27 Best Bars in Melbourne

“We were invited to a birthday party at the Oviedo FL arcade monster. It was so much fun! Glad we know it exists now“

“Great drinks and service !!!“

“All 5 star reviews...really? Wow... The gal out front that greeted us was all that and more. Had a delivery and a cute presence. Made me want to venture inside and see what the place was about...after entering I immediately liked the place but hold on...The bar tender we had did not even aknowledge us for 5 minutes after we bellied up... And as far as bars go thats waaay too long... When she did come over she was matter of fact and business like. About as warm as a bank teller. I understand you work for a check but tips require a little extra effort. Maybe we were early in the evening but we were customers...Loved the drinks, liked the vibe but the gal behind the bar needs to rethink her style. A smile, a bit of friendly chit chat, am I asking too much? Can't even remember her name, not even sure she introduced herself. Oh well felt the need to share...cheers!“

“I absolutely love The Creek!! Great atmosphere, all the staff is amazing! From the door men, security to the bar to the teachers and dancing. I can’t say enough about this place! I will forever promote them! Izza Vybe for sure! Well done yall!!“

“Great staff, great view and great food. Thank you for a an awesome space to have our board meeting. Plan your next event or meeting here.“

“Big crowd on karaoke night.“

“For my 21rst my boyfriend and I had gone and sat at the bar, the vibe of the place was amazing, good music and fun people! Atmosphere is good energy and nothing less. Our bartender (Trudy) was phenomenal, her energy definitely had a huge positive impact for everyone at the bar, even those not in our party were awesome and friendly towards us. I would 100% recommend for people looking for some good drinks and an even better time!“

“Monthly comedy shows pair well with delicious food, the bacon cheeseburger and fried shrimp were particularly good.“

“Had great cocktails before eating dinner in Downtown Melbourne. Great service and perfect atmosphere. We will definitely be back 🍸🥃“

“The venue is pretty cool. The bands that played were absolutely fabulous! The drinks are great and the food truck that was there was absolutely fabulous. But definitely wear sneakers. I was not prepared and found out that it's literally like a backyard that someone just dug a tree up out of the back.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Twin Oaks is hands-down my favorite dive bar! The vibe is unbeatable—gritty, cozy, and full of character. The bartenders are absolute legends, always quick with a pour and a story. The jukebox cranks out the best tunes, and the drinks are strong and fairly priced. Whether it’s a laid-back weeknight or a rowdy weekend, Twin Oaks feels like home. Can’t recommend this gem enough for anyone looking for an authentic, no-frills bar experience!“

“This is a long established, unassuming, easy to miss place in central Melbourne. Like me, you probably drove past it on your way to places like Walmart on Sarno or the DMV, etc. The outside of the place is fairly non-descript - actually The whole Plaza is with its biggest claim to fame is McDonald's and the new dollar tree.

Inside though - what a surprise. This place is open and airy and fresh and clean and it was just a lot of fun. I mean the people that were regulars there you could tell they welcomed us. They made us feel very comfortable. Definitely a place. Oh, and it's a full liquor bar by the way, but definitely a place that we will go back to and that we recommend five stars. Yay!“

“Great bartenders!! Great drinks.“

“Love the bartenders here on trivia night!“

“We don't come here for the food- but definitely come here often for the drinks, friendly atmosphere and kareoke nights! Hoping to make it to a trivia night soon too. We swung by here a few weeks ago and caught Hairspray Planet ROCKING OUT and we are now even bigger fans of this spot! Great local spot!

As far as food- the flatbreads were good-- just not the Buffalo one.“

“any bands tonight at crickets july 25th2025“

“Such a wonderful experience! We recently visited Crush XI for the first time to celebrate our wedding anniversary. From the ambience of the downtown Melbourne restaurant, to the wonderful hostess, our sweet server Emma, the incredibly delicious food and great drinks - we had a fantastic evening! Highly recommend visiting the amazing staff, enjoying the atmosphere and talented culinary skills of Crush XI whenever you’re in town celebrating or looking for something unique.“

“Best Shepherds pie I've had other than homemade. Didn't ask for an menu already knew what I was ordering however they have two different Shepherds pie one with curry so I tried it.“

“Wonderful food. Great atmosphere and authentic“

“super friendly people and always a great time!“

“I did not eat here. My friends and I stopped in to grab a drink and play pool. We had a blast. Staff was nice. My fave thing about this place is the adult vending machine in the back. There are so many options to choose from. Bathrooms were clean. No line to get in but we also went pretty early.“

“Great and fun atmosphere people are always friendly and the staff is amazing“

“Sorry, was our favorite place, but after this evening…things have changed. Told about 45 min wait. They were to call on our phone, and never called. After 1 hr, we asked greeting girls, who said they called us. No way, we were by dock, no loud people or music, phone on high and kept it in our hand. Told girls to try the number again, to show phone works, and she said she could not. And all this time of waiting, there were always one or two tables empty. Finally got seated, 1 1/2 hrs later, then told no Lolly Pop lamb chops available, which two people wanted. I wanted the chicken piccata that was no longer on the menu. So ordered and then waited about 45 min or so more to get our food. Waiter even apologized, why it was taking so long. But a two star for atmosphere. Was so disappointed tonight, kept telling my son how wonderful this place was. Not sure I would go back…sorry?“

“Remodel looks great , staff is amazing“

“I almost didn't come here because of several reviews describing poor treatment of patrons. I decided to try anyways because some bands were playing that I really wanted to see and a local friend said they liked this place. I'm glad I did, had the total opposite experience to what the negative reviews described.

- Security personnel were very kind/friendly, respectful, and non-invasive.
- Bartenders were also super helpful, attentive, and offered quick service despite many customers.
- Many good draft and packaged beer options. Mixed drinks were made well and according to my special requests, all for reasonable prices.
- Very fun and intimate venue to see live music. Crowd was lovely and respectful of each other.

One staff told me that live shows there are good, but the crowd changes as it gets later on weekends. I left around 11 after the bands finished and could see what they meant, but still nothing but good energy from staff and other patrons while I was there. I got there at 6pm and even as it got later, everyone was chill. I feel the need to write such a detailed review to hopefully ease suspicions of others like me who may consider skipping a visit here to avoid the horrors described in other reviews. I look forward to coming back for other live shows in the future even though it's a bit far from home.

Additional notes as general FYI and to address concerns from other reviews:
- the place doesn't permit knives or guns. Keep them in the car. They do check IDs, so bring it. They ask to look in bags but aren't intrusive about it. If you follow the posted security rules you should be good there.
- I had no concerns about drinks being drugged. I watched the staff pour/make my drinks and I kept a close eye if I needed to set my drink down anywhere for a moment as I would in any bar. As with all bars, just be mindful and hold on to your stuff. Don't leave things unattended. Just a general rule to avoid issues, again I had 0 worries about this place in particular.
- kept my tab open the whole time I was there. No overcharges. Check your receipt when you close out to flag any issues before you go. Again, just general advisory; the staff here were great and wouldn't suspect any foulplay.
-Just be kind/respectful to staff and other patrons and you should receive the same treatment in return. Anywhere and everywhere you go.

Bottom line: Despite other reviews that made the place sound shady, I had a great time here. It was very warm and welcoming with plenty of space to spread out and take a breather. Will definitely be back.“

“The food was great and It had great service. I totally recommend it 👌.“

“Who would have thought a great B B Q place would have fantastic , hand breaded shrimp? Everything has always been spot on at both locations. But the shrimp and the service made my day.“