There’s a freewheeling feel to this year’s crop of best bars. Fancy restaurants have birthed fancy-free bar spin-offs while bold new venues bring league-of-their-own style and lesser-seen booze to the fore. Martinis and dark ales (read: Guinness) are having a moment, and some spots are even distilling their own spirits in-house.
Raise a glass. Bianchetto COCKTAIL BAR Glide past a gold curtain in chef Joe Vargetto’s restaurant Mister Bianco to find Bianchetto , where lighting is scandalously dim, tablecloths are crisp white and one wall is illuminated by projections of golden-age Italian films . Aperitivo hour is sorted with Americanos mixed tableside on a dedicated trolley, and salty Sicilian snacks by the bowlful.
26-28 Cotham Road, Kew, misterbianco.com.au The high-end restaurants opening more casual, more affordable, just as delicious bars next door Caretaker’s Cottage COCKTAIL BAR The chaos is controlled at this pocket rocket of a bar.
As punters fill the resurrected bluestone cottage and overflow into the courtyard, the team take it in their stride. The ride-or-die freezer-door martini is batched with lightning precision and served with speed, while elegantly garnished seasonal cocktails throw delicious curveballs. One glance at the sheer number of perfectly poured pints shows the Guinness renaissance is real.
139-141 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, caretakerscottage.bar Dutch Rules Distilling Co GIN BAR This new gin label is listed at some of Melbourne’s mo.
