The Best Bars in Carlton
Carlton has changed a fair bit since Jimmy Watson’s first opened in 1935. Stalwart pubs like The John Curtin Hotel and The Lincoln still stand, nodding to the area’s working-class history. The 150-year-old King & Godfree has made the most of its stellar rooftop with the open-air Johnny’s Green Room. And plenty of wine bars have moved in, from the classy establishment Carlton Wine Room to morning-to-night newcomer Sunhands. Today, there’s a drink for just about every punter here, from gin-spiked cocktails by a beloved local distillery to Victorian beers poured at a plant-based pub. These are the best places for a knock-off or nightcap in the area, curated by Broadsheet’s expert food and drink editors.
Words by Holly Bodeker-Smith
Updated on 9 May 2024
Bar
Bar Bellamy
Is it a cocktail bar? A wine bar? A bistro? It’s all of that, depending on your mood and the occasion. Visit for standout Martinis with creative house twists, plus devilled eggs, veal schnitties and the possibility of making good friends.
Restaurant
Capitano
This fun Italian joint, from Bar Liberty’s crew, takes plenty of cues from North America – with deep-dish pizza “squares” and rich, fermented base “rounds”. While the US gets a big look-in, the wine list is almost entirely Italian.
Bar
Carlton Wine Room
The pretty Victorian building in the heart of Carlton is a modern eatery with a European-influenced menu and wine list.
Bar
Fossey’s Distillery Lygon
Find high-quality gin, whisky, vodka and rum at the cityside sibling to Fossey’s Mildura. Go for cocktails mixed with house-made Christmas pudding gin, blood-orange vodka or butterscotch whisky. The food menu also makes use of the house spirits: expect fries with rum-infused sauce; or cider-marinated pork belly with gin-pickled vegetables.
Bar
The Green Man’s Arms
The green heritage-style facade and mid-century decor give all the impressions of another classic pub. Yet the plant-based menu says otherwise. The eggplant “schnitzel” and fried cauliflower stand out; the diverse beers are a bonus.
Restaurant
Heartattack and Vine
A Lygon Street espresso and cicchetti bar.
Bar
Johnny’s Green Room
The crown jewel of the King and Godfree complex. A visit here comes with Italian-beach-club energy, amazing city views, Italian fare and summer-ready drinks. It’s all tied together by a soundtrack of Italo disco tunes.
Bar
The John Curtin Hotel
It was once Bob Hawke’s favourite watering hole; these days it’s a rock’n’roll icon. Bands often pack out the upper level, while DJs spin vinyl downstairs. Sonny’s, the in-house diner, has Southern-style fried chicken and banging burgers.
Bar
Leonardo’s Pizza Palace
Leonardo’s is the kind of place you can accidentally spend hours at, and wake up far dustier than planned. The pepperoni is a classic, and the jalapeno number with fermented pepper and bechamel is a spicy wake-up call in the low-lit diner.
Bar
The Lincoln
This 19th-century gastropub, with a vintage front bar and bistro, is among Melbourne’s best. It’s serving modern classics (including schnitzel with chicken butter) and a set menu that wouldn’t look out of place in a classy restaurant.
Bar
Marama
Hit up this community-focused watering hole for Aussie wines, Melbourne beers, and produce sourced from Victorian farms and businesses within the bar’s five-kilometre radius.
Bar
Prince Alfred Hotel Carlton
Right opposite a university, this is a fine spot for students to miss lectures in. But it also welcomes everyone with its pub classics (from parmas to porterhouse steaks) and lush rooftop bar.
Cafe
Sunhands
A vibrant corner shop that combines a cafe, wine shop, deli and general store. Enjoy its dippy eggs and morning plates, or grab a bottle of wine and bouquet to-go.
Bar
Bar Olo
The husband-wife duo behind one of Melbourne’s most-loved Italian restaurants run this walk-in bar. It nods to Piedmont with vitello tonnato, duck-and-porcini ragu and Italian wines.
Bar
Bar Holiday
It feels like a real holiday on warm afternoons, when locals spill onto the street outside. Inside, a long bar houses a vinyl collection and old-school decks, and offers wines and Italian-leaning plates.
