Happy Hours And Half-Price Martinis—These Melbourne Bars Are Serving The Classics
At the age of 20, Alessandro Nardini moved to Australia from Italy, throwing himself into the hospo scene and making cocktails from the get go.
Not speaking a word of English at the time didn’t stop him pursuing a burning passion – concocting cocktails at bars across Australia to becoming a consultant, heading his own company BarCrafts.
“Creating cocktails is a form of storytelling. It’s not just about flavour pairing—it’s about crafting an experience.”
And as far as Alessandro’s concerned, “99.9% of modern “signature” cocktails are inspired by the great classics. They’re the ABCs of bartending. The foundation for understanding ratio, balance and structure.”
Why do classic tastes endure? Because “they’re simple, replicable and they just taste damn good,” he says.
In his top five is the Clover Club, which before it became a bartender’s flex or speakeasy staple, was the drink of choice pre-Prohibition at a Philadelphia gentleman’s club of the same name.
He’s even shared his recipe with UL.
Clover Club Cocktail
- London Dry Gin
- 15ml Sweet vermouth
- 20ml Raspberry syrup (recipe on BarCrafts.au)
- 30ml Lemon juice
- 20ml Egg white (or vegan alternative)
- 1–2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Shake without ice first to build the foam, then shake again with ice. Double strain into a coupette (stemmed, small, shallow-bowl glass).
Melbourne Bars Serving Classic Cocktails
Crane Bar
1 Hotel, 9 Maritime Place, Docklands
Image credit: 1 Hotel Melbourne | Instagram
Crane Bar manager Dustin Sarten and team blend innovation and tradition, revelling in precision and creativity.
Respect for the ingredients when stirring a martini is paramount, while Crane Bar is open to personalising cocktails as well.
Top of the list is the Seafarer’s Martini - a twist on the classic that infuses saltbush and rosemary into the vermouth and washes the gin with olive oil to add to the savoury notes.
Classic sipper Second Life Spritz comes in a close second, with infused fruits, berries and native botanicals, combined with rosella gin and Blanc de Blanc.
Crane Terrace, with a speccy view, also just opened, with riverfront lounges to chill on.
Gemini
158 Sydney Road, Coburg
Image credit: Gemini Melbourne | Instagram
Gemini keeps its cocktail list tight, on purpose. It’s determinedly classic with a local twist. The drinks list is “a love letter to the classics told through Aussie ingredients.”
The love of Negroni is strong with the team testing around thirty recipes over several months before finding the right balance.
The final version combines Saison Red Vermouth, Maidenii Roselle Bitter and a rotating local dry gin (right now it’s Dutch Rules). Notes of strawberry gum, pepper berry, saltbush, vanilla, and blood orange weave through a base of more than forty botanicals.
Meanwhile the Gemini Martini literally has a cult following, is built on local gin and vermouth and changes up regularly.
“We like to say it’s the Gemini personality in a glass: a little unhinged, but undeniably appealing.”
The most recent martini was “equal parts sweet and salty, garnished with two snacks - an olive and a pickled onion – a balance of chaos and charm.
Beneath Driver Lane
Shop/3 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD
Image credit: Beneath Driver Lane | Instagram
Beneath Driver Lane, the candlelit city den of cocktails and live blues is celebrating 8 years. (congrats!) with a committed cocktail philosophy that runs deep and strong.
“Classics are classics for a reason. We try not to stray too far from the recipes that make these drinks timeless, but we’re always looking for small refinements that suit the modern palate,” says venue manager Kealán Brady.
The Espresso Martini is still having its moment. Beneath Driver Lane takes a subtle detour from the classic, working with Naked Espresso to develop the perfect cold brew blend, brewed in-house every few days. A final touch of grated tonka bean adds aroma.
As a whisky-focused bar, it’s no surprise that two of the top cocktails are the Old Fashioned and the Whisky Sour.
Le Bar Supper Club
12 N Concourse, Beaumaris
Image credit: Le Bar Supper Club | Instagram
Le Bar Supper Club is giving 1920’s Paris/New York speakeasy vibes, with plush velvet decor, burnished chandeliers, live jazz and classic cocktails.
Head mixologist and co-owner Jai Singh aims for a touch of glamour, serving timeless tipples like a bold Negroni, a sparkling Cosmo and an elegant Martini to punters settled in comfy booths.
Le Bar also loves a burlesque show.
400 Gradi
99 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
Image credit: 400 Gradi | Instagram
For 17 years, the Margarita to the Martini to the Negroni have featured on 400 Gradi's menu—and as Gradi Group director Johnny di Francesco says, “We wouldn’t dare try to reinvent them.”
“We prefer to serve them with classic ingredients, measured to show the sophistication of a timeless drink where we think less is more.”
Mr Mills
Basement/130 Russell Street, Melbourne CBD
Image credit: Mr Mills | Instagram
Mr Mills is the city basement bar at HYDE Melbourne Place has morphed into a late-night weekly music hub, just launching a new DJ series every Thursday and Friday, featuring local and emerging artists.
There’s a range of classic martinis served as signature “Tiny Tinis” including Saltbush and Lemon Geranium Dirty Martini with a house brine, White Possum Bare Dry Gin, Audemus Umami Gin and fino Sherry.
Her Bar
270 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Image credit: Her Bar | Instagram
European-inspired Her Bar in the multi-level Her is serving seasonal plates and cocktails from lunch through to late night.
The wine list is eclectic. Marcus Ellis, HQ Group’s Head of Wine, says ‘they are wines from makers who care for the land and the world around them, that work tirelessly to produce the best fruit possible, then make wine in a simple and unadorned way, with variety and place speaking loudest.”
Head of cocktails Tom Younger highlights the Lavender Old Fashioned but is equally enamoured with several other libations.
“The cocktails are simple and familiar but backstage there are multiple layers of complexity.”
The signature French 75 is stiff, sweet and a little bubbly – a strong drink in a sparkling dress, made with two bespoke products.
Her Bar also mixes it up with its ever-evolving Seasonal Gimlet. One month it will hero green apple, the next month it may be plums, berries, cucumber or rosemary. Currently, yellow peach is the star of the show.
Cellar Caffetteria
Lower Ground, 280 Little Collins Street, Melbourne CBD
Image credit: Rodd & Gunn Cellar & Wine Bar | Instagram
“How can you serve Italian fare and not put a banging Negroni on the list?”, says Matt Bax (of Bar Americano) who leads the Cocktail Laboratory at Cellar Caffetteria.
It’s a subterranean, modern dining space in the basement of the Rodd & Gunn flagship store in the heart of the city.
There’s Italian-inspired feeds including house-made pasta, served in the space that was once occupied by the original Cole’s Cafeteria.
Jungle Boy
96 Chapel Street, Windsor
Image credit: Jungle Boy Bar | Instagram
An unmarked door leads to a playful twist on a classic tiki bar that is Jungle Boy. Owner Adham Diab creates community spaces with unique character and rich stories.
“Every great bar should be more than a place to drink – it should be a place to belong.”
After more than a decade shaking things up across Canada and New Zealand, Jungle Boy’s Bar Manager Stefana Patrascu has brought top-tier drinks to Melbourne.
As for fave cocktail – it’s the Zombie.
“A mix of rich rums, tropical fruit, and our house tiki magic all come together in one big, bold concoction — and just when you think it couldn’t get any wilder, we set it fully on fire.”
“It’s the kind of drink that stops conversations and starts stories — fiery, boozy, and unapologetically fun, with a hint of danger. The Zombie is our showpiece, the one people come for, and the moment they remember long after the glass is empty.”
Lay Low Bar
93 Buckley Street, Seddon
Image credit: Lay Low Bar | Instagram
Vinyls spin as people unwind in the dimly-lit, underground Lay Low Bar. Founder Liam Shephard believes community spaces matter.
“Classics are timeless for a reason. Our philosophy is to honour the original while elevating it just enough to make it unmistakably Lay Low.
The Spicy Margarita is energetic and bold, making it one of Melbourne’s most-ordered cocktails.
Also on the list, bourbon or rye whiskey based Old Fashioned, and crowd fave – the punchy, smooth staple Espresso Martini.
A Saturday night power outage didn’t throw Lay Low – instead of closing, they lit candles and kept serving the classics.
“It reminded us that the magic of a bar isn’t the gear … it’s the people in it.”
The Douglas Club
472 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Image credit: The Douglas Club | Instagram
There’s a new happy hour in town and it’s called The Martini Affair at The Douglas Club. From 7 to 9 every night your choice of martini is 16 bucks.
It all starts December 29 until end of Jan, with the team pouring 24 free mini-martinis from 7 pm sharp. Chill nightcap, anyone?
The Blacksmith Bar
69 Swan Street, Richmond
Image credit: The Blacksmith Bar | Instagram
Before becoming The Blacksmith Bar, this 1924 building housed McNaughton’s Ironmongers.
An uncomplicated drinks list pays homage to the classics in a bar that drips nostalgia.
Owner Simon Pratt says, “Our classic cocktails are built on timeless technique, but what really matters to us is how they make people feel.”
Bonus! Every Wednesday from five pm til late – they serve half price classic cocktails.
Figlia
335 Lygon Street, Brunswick
Image credit: Figeria | Instagram
You can head to Figlia for ultimate sourdough pizzas – including best-seller cavolo nero with stracciatella – paired with fun-meets-familiar cocktails.
There are bar snacks like cacio pepe arancini and of course, pastas too. And the Figlia mocktail is spot on.
Figlia restaurant manager Aaron King says, “Everything we serve is tethered to a sense of tradition, but we put our own spin on it.”
“There’s a reason Negroni, Spritzes and Martinis marry so well with Italian food, and we’re here to celebrate that, rather than reinventing the wheel.
Main image credit: The Douglas Club | Instagram
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