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Best Whisky Bars in Melbourne

Updated 8 months ago

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Melbourne has really lifted its whisky game of late. At the top bars, it's not uncommon to find four, five or even six hundred bottles in stock. Some of the rarer labels can be hard for the average consumer to acquire: they need to be bought at auction, or claimed with a deposit before they've even left the barrel.

Of course, getting the whisky (or "whiskey" if it comes from America or Ireland) is only half the job. All the bars on this list have the service, knowledge and ambience to back it up. Get sipping.

Read more:
Best Cocktail Bars in Melbourne

Looking for something specific?

  • Whisky and Alement

    Bar

    Melbourne's first serious whisky bar and still a contender for the best.

  • The Melbourne Whisky Room

    Bar

    Whisky and Alement's quieter upstairs sibling.

  • Boilermaker House

    Bar

    Devoted to the dangerously good pairing of beer and whisky known as a Boilermaker.

    Book a Table

  • The Elysian

    Bar

    280 bottles, many of them rare or one-offs.

  • The Kilburn

    Bar

    A CBD-quality bar in the suburbs? Believe it.

  • Carwyn Cellars

    Bar

    Better known as a beer bar. Shouldn't be.

    Book a Table

  • 1806

    Bar

    This former theatre restaurant packs 110 whiskies, and it knows how to use them.

  • Beneath Driver Lane

    Bar

    Moody blues and dark spirits rule at this cavernous, below-ground bar. Descend the stairs on Driver Lane for an extensive cocktail list, short-order French snacks and fancy toasties served till extra late. Or proceed to the intimate whisky cellar for a private tasting.

  • Buck Mulligan’s

    Bar

    Packed with obscure Irish whiskeys; and literature to borrow or buy.

  • Strangeloves Wine Bar

    Bar

    Nominally it's a wine bar, but Strangeloves regulars know about its handy list of 40 or so whiskies, replete with individual tasting notes. Most come from Scotland, but there's also a good number from Japan, Australia, Ireland and the US.

  • Goodwater

    Bar

    A welcoming spot for whiskey dates, cocktails with friends or just sitting at the bar. Make mates over a beer and bowl of pickle fries, while you learn your ryes from your bourbons.