Best Bars & Late-Night Spots on Carlisle Street

Carlisle Street gets most of its attention before dark. The bagel queues, the cafes, the lunch spots that have been here for decades. But the bar scene on Carlisle Street is worth knowing about. There is a proper speakeasy, an izakaya that turns dinner into a long evening, a craft beer rooftop, and a handful of neighbourhood bars that locals have been quietly drinking at for years. Here is where to find them.

Quick Picks

• Best cocktails: Pause Bar for creative drinks and live music in a Moroccan-inspired room
• Best wine bar feel: Bar For Now for natural wine and craft beer in a low-key neighbourhood setting
• Best casual pub night: Balaclava Hotel for tap beer, pool tables and no-fuss pub food
• Best dinner and drinks combo: Bounty of the Sun for izakaya small plates, or Si Senor for tacos and margaritas
• Best late-night spot: Voodoo Love Child Speakeasy for cocktails well after the rest of the strip quietens down
• Best bottle shop stop-in: Cellars on Carlisle for an independent range of wine, craft beer and spirits before a night in or out

The Bars

1. Bar For Now

Bar For Now is a small neighbourhood bar at 186 Carlisle St with a short, well-chosen drinks list: craft beer, fine wine, and DJs on some nights. The room is quiet enough for conversation early and picks up as the evening goes on. No theme, no gimmicks. It draws a regular local crowd who walk in, find a seat and stay longer than planned.

Good for: Casual drinks, date nights, wine lovers

Price range: $$

Pair it with: Dana Patisserie

2. Si Senor Art Taqueria

Si Senor is a vibrant Mexican restaurant where the bar is as central as the kitchen. Al pastor tacos, Tommy’s Margaritas and fresh guacamole make a strong combination, and the colourful, energetic room means the evening rarely ends at one round. Most groups come for the tacos and end up staying well past dinner.

Good for: Dinner and drinks, groups, cocktail fans

Price range: $$

Pair it with: Yo-Chi Balaclava

3. Balaclava Hotel

The Balaclava Hotel is a classic multi-room Melbourne pub: pool tables, TV sport, open mic nights and classic pub food. The crowd is mixed and welcoming, and it works just as well for a quick after-work drink as it does for a louder Friday night. A long-standing local likely to outlast the next bar trend too.

Good for: After-work drinks, pub meals, mixed groups

Price range: $-$$

Pair it with: Adi’s Keba

4. Voodoo Love Child Speakeasy

Voodoo Love Child is where Carlisle Street’s night properly starts late. A speakeasy-style cocktail bar that feels more alive deeper into the night. The kind of place that comes into its own after the rest of the strip has quietened down. For late-night drinks in Balaclava, Voodoo Love Child and Pause Bar are among the strongest options on Carlisle Street.

Good for: Late nights, cocktail drinkers, after-dark atmosphere

Price range: $$-$$$

5. The Local Taphouse

The Local Taphouse is one of Melbourne’s best-known craft beer venues. The rotating tap list covers local and international brews, the rooftop courtyard is one of the better outdoor spots in the area, and regular live music and comedy nights give it a life beyond just drinking. Easy to settle into for an entire evening.

Good for: Craft beer fans, live music, rooftop drinks

Price range: $$

Pair it with: Grill’d Balaclava

6. Pause Bar

Pause Bar at 268 Carlisle St has Moroccan-inspired decor, a creative cocktails list, boutique beer and meze plates, with local bands playing regularly. It is one of the more distinctly styled rooms on the street and one of the better places to head mid-evening when you want somewhere with atmosphere rather than just somewhere to sit.

Good for: Cocktails, live music, a mid-evening spot with atmosphere

Price range: $$

Pair it with: Levanter Cafe

7. Bounty of the Sun

Bounty of the Sun is Carlisle Street’s intimate izakaya. It serves fresh Japanese small plates designed to be shared over drinks, in a cosy room where the pace is deliberately unhurried. Most tables end up ordering more of both food and drinks before the night is done.

Good for: Dinner and drinks, intimate dates, Japanese food lovers

Price range: $$-$$$

Pair it with: Rolls Japanese Cafe

8. Park Bar

Park Bar pairs a Korean and Japanese food menu with a serious cocktail list. It is approachable earlier in the evening and progressively more animated as the night moves on. A solid option when you want a proper dinner as part of the night rather than something grabbed beforehand.

Good for: Dinner and cocktails, date nights, Korean-Japanese food fans

Price range: $$-$$$

Pair it with: Future Canteen