Best Pubs in Melbourne | Hotels, Breweries & Gastropubs (2026)

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→ Mountain Culture Brewpub  |  → Nixie Nox  |  → The Lincoln  |  → Builder's Arms  |  → Terminus Hotel

→ O'Connell's Hotel  |  → Molly Rose Brewing  |  → Mitre Tavern  |  → St Andrews Hotel

→ Grand Hotel Warrandyte  |  → The George Hotel  |  → High Street Hotel  |  → Green Man's Arms  |  → Bay Hotel  |  → The Standard  |  → Daphne  |  → FAQ

Mountain Culture Brewpub — Richmond

Best For: Craft beer lovers | Smoked meats | Pre-footy drinks | Groups

When Mountain Culture finally planted its flag in Melbourne, Richmond was the perfect fit — and from my first visit it was immediately clear this was the most exciting pub opening the city had seen in years. The Blue Mountains brewery behind the three-time GABS Hottest 100-winning Status Quo Pale Ale opened its first Melbourne venue in July 2025 on Murphy Street, and it has settled into the neighbourhood like it was always meant to be here.

What you notice first is the scale and the energy. This is a proper working brewery — you're drinking beer that was made in the same building, and that immediacy comes through in the glass. More than 20 taps pour a mix of core favourites and limited releases that rotate weekly, so there's always a reason to return. Status Quo Pale Ale remains the benchmark — deceptively easy-drinking for something with this much character — while the Cold Pressed NZ Hopped IPA rewards anyone prepared to go a little deeper into the tap list.

The food has been the genuine surprise. The on-site smoker is the real deal — I've eaten brisket and ribs here that would hold their own against anything in the city. The broader menu covers elevated pub classics, dedicated vegan and vegetarian options and a kids' menu that actually means families feel welcome rather than tolerated. The retractable roof is the detail nobody tells you about until you're sitting beneath it on a sunny Richmond afternoon — in an instant the industrial warehouse becomes one of Melbourne's most satisfying beer gardens.

Weekly specials add further reason to return: Smash Burger Mondays, Trivia and Parma Tuesdays, $1 Wings Wednesdays, a $25 lunch deal covering a burger or salad plus a schooner (Wed–Fri, 12–3pm), and extended Friday happy hour from 4pm. The Poolroom upstairs handles functions with its own private bar. For pre- and post-footy drinks with the MCG a short walk away, there's no better option in Richmond right now.

Verdict: Melbourne's most exciting new brewpub — award-winning beer brewed on-site, smoked meats worth planning a trip for, and a retractable roof that makes every sunny afternoon feel like a small celebration. ★★★★½ 4.7/5

Nixie Nox — Richmond

Best For: After-work drinks | Date nights | Pre-concert catch-ups | Best value happy hour

Nixie Nox is one of those pubs that makes you wonder why more people aren't doing it this way. Small in footprint — genuinely compact — but enormous in personality and warmth. Founded by publicans Stu Bellis, Marilla Gair and Chris Dore, the Swan Street venue has built a devoted following in a short time by doing something increasingly rare: caring deeply about the community around it and making hospitality feel human rather than transactional.

I've been here on a Tuesday evening and a Friday night, and the difference in energy is remarkable in the best possible way — there's always a version of Nixie Nox that suits the occasion. Happy hour is among Melbourne's most generous and I mean that sincerely: $10 pints and $15 margaritas make the decision to stay for another round an entirely rational one. The food punches well above its class. The Nox Parm has become something of a local legend — sous vide chicken, smoked sugo, fresh mozzarella — and on the evidence of my visits it deserves every bit of that reputation. This is not a pub kitchen going through the motions.

The layout works cleverly across its compact footprint: a public bar, an atrium and an upstairs room give Nixie Nox genuine flexibility, handling everything from a casual mid-week drink to a proper group celebration without either mode feeling like an afterthought.

Verdict: Richmond's most characterful small pub. Genuinely great hospitality, the best value happy hour I've found in the city, and a parma that punches significantly above its weight. ★★★★¾ 4.75/5

The Lincoln — Carlton

Best For: Gastropub dining | Sunday roast | Craft beer | Serious food lovers

I have been eating and drinking at The Lincoln long enough to say this with real confidence: it is the finest gastropub in Melbourne, and one of the finest in Australia. A Critic's Pick in The Age Good Food Guide 2025, it has earned every accolade quietly and consistently, without fanfare, which is exactly the Lincoln's character.

The pub has been on the corner of Queensberry and Cardigan Streets since 1854 and it wears its age beautifully — the Art Deco bar has genuine warmth, the old-world facade is charming without being precious, and the dining room feels like the kind of space that makes you order another bottle without quite realising you'd decided to. What the team here has built is a pub that respects what it is while refusing to settle for less than it could be.

The kitchen makes as much as possible in-house — bread, mustard, pickles, cured free-range bacon — and sources meat from quality regional producers including Warialda grass-fed Belted Galloway beef. The $25 counter meal (Mon–Sat until sold out) is one of Melbourne's genuinely great midday values: always rotating, always delicious, the kind of thing you factor into your week once you've discovered it. Then there is the Sunday roast. Rotating between grass-fed beef, lamb and free-range pork, it sells out every single week without fail. I've eaten it several times and it has never disappointed. You must book.

The drinks are equally considered: 12 rotating craft taps covering the best of Australian and New Zealand brewing, and a wine list that champions small, progressive producers. This is a pub that makes good decisions about everything it serves.

Verdict: Melbourne's finest gastropub, full stop. The Sunday roast alone is worth planning a weekend around — but don't arrive without a booking. ★★★★★ 5/5

Builder's Arms Hotel — Fitzroy

Best For: Functions and celebrations | Elevated pub classics | Atmospheric dining room

Built in 1853, Builder's Arms on Gertrude Street is one of Melbourne's most enduring and genuinely beloved gastropubs — a pub that has survived the considerable test of 170-plus years because it keeps getting the fundamentals right. I've been here across many visits over the years: for dinner, for events, for the kind of long Saturday afternoon that becomes an evening without you quite noticing.

The dining room is one of the most beautiful pub interiors in Melbourne — warm timbers, considered lighting, a space that manages to feel historic and comfortable at the same time rather than preserved and stiff. The public bar has the honest energy of a true neighbourhood local. The kitchen produces refined takes on pub classics with real care and the reputation for hosting memorable functions and events is entirely warranted. I've seen this room at its best during a big celebration and it delivers every time.

Verdict: Heritage that is lived-in and loved rather than curated for effect. One of Fitzroy's great institutions and one of Melbourne's most beautiful pub dining rooms. ★★★★★ 4.9/5

Terminus Hotel — Abbotsford

Best For: Serious food lovers | Dry-aged meat | Wood-fired cooking

The Terminus and its acclaimed Cinder dining experience have collectively done something rare: they've genuinely shifted what Melbourne expects a pub kitchen to be capable of. The wood-fired cooking philosophy is pursued with real conviction here. Dry-aged meats emerge from the kitchen with the kind of crust and depth that would draw respect in any serious restaurant in the city — the fact that it's happening inside a pub makes it more impressive, not less.

I've eaten at the Terminus when I wanted something ambitious and ingredient-driven, and it has never felt like a compromise. The room has energy and the service knows what it's dealing with. For anyone who still believes that pub dining and exceptional cooking occupy different universes, a meal here is the correction they need.

Verdict: Melbourne's most ambitious pub kitchen — powered by fire, dry-aged conviction, and the belief that a pub can do things a fine restaurant would be proud of. ★★★★½ 4.7/5

O'Connell's Hotel — South Melbourne

Best For: Premium pub dining | Historic atmosphere | South Melbourne institution

Few Melbourne pubs carry the pedigree of O'Connell's. Established in 1878 and a fixture on the corner of Montague and Coventry Streets ever since, this is a pub that understands its history and builds on it rather than coasting. I've eaten here and found the kitchen doing things with seasonal produce that genuinely surprise — this is cooking that elevates the experience well beyond standard pub fare, with polished service to match. The heritage of the building and the seriousness of the kitchen make this one of South Melbourne's most satisfying dining destinations in any category.

Verdict: Almost 150 years of heritage, matched by a kitchen and service that take pub dining seriously. A South Melbourne institution. ★★★★½ 4.65/5

Molly Rose Brewing — Collingwood

Best For: Craft beer | Pizza | Beer garden afternoons | Inner north community

Molly Rose was founded in 2019 by Nic Sandery — a brewer whose résumé includes Little Creatures, Stone & Wood and Holgate Brewhouse — and from early on it was clear this was a brewery with a particular philosophy: that great beer should be made to be shared, in a space that feels genuinely welcoming. I've visited the venue across its various evolutions and the core character has held through all of them.

The most recent iteration — Molly Rose Volume Three, emerging in early 2026 after a significant refresh — is the strongest yet. Internal walls came down to create a proper open beer hall, with the original taproom sitting alongside a larger dining hall, a proper beer garden and private function spaces. The in-house distillery adds gins, vodkas and cocktails for those not drinking beer. Pizza is made with slow-fermented dough and it shows. The beers rotate constantly and the happy hour runs 4–6pm Wednesday through Friday.

Note: Molly Rose briefly entered administration in early 2026 before reopening in April — a testament to how much the community values what this team has built. Always worth checking the website before visiting for current hours.

Verdict: One of Melbourne's most thoughtfully run neighbourhood breweries, built on the belief that great beer deserves a great room. The beer garden alone makes a warm Collingwood afternoon feel like the right place to be. ★★★★½ 4.6/5

Mitre Tavern — Melbourne CBD

Best For: Old Melbourne atmosphere | Whisky lovers | CBD lunch | Timeless hospitality

Hidden down Bank Place in the CBD — and I do mean hidden, in the best sense — Mitre Tavern is one of the oldest surviving pubs in Melbourne, established in 1837. I've been visiting for years and the appeal has never diminished. Stepping inside is an authentic act of time travel: dark timber panelling, low ceilings, the smell of a pub that has absorbed a city's worth of history into its walls. This is what Melbourne looked like before it became what Melbourne looks like now.

The whisky collection is genuinely impressive and rewards serious investigation. The hearty meals are exactly what you want from this kind of room — substantial, honest, well-priced. The particular pleasure I come back for is a long lunch at the Mitre on a grey Melbourne winter afternoon. There are few more authentically Melbourne experiences available in the city right now.

Verdict: An irreplaceable piece of Melbourne's history. The Mitre survives because it is genuinely itself and always has been — in a city that polishes a lot away, that is worth protecting. ★★★★½ 4.7/5

St Andrews Hotel — St Andrews

Best For: Sunday roast | Country pub atmosphere | Day trip from Melbourne

Award-winning St Andrews Hotel is worth the drive — and I say that to anyone who asks me where to go for a Sunday roast in Victoria, full stop. Dating back to 1860 and set in the beautiful bush country north of Melbourne near the Plenty River, this is a pub that does everything an exceptional country hotel should do and then some.

The roast lunches here are among Victoria's finest. The produce is quality and local, the cooking is generous and honest, and the setting — surrounding natural beauty with the Kinglake ranges in the distance — makes the whole experience something you talk about afterwards. The hospitality is warm without being performative. Come hungry, arrive early, plan to spend the afternoon. This is what a Sunday should be.

Verdict: Victoria's finest country pub Sunday roast, earned over 165 years of doing things properly. The drive is part of the pleasure. ★★★★★ 5/5

Grand Hotel Warrandyte — Warrandyte

Best For: Families | Parma lovers | Yarra River setting | Day trip

The Grand Hotel Warrandyte is one of those Melbourne pub experiences that reminds you why getting out of the inner suburbs is sometimes exactly the right call. Set among the natural beauty of Warrandyte beside the Yarra River — and it genuinely is beautiful here, particularly in the warmer months when the garden is in full swing — the Grand combines warm, genuine hospitality with the kind of relaxed, multi-space venue that makes a long lunch feel effortless.

I've been here with Sam and we've lingered in exactly the way a great pub day should unfold: a cold drink while looking at the river, food that arrives without pretension and delivers on flavour, service that's attentive without hovering. The monthly parma specials have built a genuinely devoted following and with good reason — this kitchen takes its chicken seriously. For families especially, the leafy setting and multiple indoor and outdoor spaces make this one of the most picturesque and practical pub experiences available within reach of Melbourne.

Verdict: One of Melbourne's most beautiful pub settings, matched by genuinely warm hospitality and monthly parma specials that have earned a reputation of their own. A perfect family day trip. ★★★★★ 5/5

The George Hotel — South Melbourne

Best For: Elevated pub dining | Heritage setting | After-work drinks

The reimagined The George Hotel has brought real new life to a South Melbourne institution. The stylish interiors are genuinely done well — this is a renovation that has respected what was already there while making the venue feel current and welcoming. The refined pub classics are well-executed and the atmosphere works equally for a mid-week after-work drink and a proper weekend dinner. South Melbourne's pub offering is stronger for having the George back in good form.

Verdict: A well-executed reimagining of a South Melbourne classic. Heritage charm with modern hospitality credentials. ★★★★½ 4.65/5

High Street Hotel — Prahran

Best For: Sports viewing | Big groups | Contemporary pub energy

One of Melbourne's newer pub arrivals, the High Street Hotel has established itself quickly in Prahran with a contemporary fitout, multiple bars, quality screens and a crowd-pleasing menu that covers the bases for groups of varying sizes and appetites. It has become a genuine neighbourhood destination in a short period — the kind of pub that fills a gap in the local scene you didn't fully realise was there until it was filled.

Verdict: Contemporary, energetic and well-run — a solid new addition to Prahran's drinking landscape. ★★★★½ 4.65/5

Green Man's Arms — Carlton

Best For: Vegetarians and vegans | Plant-based pub dining | Carlton local

Not every great Melbourne pub needs to revolve around steaks and parmas, and Green Man's Arms is the proof. One of Australia's leading vegetarian pubs, it makes a persuasive case that plant-based pub dining can be every bit as satisfying as any meat-centric equivalent — not by apologising for the absence of meat, but by building an inventive menu that doesn't need it. The drinks list is excellent and the atmosphere is warm and genuinely local. For Melbourne's plant-forward community, this Carlton stalwart remains essential.

Verdict: The best plant-based pub experience in Melbourne, without compromise or apology. ★★★★½ 4.7/5

Bay Hotel — Mornington

Best For: Peninsula escapes | Coastal dining | Day trip pub lunch

Just over an hour from Melbourne, Bay Hotel in Mornington is one of those pub destinations that justifies the drive the moment you arrive. The coastal charm is real rather than performed, the dining is genuinely impressive and the hospitality has the relaxed confidence of a venue that knows its audience and looks after them well. Position it as a lunch stop before or after exploring the Mornington Peninsula's wineries and you have one of Melbourne's most satisfying full-day excursions.

Verdict: A Mornington Peninsula pub that delivers on food, hospitality and coastal atmosphere. Worth making a proper day of it. ★★★★★ 4.9/5

The Standard Hotel — Fitzroy

Best For: Beer garden | Casual afternoons | Fitzroy energy

The Standard boasts one of Melbourne's genuinely great beer gardens — and in a city that takes its outdoor drinking seriously, that is not a claim made lightly. Relaxed, unpretentious and reliably buzzing with exactly the right kind of inner-north energy, it's the pub you drift to on a sunny Friday afternoon when the week finally lets you breathe. Come for drinks, stay for hours, leave when the light fades. A Fitzroy essential.

Verdict: One of Melbourne's best beer gardens and the perfect Fitzroy afternoon pub. ★★★★½ 4.6/5

Daphne — Brunswick East

Best For: Special occasions | Wine lovers | Exceptional food | Intimate booths | Melbourne hospitality at its finest

I'll be honest — Daphne isn't a pub in the traditional sense. But in Melbourne in 2026, the line between an exceptional bar and an exceptional restaurant and an exceptional place to spend an evening has blurred considerably, and Daphne sits at the very best end of all three. I visited recently to celebrate the launch of Drop Shop — a brilliant new concept bottle shop just four doors away on the same Brunswick East strip — and the night that followed is one I won't forget quickly.

Drop Shop itself deserves a moment: the rule-breaking new bottle shop from Pinot Palooza founder Dan Sims, drinks retail specialist Courtney Keegan and Common State's Luke McKinnon strips back the overwhelming bottle shop experience to roughly 150 carefully selected bottles across just three categories — Weekday ($), Party ($$) and Fancy ($$$). It's one of those concepts that makes you wonder why nobody thought of it sooner. After sparkling wine among the curated shelves and a genuine sense of discovery, the party moved four doors down to Daphne — and that's where the evening properly ignited.

From the moment we arrived, there was an unmistakable sense that this was one of Melbourne's hospitality events of the year. Mini martinis and mini limoncello spritzes greeted guests alongside glasses of Eminence Blanc de Noir 2022 from Whitelands. The intimate booths, mood lighting and effortlessly stylish atmosphere did everything a great room should do — it made everyone in it feel like they were exactly where they were supposed to be.

The food across the evening was exceptional. The fried crumbed olives were one of those dishes that disappear before you've properly registered how good they are. The beef tartare with house-made chips was expertly seasoned and confidently executed. The pork cheek croquette — meltingly tender pork inside a perfectly crisp shell — was exactly the kind of thing a great kitchen does with seemingly effortless conviction. The beef marrow mini burger was the crowd pleaser of the night: rich, indulgent and completely irresistible. Even the chocolate mousse to finish had the room quiet for a moment.

The wine list throughout the evening reflected the same philosophy as Drop Shop itself — approachable, exciting, quality-driven. William Downie's Tolmie Pinot Noir 2025, Schmolzer & Brown Prét-à-Blanc 2025 from the King Valley, and Anti-Hero Yeowarra Hill Chardonnay 2024 from Colac were among the highlights. Victorian producers, thoughtfully selected, beautifully matched to the food.

What struck me most about the night was the sense of community. Melbourne's hospitality industry is built on relationships, creativity and a willingness to do things differently — and the collaboration between Drop Shop and Daphne captured that spirit as well as anything I've attended in years. Daphne continues to cement its place among Melbourne's most exciting dining and drinking destinations, and on this evidence it's not close to finished yet.

Verdict: Not a pub in the traditional sense, but essential to any honest guide to where Melbourne drinks and eats brilliantly right now. Intimate booths, exceptional food, a wine list that knows what it's doing, and an atmosphere that makes every occasion feel like a proper one. One of the finest evenings I've had in a Melbourne venue this year. ★★★★★ 5/5

Tips for Getting the Most from Melbourne's Best Pubs

• Book Sunday roasts in advance. The Lincoln and St Andrews Hotel both sell out every single week. Turning up without a booking on a Sunday is optimistic at best.
• Chase happy hour strategically. Nixie Nox on Swan Street offers some of Melbourne's best value — $10 pints and $15 margaritas. Mountain Culture runs extended Friday happy hour from 4pm with $9 pints.
• The parma benchmark: The Nox Parm at Nixie Nox and Grand Hotel Warrandyte's monthly specials are the two to judge all others against in this city.
• Craft beer pub crawl: Mountain Culture (Richmond) → Molly Rose (Collingwood) → The Lincoln (Carlton) makes an excellent inner-north Saturday afternoon circuit.
• For families: Mountain Culture Richmond has a kids' menu and high chairs. Grand Hotel Warrandyte's Yarra River setting is Melbourne's best family pub day trip.
• Getting there: Trams 70 and 78 serve Murphy Street (Mountain Culture) and Swan Street (Nixie Nox) in Richmond. Mitre Tavern is two minutes from Flinders Lane in the CBD. For St Andrews and Warrandyte, you'll need a car — factor in a designated driver or rideshare.
• Check Molly Rose hours before visiting — the venue operates Wed–Sun following its 2026 relaunch. Always worth a quick check on the website.

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Best Pubs Melbourne: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the oldest pub in Melbourne?

Mitre Tavern, established in 1837 and tucked down Bank Place in the CBD, is one of Melbourne's oldest surviving pubs. Builder's Arms Hotel (1853) and The Lincoln in Carlton (1854) are among the other long-standing inner-city institutions.

Which Melbourne pub has the best craft beer?

Mountain Culture Brewpub in Richmond is the standout right now — over 20 taps pouring award-winning beer brewed on the premises, with new releases dropping weekly. Molly Rose Brewing in Collingwood and The Lincoln in Carlton are both excellent for rotating craft beer selections with genuine curation behind them.

Where can I find the best Sunday roast in Melbourne?

The Lincoln in Carlton and St Andrews Hotel are both celebrated for exceptional Sunday roasts. The Lincoln's roast sells out every week without exception — always book ahead. St Andrews is worth the drive north of the city for a proper country pub experience that delivers on every level.

Which Melbourne pub has the best parma?

The Nox Parm at Nixie Nox in Richmond — sous vide chicken, smoked sugo, fresh mozzarella — is one of the most talked-about chicken parmas in the city. Grand Hotel Warrandyte's monthly parma specials also have a loyal and well-deserved following.

What are Melbourne's best gastropubs?

The Lincoln (Carlton) is Melbourne's finest. Builder's Arms Hotel (Fitzroy), Terminus Hotel (Abbotsford), O'Connell's Hotel (South Melbourne) and Mountain Culture Brewpub (Richmond) complete a strong top five. All have kitchens that take food as seriously as the drinks.

Which Melbourne pub is best for vegetarians and vegans?

Green Man's Arms in Carlton is one of Australia's leading vegetarian pubs, with an inventive plant-based menu and excellent drinks list. Mountain Culture Brewpub also offers dedicated vegan and vegetarian options alongside its smoker-driven meat dishes.

What are the best pubs near the MCG in Melbourne?

Mountain Culture Brewpub on Murphy Street, Richmond, is one of the city's best pre- and post-footy pub options, just a short walk from the MCG. Nixie Nox on Swan Street is another strong choice in the same neighbourhood, with excellent happy hour pricing and one of Melbourne's best parmas.

Are there good pub day trips from Melbourne?

Two of the best: St Andrews Hotel (approx. 50km north) for Victoria's finest Sunday roast in a beautiful bush setting, and Bay Hotel Mornington (approx. 65km south) for coastal dining on the Peninsula. Grand Hotel Warrandyte is another excellent option for a shorter Yarra River escape east of the city.