Melbourne’s Neighbourhood Wine Bars
My top seven vino hangouts
What makes a good neighbourhood wine bar in Melbourne?
In my life there are three non-negotiables:
- Ambience – it must have an edge, that indefinable cool factor that you feel as soon as you arrive
- Warmth of welcome – no aloof or patronising staff, thank you very much. I want old-fashioned hospitality with a capital H – the owner rushing up to greet me is a good start, of course. And a friendly approach to the choice of wine – not an inquisition.
And lastly, - An accessible wine offering. This means a comprehensible wine list with reasonable prices. I do not want to pay $26 for a chardonnay. If it’s not affordable, it’s definitely not going to feel like fun.
Best Wine Bars of Melbourne
I was inspired to share this very personal list of favourites when I discovered the Melbourne Winery. Well, I didn’t actually discover it. I was invited, along with Seniors in Melbourne website owner, Amy, to an Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) members’ event.
We were hosted by manager Paul Bellette and it was a revelation to see and explore what this ‘urban’ winery has on offer (see more below).
This got me thinking about the great choice that Melbourne residents have when sipping a wine or two, the different experiences on offer and how very homely some of our great bars can be.
So here, in no particular order, is my very personal list of favourite wine bars within a seven kilometre radius of Melbourne’s CBD. And, with a little help from Amy on the western side of town, it’s (almost) geographically balanced.
1. Alberts, 17 Morey St Armadale
This is a local treasure – it’s hidden away at the back of King’s Arcade, adjacent to the Armadale Railway Station. Which means there is a generous frontage which encourages patrons to sit outside on a sunny Friday afternoon, people-watch and enjoy the delicious menu. Housed in a Victorian shopfront, it’s named after Albert Tucker, the iconic Australian artist who lived nearby.
Hosts: Owners Toby, Doug and Alice
Favourite share plate: Prawn and crab toast with miso and sesame
Tipple: The Vino Verde from Portugal
Website: albertswinebar.com/about
2. Pony, 14 Beatty Avenue, Armadale
Also in Armadale, Pony is a relatively new addition to beautiful Beatty Avenue (situated opposite Toorak Railway Station). Pony is owned by the same people who’ve been running the Mammoth café down the end of the street and Neighbourhood Pizza in between for a few years now. There’s nothing not to love about this new favourite – the food is simple but delicious, the staff unpretentious and sitting out the front on a Friday night is very entertaining (including watching attempts at reverse parking in this very narrow road). And speaking of ambience, Pony just has to be the prettiest bar in town, with buttercup yellow walls, vintage wallpaper and duck-egg blue drapes suggesting more than a hint of Provence.
Hosts: Co-owners Mark, Emily and Micael
Favourite share plate: Pumpkin Fritte with sauce verte and hot honey
Tipple: Pecorino, Abrizzo, Italy
Website: pony.melbourne/
3. Neighbourhood Wine, Upstairs,1 Reid Street, Fitzroy North
The name says it all. This is hands down the best retreat in town when Melbourne is having one of its cold, rainy or miserably grey days – and so far this spring we’ve had an awful lot. My favourite table is the one directly in front of the open fire.
Seasonality and simplicity is the promise at Neighbourhood Wine and yes, that’s a bonus. But I think it’s outstanding feature is its sheer cosiness.
Hosts: Simon and Almay
Favourite share plate: It’s seasonal so impossible to predict, but you can’t go wrong with the leavened sourdough and whipped butter paired with any crudo that’s on offer.
Tipple: At any given time there are about 20 wines offered by the glass – I recall enjoying a Picpoul (de Pinet) but you can trust the staff for great guidance.
Website: neighbourhoodwine.com/
4. City Wine Shop, 14 Spring Street, Melbourne
This one’s a classic. It’s a bottle shop, a wine bar and a bistro which has been catering to drop-ins since 2004 up the top end of Spring Street, a short walk past Her Majesty’s. In more recent years City Wine Shop has collaborated with next door neighbour, the very classy European restaurant. Yes, it can be swamped by the theatre crowd, but pick your time. You can choose to sit street side or you can duck into the cave-like interior and admire the bottles upon bottles of fine plonk and try to resist the urge to climb the ever present ladder and help yourself.
Hosts: Owners Josh and Con
Favourite share plate: Fresh oysters, vinaigrette, bread and butter
Tipple: bubbles, depending upon your budget
Website: citywineshop.net.au/
5. The Botanical, 169 Domain Road, South Yarra
Quintessential Melbourne, best enjoyed on a warm January afternoon when many locals are out of town, but not you! You can grab a table outside, and just chill, staring into the deep green foliage of the Royal Botanic Gardens, or admire the dog brigade wandering past during happy hour, which runs daily from 4-7pm. I’ve been enjoying this locale since I lived in South Yarra more than 40 years ago. The Botanical was there way back then – it’s moved with the times but remains a very firm Melbourne favourite.
Host: Rabih Yanni
Favourite share plate: Fries – simple as that!
Tipple: In Dreams Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley
Website: botanicalhotel.com.au
6. The Fifth Wine Bar, 42 Hall Street, Newport
Newport may not be the first suburb that springs to mind when you’re thinking wine bars, but The Fifth has been quietly gathering a loyal crowd who prefer their evenings mellow, welcoming and pleasantly unpretentious. Amy insists this is the neighbourhood spot on the west side, and once you settle into one of the cosy tables, you’ll see why.
Perfectly positioned directly opposite Newport Station, it’s the handiest little detour you can make on your way to or from Williamstown. The wine list is exactly what you want from a neighbourhood bar: interesting, affordable, and explained by people who genuinely enjoy helping you choose, rather than interrogating your palate.
Hosts: Owners Kirsty and Brian Davies, who opened The Fifth after raising their four children — hence the name
Favourite share plate: On Sundays, they offer fresh oysters from Williamstown for $2.50 each
Tipple: Whatever small-producer white is on by the glass; they always seem to pick a winner
And back to where I began, my final favourite is …
Website: thefifthwinebar.com.au
7. Melbourne Winery, 247 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
This is Melbourne’s first urban winery – and what’s that, I hear you ask? Manager Paul tells us that it was inspired by one in Brooklyn, New York. Essentially it’s a city-based bar with specially produced wines. In the case of Melbourne Winery, the winemaker is Robin Brockett from Scotchman’s Hill. Robin sources grapes from all around Australia to produce the surprisingly affordable wines, given we are in the heart of the CBD.
Housed in the heritage-listed Ross House, Melbourne winery is a generous space with a lounge, dining section, function rooms, even members’ lockers! You can buy by the glass or try a flight tasting, or even a Master class. You can even take home your favourite bottle in a brown paper bag.
Host: Paul Bellette
Favourite share plate: The menu offers a careful match between food and wine, so the Burrata with heirloom tomatoes is the choice to match my favourite tipple which follows.
Tipple: Pinot Noir (An Enigma, 2023)
Website: melbournewinery.com.au
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