23 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“

“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!“

“Great drinks and service !!!“

“Big crowd on karaoke night.“

“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.“

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

“Love the bartenders here on trivia night!“

“Hurricane has become a home away from home. I've met some incredible people that I absolutely love and would do anything for! It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or an expert, we're here to have fun and learn!“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“Great Shepherd’s Pie and fish and chips. Casual atmosphere.“

“We visited recently for our anniversary, we love this place! We were warmly welcomed in, while our table was prepared. Getting to our table, we had a thoughtful card signed by the staff wishing us a happy anniversary as well. Our server, Doug, was simply amazing.We wanted to hang out with him all evening! He took amazing care of us, and made very thoughtful recommendations with his great knowledge of the menus. We had the onion tart for an appetizer and it was decadent paired well with some wine and a nice craft cocktail. Main courses of a heritage pork chop perfectly cooked, and my wife had some amazing fettuccini. The flourless chocolate cake for dessert was absolutely divine. The service and atmosphere were top notch. We will always make this one of our regular spots! Thank you for an amazing evening, and do whatever you can to keep Doug! He is an amazing person and has one of the best service mindsets I have experienced.“

“any bands tonight at crickets july 25th2025“

“Wonderful food. Great atmosphere and authentic“

“super friendly people and always a great time!“

“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?“

“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.“

“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.“