, the casual bar also offers a sunny courtyard. The entrance is covered in footy memorabilia, with sports showing on various screens across the bar. The menu takes a classic pub approach with comforting food such as barramundi, burgers and beef pies. The collection of tap beers continually changes throughout the year but Australian classics such as VB, Tooheys and Carlton Draught abound.

The Palace Hotel, 505 City Rd, South Melbourne VIC, +61 (03) 9682 3177

Warm interior | Courtesy of the Palace Hotel

9. Hercules Morse

Bar, Restaurant, Australian

For a more contemporary experience, Hercules Morse Kitchen + Bar offers an array of cocktails in a chic setting. Drinks and food have a sophisticated twist for those looking for something beyond a basic bar experience. The Smoke & Spice cocktail incorporates fig and cigar syrup with whiskey. For a unique sweet and sour drink, the Lady Marmalade Elixir combines grape infused vodka with blackberry jam and plum bitters.

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