We embarked on a beer-fuelled journey to find the best sports bars and pubs in Melbourne beyond The Sporting Globe. These are the greatest venues to down a pint and eat pub food while you watch footy, NRL, A-League or whatever else has balls.
With Wimbledon and State of Origin the main water cooler chats over the last few weeks, today we’ve got a list of the best sports bars in Melbourne. When carefully curating this master list to Melbourne’s best sports bars and sports pubs, we stayed right out the code wars – regardless of whether you’re after the best pubs to watch footy in Melbourne or you’re a diehard purist looking only for soccer pubs, there’ll be a venue on here to whet your whistle beyond The Sporting Globe.
Sports bars have been a staple of Aussie culture since the early 19th century, people have been congregating in old watering holes to enjoy local matches and bet on games for years, and as certain things have been legalised and regulated, and more sports have come into the world, we’ve seen their presence in Melbourne increase. Somewhat unbelievably, it’s also cheaper to head down to your local and get pissed than it is to cough up the ridiculous amounts Kayo, Paramount Plus, Stan Sport, Bein Sport and Optus Sport subscriptions will sting you to watch individual competitions.
You can also check out Melbourne’s most comprehensive guides to the best bars and pubs in each suburb and street here.
So, let’s get into it. Melbourne is undoubtedly the sports bar capital of Australia, for obvious reasons. There’s a great mix of pubs and bars with a bit of hustle and bustle, so you can get rowdy with your fellow AFL, NRL or A-League fans over a pint, or there’s a solid selection of pubs and bars that are a bit laid back, allowing you to watch the game in peace, if you fancy yourself a bit of an analyst.
With the State of Origin happening, the FIFA World Cup, US Open, and AFL Finals all approaching, there’s no better time to dive into Melbourne’s best spots for all things sports. If sport doesn’t float your boat, check out our list of Melbourne’s best secret bars here, our list of the best rooftop bars here, or our list of Melbourne CBD bars and pubs here.
Sports bars in Melbourne CBD
The Sporting Globe
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Address: Multiple Melbourne locations
Vibe: Friendly
Dedicated Menu: Bar snacks
There’s no doubt you’ve come across a Sporting Globe in your travels, they are one of the top spots for all things sports. There’s a whopping 50 screens in each of their Melbourne venues, you really can’t get any more sports.
Each Sporting Globe has a bunch of booths on site, which are stocked with a personal TV, so you can chuck on whatever sport you want and enjoy it in peace. Check out some more info and find your closest Sporting Globe here.
The Imperial Hotel
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Address: 2-8 Bourke St, Melbourne
Vibe: Classic
Dedicated Menu: Pub
The Imperial Hotel calls itself “the best place to watch live sport,” and with their 21 screens across the venue, it’s easy to see why.
They chuck on the latest AFL, NRL, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, UFC and WCL matches, plus a whole heap more, so you’ll never miss a game at the Imperial. They’ve even got a massive timetable where you can check out what’s on.
GG EZ
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Address: Basement 93/95 Queen St, Melbourne
Vibe: Energetic
Dedicated Menu: Drinks only
This isn’t your standard type of sports bar, GG EZ Bar is dedicated to all things E-Sports. Visitors can watch a bunch of different game competitions, dive into trivia nights and do a bunch more that can be seen on their calendar here.
As you’d expect, there’s a lot of cool drinks available at GG EZ, things like cocktails filled with green and black teas, or if you’re keen for something a little easier, there’s a bunch of classic brews. Check out the rest of their amazing drinks menu here.
Turf Bar
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Address: 131 Queen St, Melbourne
Vibe: Sporty
Dedicated Menu: Standard pub fare
According to their website, The Turf Bar is “Melbourne’s premier sports bar”, with private screening booths, affordable food and drinks and pretty much every sport under the sun, there’s almost no questioning it.
They check out all of the world’s sport schedules, and every week, chuck on some of the top matches of all types. They’re also one of the most popular spots to meet up with soccer fans, they’ll be showing all matches from the World Cup.
In terms of their food and drink offerings, you can grab all of your favourites at the Turf Bar, things like pies of the day, pizzas, and even a bunch of loaded parmas, and enjoy a furphy on tap alongside it. That sounds like a great day supporting your team. Check out the full menu here.
Melbourne Central Lion Hotel
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Address: 211 Latrobe St, Melbourne
Vibe: A little bit fancy
Dedicated Menu: Burgers + Pizzas
As the name suggests, you’ll be able to find the Melbourne Central Lion Hotel within the Melbourne Central building. It’s an old school style pub, with regular live music, TVs and TAB, it’s got all the right things to be crowned one of Melbourne’s best sport spots.
On the food end of things, the Melbourne Central Lion Hotel has a pretty great menu, there’s some tasty pizzas, scrumptious burgers, and heaps more you can check out here.
Sports bars in North Melbourne
The Castle Hotel
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Address: 56 Courtney St, North Melbourne
Vibe: Country town
Dedicated Menu: Pub grub with modern spins
The Castle Hotel is something straight out of a country town, but you can find it just in North Melbourne. This venue has a dedicated section for all things sports, stocked with some laid back seating and a pool table, it’s the ideal place to catch up with some mates and watch the latest match.
If you get peckish while you’re watching your team, The Castle will be there for you with lasagnes, bangers and mash, souvlaki, and a whole lot more, check out the rest of the food menu for The Castle’ Hotel here.
Sports bars in Carlton
The Great Northern Hotel
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Address: 644 Rathdowne St, Carlton
Vibe: Chill
Dedicated Menu: Hearty meals
Carlton North’s Great Northern is focused on delivering customers some quality service, quality food, and quality drinks, and it’s paired up with the team chucking on pretty much each and every game in the sporting world.
To go along with your Sunday sport viewing, Great Northern has a deal worth writing home about, the $28 Sunday roast, ideal for these wet winter weekends. Check out some more info on The Great Northern here.
Footy bars in Prahran
The College Lawn Hotel
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Address: 36 Greville St, Prahran
Vibe: Laid back
Dedicated Menu: Pub grub
The College Lawn Hotel is a spot that is perfect for killing some time with some mates, the beer garden is warm, spacious, and comfortable, perfect for hanging out while you’re watching that latest match. On top of that, affordable drinks and tasty food make it one of Melbourne’s coolest spots.
It’s definitely great all year round, but their killer outdoor space is decked out with some TVs, and is ideal for summer sports like cricket and tennis. So don’t forget about this one as the warmer months come around. Dive into more info on The College Lawn Hotel here.
Silverlake Social
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Address: 198 Chapel St, Prahran
Vibe: Friendly
Dedicated Menu: American
Silverlake Social is one of Melbourne’s few American diners, bringing something cool, interesting and a little bit different to our nightlife scene. As you’d expect, they are focused on all things American sports, often holding a cool event celebrating the Superbowl.
On the drinks side of things, Silverlake Social is one of Australia’s best spots to enjoy an American brew, their drinks list here shows their many beers they offer, each with some pretty interesting tasting notes. Of course if you’re not a fan of American brews, they do offer Aussie classics like Garage Project and Dainton Brewing.
Silverlake Social also cooks up the US classics like hot dogs, burgers, burritos, and many more tasty items.
Sports bars in Southbank / South Melbourne
Crown Sports Bar
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Address: Level 1, Crown Casino, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank
Vibe: Fancy
Dedicated Menu: Bar snacks
Bet you didn’t know that there’s a fancy sports bar in Melbourne’s fanciest hotel. Crown Sports Bar has the latest AFL match to the finals of the English Premier League, and everything in between.
While you’re here, you can enjoy one of their surprisingly cheap beers, each sitting around the $11 mark. There’s also some great snacks to pair up with your sport watching: nachos, onion rings, and a whole lot more that you can dive into here.
The Bells Hotel
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Address: 157 Moray St, South Melbourne
Vibe: Cool
Dedicated Menu: Locally sourced
If you’re looking for a bit of an incentive to head to a sports bar, look no further than The Bells Hotel, they have some pretty awesome deals paired up with matches.
One of the coolest ones to note is their current Pint of Origin campaign, where alongside the matches, you can grab some $5 pints of Brewmanity, which is an absolute steal. On top of that, they hold a regular event called ‘Sport Saturdays’, where for $50 a person, you can grab a parma and a drinks package. Check out more info on that here.
The fun doesn’t end there, The Bells Hotel has some interesting food offerings, all of their menu items are locally sourced, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be paying more, pretty much everything is well under the $30 mark, check out the menu here.
Sports pubs in Preston
The Stolberg
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Address: 197 Plenty Rd, Preston
Vibe: Laid back
Dedicated Menu: Standard pub fare
The Stolberg isn’t technically a sports bar, but head there on any given game day, and there’s no doubt you’ll see a TV with it on. If you’re not a fan of the hustle and bustle that goes on at other bars across the city, this spot should be up your alley. With Bistro style seating and TVs plastered across the venue, you’ll be able to watch your team and cheer in peace.
Sports bars and pubs in Richmond / Cremorne
Richmond Club Hotel
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Address: 100 Swan St, Richmond
Vibe: Old school with modern twist
Dedicated Menu: Pub classics
When you are walking into the Richmond Club Hotel, stop and marvel at the beautiful façade and architecture. They don’t make them as nice as this anymore. But things only get better once you make your way through the doors. You can grab all the pub classics at the Richmond Club Hotel – burgers, fish, and even bangers and mash.
They love sport here, earlier this year creating the ‘Footy Multi Play’, where with the purchase of a pint of Balter Easy Hazy every Thursday or Friday, you can go into the draw to win some cool prizes. Check out more info on that here.
The Swan Hotel
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Address: 425 Church St, Richmond
Vibe: Laid back
Dedicated Menu: Pub classics
Located in the heart of Richmond, The Swan is a great spot to head after a match, or if you couldn’t grab tickets, their HD screens will chuck on the match. To make sure you can keep the party going after a big win, or forget about a big loss, The Swan features some killer DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.
If you get a little bit peckish during a visit here, there’s pizzas, finger foods, schnitzels, and a whole lot more, you can check out more info on The Swan here.
Mt View Hotel
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Address: 68/70 Bridge Rd, Richmond
Vibe: Chill
Dedicated Menu: Burgers
A stone’s throw from the magical sports precinct of Melbourne, Mt View is a great meeting point for all things sports. Their downstairs establishment is sports central, you can enjoy a great meal with some mates and cheer on your team. Or if you want to party after watching a match, upstairs you can check out the killer view of the sports region with a cocktail in hand.
They’ve got some great menu items available here too, including a burger bar, where for an easy $22 – $24, you can grab some mouth-watering sounding burgers. Check out the rest of the menu here.
The Precinct Hotel
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Address: 60 Swan St, Cremorne
Vibe: Cool
Dedicated Menu: Modern Australian
Richmond’s The Precinct Hotel would have to be one of the coolest spots on this list. Their dedication to high quality meals is out of this world, the chef team work hard to make sure everything is sourced locally. Just when it couldn’t sound any better, on the sport side of things, The Precinct has a killer timetable listing what they’ll be showing, and you’d be hard pressed to find something that isn’t on there.
Check out the timetable and more info on The Precinct Hotel here.
