We've compiled the best bars and pubs in South Yarra on Chapel St and Commercial Road for enjoying some beer, wine, or cocktails, eating pub food, and catching live music, gigs or DJs.
Today we’re diving into the best bars and pubs in South Yarra, a suburb that’s up there with Melbourne’s best when it comes to nightlife and killer vibes.
There’s some highly-renowned wine and cocktail bars and beautiful, historic pubs across the suburb, from the classic pubs on Commercial Road to the brunch bars on Chapel Street. For the uninitiated, South Yarra is an old and storied Melbourne suburb. Originally home to the Wurundjeri tribe of the Kulin nation, South Yarra was one of the first suburbs settled by Europeans back in the 1830s, and soon after, wealthy socialites begun transforming it into the highly-affluent suburb it is today.
You can check out Melbourne’s most comprehensive guides to the best bars and pubs in each suburb and street here.
Nowadays, South Yarra maintains a great balance between city and suburb, with gorgeous sprawling destinations like Fawkner Park and the Botanic Gardens, it can be a fantastic day-retreat to get away from it all. There’s some pretty important landmarks in South Yarra too; The Como Centre is the hub for all things TV in Melbourne, housing studios for Network 10 shows like The Project and Have You Been Paying Attention?. It’s also home to Global Production’s HQ, where shows like The Chase and Dancing With The Stars come to life.
In this detailed guide to its best drinking haunts and some of its nightlife pillars, we’ve got you covered with 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 Prahran here, Windsor here, and Richmond here. If you’re keen to journey somewhere a little bit secret and ‘underground’ instead, check out our list of the best hidden bars.
Katuk
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Address: 517A Chapel St
Vibe: Quirky
Dedicated Menu: Snacks
Katuk’s a pretty cool place that you wish you’d heard about earlier. It’s in the heart of South Yarra, and is dedicated to killer service and even better drinks. Katuk’s focused on slinging some high-quality beverages for all types of drinkers, everything from a strawberry-basil mocktail to a glass of Argentinian Malbec. They do something pretty cool on the food side of things, you can grab an $8 jaffle to go along with your beverage, featuring things like pumpkin, pesto, ham, and even a spaghetti jaffle. Dive into all the food on offer at Katuk here.
The Osborne
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Address: 119 Commercial Rd
Vibe: Laid back
Dedicated Menu: Pub grub
The Osborne takes the coolest parts of pubs and chucks it into a pretty sick modern experience. Their outdoor fireplace makes the spot a great joint to head to year-round, so you can enjoy their killer pub grub like parmas and tacos.
There’s also a regular Japanese inspired bottomless brunch at The Osborne, for an easy $60, you can get two hours of beverages and share plates, check out the Bottomless brunch menu here.
Imperial South Yarra
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Address: 522 Chapel St
Vibe: Trendy
Dedicated Menu: Cocktails and Pizzas
The Imperial brings some pretty awesome party vibes to the South Yarra region. It’s the kind of spot you’d head to for some dancing or to enjoy a bit of live music. They’ve got mouth-watering fare on offer, there’s a bit of everything from pizzas to pies. Their happy hour is something to marvel at too, every Tuesday through Friday from 4pm-7pm, you can grab $5 pints and $5 spirits.
As seems to be the style at the moment, you can grab a bottomless brunch here too, called the ‘basic bitch bottomless brunch’. For $65 you and some friends can grab 2 hours of bottomless vodka sodas, espresso martinis and much more, on top of some great breakfast items. Check out some more info on that here.
Speakeasy Kitchen Bar
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Address: 359 Chapel St
Vibe: Friendly
Dedicated Menu: Mediterranean
As the name suggests, the Speakeasy Bar is a nod to the world of speakeasies in the US during prohibition. Unsurprisingly for a list of South Yarra bars and pubs, that’s not the case here, high quality, totally legal drinks are on offer.
For these warmer months, there’s a mulled cider / wine, or even some cocktails if you’re feeling extra fancy. Check out the menu here.
Talk To Me
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Address: 153 Commercial Rd
Vibe: New York-y
Dedicated Menu: Drinks
After a night in the city, Talk to Me is an awesome after party spot. They’ve got some regular cool events too. Every Wednesday, there’s speed dating, and every Thursday, there’s a uni night, where you can grab some killer deals on some bevs, like $5 for a Moondog schooner, $5 for some basic spirits or $10 for an Agwa Bomb.
Talk to Me is also a big player in the function world, if you’ve got a party on the horizon and you’re looking for a spot to have it, check out some more info on Talk to Me’s functions here
Tetto Di Carolina
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Address: 48 Toorak Rd
Vibe: Classy
Dedicated Menu: French inspired
If you’ve got a big date on the cards, then South Yarra bars and pubs offer a few great options, among which Tetto Di Carolina is an excellent choice. The team are dedicated to giving some of the best service, and even better food and drinks. Their huge drinks list truly has something for everyone, before you check it out here, think of a drink, there’s almost no doubt they’ve got it.
Botanical Hotel
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Address: 169 Domain Rd
Vibe: Classy
Dedicated Menu: Australian
The Botanical Hotel is one of South Yarra’s fanciest spots for all things drinks and fine dining. You’ll be spoilt for choice, there’s some great entrée items like oysters, prosciutto and burrata, to great meals like a beef oyster blade to a Botanical Hotel burger. Check out the rest of the menu and book in a visit to the Botanical Hotel here.
Bistro Gitan
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Address: 52 Toorak Rd West
Vibe: Trendy
Dedicated Menu: Mediterranean
Bistro Gitan brings an awesome European flair all the way to South Yarra. Before you read on, it’s worth checking out their mind-boggling wine list, it’s 8 pages of grape juice from literally all corners of the earth, a few getting up to thousands of dollars a bottle. Their food end is just as cool, there’s a bunch of tasty items like escargot, charcuterie boards, and even chicken livers. Dive into the rest of their menu here.
Shadowboxer Bar and Kitchen
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Address: 302 Toorak Rd
Vibe: Chill
Dedicated Menu: Upper class foods and wines
Shadowboxer are doing the whole bar thing right. They’ve got a perfect wine list with some amazing Aussie selections, and a menu full of seasonal produce, so you’ll be sure you’re getting the highest quality stuff. They’ve also got some killer events spaces, perfect to hold those events that you missed out on in lockdown.
If you’ve got a bunch of friends looking for a fancy night out, Shadowboxer Bar and Kitchen offer an awesome group share menu, where for an easy $70 a head, you can feast on some truly mouth-watering menu items. Check out what’s on offer here.
Zhou Zhou Bar
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Address: 455 Chapel St
Vibe: Classic
Dedicated Menu: Asian inspired
If the hustle and bustle of bar life isn’t your scene, Zhou Zhou is the spot for you. It’s an early 1900’s Shanghai themed establishment, complete with a whopping selection of around 50 Asian whiskies, and a bunch of brews from other corners of the globe.
Or if you’re the deso for the night, Zhou Zhou bar have some killer non-alcoholic drinks on offer, iced teas, soft drinks, and green teas, vheck out their huge drinks menu here. On the food end of things, their menu features some mouth-watering fare like dim sims, wontons, and a huge list of dumplings, from prawn to duck, and everything in between.
Spoonbill
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Address: 637-641 Chapel St
Vibe: Classic
Dedicated Menu: Aussie
As the weather slowly improves, Spoonbill Restaurant and bar is the perfect place for those weekend arvos catching up with mates. Their menu features some top-quality Aussie produce. On top of that, there’s some great local brews on offer, perfect to pair with all types of meals. Check out some more info on Spoonbill and book in your visit here.
Leonards House of Love
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Address: 3 Wilson St
Vibe: Modern Melbourne
Dedicated Menu: Burgers
It sounds like something straight out of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and it certainly feels like that too. From the front, you’d think it’s just your ordinary townhouse, but once you head through the doors, a new world awaits. Make sure you chow down on their American cheeseburgers, which pair perfectly with their array of amazing beers.
Abacus
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Address: 383 Chapel St
Vibe: Outdoorsy
Dedicated Menu: High class seasonal brunch + snacks
This is a fancy joint, the kind you’d take your parents to while they’re visiting. There’s some great quality wines on offer from some of Victoria’s most pristine wine regions, and beers from all corners of the state. On the food front, there’s some delicious items like crab crumpets, quinoa porridge or even your simple eggs on toast.
Roc’s Jam Factory
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Address: 500 Chapel St
Vibe: Quirky
Dedicated Menu: Drinks
You can find Roc’s nestled away in the amazing Village Cinemas Jam Factory. There’s some great drinks and food ready and waiting for you at this spot. If you’ve got an event or party coming up and you’re looking for a bar to hold it, Roc’s is great, and has a heap of affordable packages you can dive into over on their website here.
Bridie O’Reilly’s
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Address: 462 Chapel St
Vibe: Old school classic Irish pub
Dedicated Menu: Pub grub
If you want to head to Ireland but don’t want to fly yet, look no further than the amazing Bridie O’Reilly’s Irish pub. There’s a little bit of everything here, so no matter what you’re into, Bridie O’Reilly’s has you covered. All the pub classics are on offer, things like pot pies, fish and chips, schnitzel, and even chowder. It doesn’t stop there, there’s regular live music and special events, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t head here. Check out more info here.
Black Magic Bar
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Address: 364 Chapel St
Vibe: Classic
Dedicated Menu: Cocktail bar
Black Magic Bar is really doing something right. Their family style bar makes you feel at home, and their service is truly some of the best across the South Yarra region. Check out some more info on Black Magic Bar over on their Instagram here.
Omnia
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Address: 625 Chapel St
Vibe: Laid back
Dedicated Menu: European inspired
Sometimes when you head to bar, it can feel a little tight and cramped, really dampening the experience. But that isn’t the case for Omina, there’s a bunch of beautiful spots spread out in this joint, ready for you to spend the afternoon. Their menu features some great mouth-watering delicacies, you can chow down on things like a Murray cod, or even a rack of lamb. Dive into the rest of the menu here.
Two Wrongs
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Address: 637 Chapel St
Vibe: Trendy
Dedicated Menu: Mexican inspired
Two wrongs do make a right when it comes to this bar. The food comes through hard and strong, there’s tacos galore with everything from a steak taco to a squishies chip taco, which includes some battered fries.
On the drinks end, there’s more cocktails than you can shake a stick at, all with some pretty wacky names, dive into the menu here.
