We've compiled the best bars and pubs in Northcote on High Street and Arthurton Road for drinking beer and wine, eating pub food, and catching live music, gigs and comedy.
Today we’re taking a wander through one of Melbourne’s fastest-rising suburbs to find the best pubs and bars in Northcote. This means diving into every nook and cranny on High Street (plus an absolute gem on Arthurton) in search of the very best wine bars, craft beer halls, pub grub and live music haunts that offer a band or DJ for every taste.
For those new to the north, Northcote is a Melbourne suburb jam-packed full of history. Some of the houses harken back to the days of the gold rush, and the Northcote Picture House is one of the oldest in the region, now around 110 years old. In the 90s, the suburb went through a bit of a boom and attracted a higher socio-economic base to move in, pour money into the local economy, and make Northcote the melting pot familiar to most northern suburbs that it is today.
You can also check out Melbourne’s most comprehensive guides to the best bars and pubs in each suburb and street here.
Nowadays, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a cooler suburb than Northcote. It’s only a quick tram jaunt into the city, but why would you need to? With everything from music venues to nightclubs to trendy bars, Northcote is a one stop shop for everything a wide array of people need to have a killer night out. It’s a great mix of city hustle and bustle with suburban chill. What’s more, with parks like All Nations and Johnson, there’s some great spaces to get away from it all, sink a casual (and much cheaper) picnic tinny and kill some time over the weekend.
In this detailed guide, we’ve got some classics you know and love, some fresh spots to check out, and some hidden gems you probably didn’t know about. If you’re a local, also check out the best bars and pubs in Thornbury here, Preston here, and Coburg here. If you’re keen to journey up to somewhere a little bit secret instead, check out our list of the best hidden bars.
Best bars and pubs on Arthurton Road
Kepler’s Yard
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Address: 2 Arthurton Rd
Vibe: Classic
Dedicated Menu: Cocktails
Among the popular 24 Moons live music venue, you can find Kepler’s Yard, a bar doing all the right things. It’s the kind of spot perfect for an after-dinner aperitif, or when the bar you’re at closes and you’re looking for another spot.
The best bars and pubs on High Street
Wesley Anne
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Address: 250 High St
Vibe: Chill, almost country pub vibes
Dedicated Menu: Homecooked grub
If you’re a music fan in Melbourne, there’s no doubt you’ve come across the Wesley a couple of times in your travels. They’re a laid-back bar with equally laid-back staff, who are always keen to give you the best service they can. You can grab some mouth-watering grub at this spot, everything from gnocchi to steak. What’s not to love? Like all good pubs, there’s some pretty ace specials at the Wesley, to name a couple, every Tuesday there’s tacos and tequila for an easy $18, or every Wednesday, you can grab a Pie and a pot for $22. Dive more into the world of the Wesley here.
Francesca’s Bar
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Address: 222 High St
Vibe: Trendy
Dedicated Menu: Finger food and pieces
Francesca’s Bar is a real up-and-comer among this illustrious collection of Northcote bars and pubs. In fact, we predict it’ll be one of the top spots in the region very soon. You can grab some great drinks like a classic daquiri, a pina colada, and a bunch more you can dive into here. On the food side, their menu has a little bit of everything, finger food like jalapeno bites, arancini and a whole heap more that you can dive into here.
Oh Loretta
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Address: 324 High St
Vibe: Chill
Dedicated Menu: Wine bar
Walking into Oh Loretta is like heading into another world. The white walls and leafy interior will make you never want to leave. They’ve got some regular live music events, great service, and a whole heap of tasty drinks. The decor and resultant vibe make this venue a unique spot on any list of Northcote bars and pubs. If you get a little peckish during a visit to Oh Loretta, their menu has some locally sourced items, giving some of Melbourne’s best restaurants a run for their money.
Low Key
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Address: 59 High St
Vibe: Cosy
Dedicated Menu: Drinks
There’s never been a more aptly titled bar than this. They’ve got a bunch of local brews on offer, with a couple of beers on tap from Bodriggy, or a flight of wines from a local winery. They’re open Wednesday through to Sunday from 4pm, check out more info on Low Key here.
Buck Mulligan’s
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Address: 217 High St
Vibe: Cosy
Dedicated Menu: Whiskey
Have you ever wanted to head to a space that is half bookshop half bar? Never thought of it before? Well, Northcote’s Buck Mulligans pairs book launches with tasty drinks like Italian Proseccos, cocktails, and a whole heap more. Buck Mulligan’s is also a bit of a shop as well, you can grab some of your favourites on your way out. Check out their store here.
Bar 61
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Address: 61 High St
Vibe: Modern Melbourne
Dedicated Menu: Cocktail bar
If you need a new staple among your favourite Northcote bars and pubs, Bar 61 is just down the road and waiting for you. The spot is very nice and, like most places on this list, uber laid back and doesn’t get too crazy. There’s some interesting cocktails here too, like the El Picante Margarita, which features Tequila, topped with cucumber and jalapeños, or even a Coco Dreams cocktail, which has some Mozart Milk Chocolate and Bacardi. Dive into the rest of their mouth-watering cocktails here.
Kelvin Bar
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Address: 250 High St, Northcote
Vibe: Laid back
Dedicated Menu: Cocktail and spirits
The Kelvin Bar has been slinging some tasty cocktails and spirits to patrons since 1998. It’s a bit of a hidden gem, the façade is deceiving, head through the doors and be blown away at the world you’re in. There’s also a bit of food on offer that you’ll need to head there to check out.
Kitty Somerset
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Address: 565 High St
Vibe: Fun
Dedicated Menu: Cocktail
Kitty Somerset has been a facet of the Northcote bars and pubs scene for a bunch of years, and is home to some of the most mouth-watering cocktails across the region. There’s things like Negronis, Whiskey Sours, Mojitos, and a whole heap more that you can see here.
The Purple Emerald Lounge Bar
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Address: 349 High St
Vibe: Chill and old school
Dedicated Menu: Tapas
The Purple Emerald Lounge Bar brings the old school vibes, but with a killer modern spin. They’re only open from Thursday to Sunday, perfect for those long nights you’ll want to have here. There’s finger food galore at the Purple Emerald, things like sliders, edamame and cheese, dive into the rest here.
Northcote Social Club
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Address: 301 High St
Vibe: Live music inspired
Dedicated Menu: Pub grub
Kepler’s Yard
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Address: 2 Arthurton Rd
Vibe: Classic
Dedicated Menu: Cocktails
Among the popular 24 Moons live music venue, you can find Kepler’s Yard, a bar doing all the right things. It’s the kind of spot perfect for an after dinner aperitif, or when the bar you’re at closes and you’re looking for another spot.
Northcote Social Club
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Address: 301 High St
Vibe: Live music inspired
Dedicated Menu: Pub grub
It can’t be a list of Northcote’s best spots without mentioning the Northcote Social Club. If you’re reading this on Beat, there’s no doubt you’ve seen a gig or two or ten here, and have immersed yourself into the amazing space.
Bar Nonno
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Address: 83 High St
Vibe: Classy
Dedicated Menu: Italian inspired
Wine bars are becoming more and more popular in Melbourne over the last couple of years, we’ve been loving all the ins and outs of the wine world. Bar Nonno brings the best of Italian drinking and dining into Northcote through great service, fancy wines, and a whole heap more you can dive into here. If you find something that tickles your fancy at Bar Nonno, there’s a wine shop attached, so you can impress your friends with your fancy flights.
The Bar Next Door
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Address: 211A High St
Vibe: Friendly
Dedicated Menu: Drinks
If you’re a music fan keen to dive into a world that many other venues don’t, look no further than The Bar Next Door. They’ve got an expansive space indoors and out, ideal for killing a few hours over the weekend. They are a live music bar run by a pair of Ethiopian immigrants who bring a special flair to the spot. They’ve got a selection of African beers alongside Aussie classics, dive into more info on The Bar Next Door here.
Peacock Inn Hotel
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Address: 210 High St
Vibe: Old school
Dedicated Menu: Pub grub
The Peacock brings a modern spin to some old school pub vibes. Their menu features some cool stuff like a Western Plains pork belly, a Japanese veggie stir fry, and even an always changing curry of the day. This is only the tip of the iceberg, check out the rest of their menu here. They’re also keen live music fans, chucking on a killer gig every Wednesday, which comes along with some dirt cheap drinks deals too.
Piano Bar Northcote
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Address: 57 High St
Vibe: Music
Dedicated Menu: Tapas
If you want to live out your dreams of becoming a famous singer, look no further than Northcote’s Piano Bar. Or if you want to sit back and enjoy the show, Northcote’s Piano Bar gets attention from some of Melbourne’s coolest drag queens, singer-songwriters, and whole heap more.
Welcome to Thornbury
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Address: 520 High St
Vibe: Chill
Dedicated Menu: Bit of everything
No it’s not a mistake, this spot is called Welcome to Thornbury, but has a Northcote-based address. It’s a killer beer garden that has Sunday arvo written all over it. They’ve partnered with a bunch of food trucks, each day a different culinary experience making its way to Welcome to Thornbury. There’ll be things like burgers, cheese steaks, calamari, even a food truck dedicated to nuggets. On the drinks end of things, they’ve got some trendy beer and wine on offer, check out their stacked list here.
303
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Address: 303 High St
Vibe: Energetic
Dedicated Menu: Drinks
303 has something special about it, it’s got a vibe of something old school and raw, but still cool. They’re really dedicated to putting on some great gigs of all shapes and sizes, jam nights, jazz bands, and community gigs, there’s something for everyone at 303.
Joe’s Shoe Store
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Address: 233 High St
Vibe: Ex shoe-store
Dedicated Menu: 10 inch Pizzas
There’s nothing more Melbourne than this, an old shoe store has become one of the most popular wine bars in the city. It’s a laid-back haunt, perfect to kill some hours over the weekend. While you’re here, grab one of their mouth-watering pizzas, or one of their many fancy wines.
The Merri Creek Tavern
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Address: 111 High St
Vibe: Live music
Dedicated Menu: Drinks
The Merri Creek Tavern is a High St mecca that has been a staple of the nightlife scene for a number of years. They chuck on some killer gigs pretty much every day, you can catch acts like Kim Salmon, Nick O’Mara, and Charlie Owen, and a bunch more. Dive into the rest of their gig list here.
The Distiller Melbourne
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Address: 530 High St
Vibe: Trendy
Dedicated Menu: Drinks only
The Distiller brings the best of spirit drinking and mixes it together for a high quality spot that you wish you’d heard about earlier. They’ve also got some killer regular events, like a weekly Open Mic night – all performers get a free Grainshaker or NED too.
If you’re keen to belt out some tracks, check out more info here.
