As soon as the temperature begins heating up after a frosty winter, there's one thing on our mind: Melbourne's best beer gardens. You know the ones, leafy and sun-drenched oases where all your worries dissipate and there’s only one task at hand — having a grand old time alongside a cold pint.
From the classics that punters have been frequenting for decades to new places that will spice up your sunny weekend afternoon, there are some real pearlers that are calling your name. All you need to do is rock up, snag a seat, order a beer, and settle on in.
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If an icy cold pint in the sun has your name it, here’s where to find the best beer gardens Melbourne has to offer in 2025, according to Urban List:
The Standard Hotel
293 Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy
Image: The Standard Hotel | Supplied
The Standard may look like a regular pub from the front, but inside you’ll uncover one of the best beer gardens in Melbourne. On a sunny day, you’ll find a teeming collection of locals, blow-ins and even doggos. With large communal tables and a number of nooks and crannies, there’s always somewhere to perch. The beers are varied with crafts like Melbourne Bitter on tap right next to the Moo Brew. You can even grab a bottle of wine from the fridge to enjoy in the beer garden. This beloved pub has been around for a while now, but in 2025 it still holds up as a top spot for a pint in the sunshine.
INSIDER INTEL
- The Sunday roast is bloody good, $30 for all the trimming and there’s live music.
- Forget happy hour, they have golden hour from 3pm to 6pm with $8 pints.
- There’s plenty of heaters in the beer garden, making it a prime spot any time of the year.
The Great Northern Hotel
644 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North
Image: Great Northern Hotel | Supplied
Indisputably one of the best beer gardens Melbourne has ever served up to the summer boozehound in us all. The Great Northern is equal parts sports pub and dog pub, and the sprawling beer garden is usually filled with both of those things. They also do a killer parma.
INSIDER INTEL
- $22 parmas on Monday night, and there’s a vegetarian option.
- The staff are beer-obsessed, so why not ask for a recommendation and try something new.
- Want an activity alongside your beer? Pop in at 7:30pm on Wednesdays for pub trivia.
Leonard's House Of Love
3 Wilson Street, South Yarra
Image: Leonard's House Of Love | Supplied
One of South Yarra's and Melbourne's best beer gardens, Leonard's House Of Love is the pinnacle for an after-work or weekend drink and a chin wag. The quaint repurposed home on Wilson Street serves up one hell of a pint in the sunshine. Combine it with their famous fried chicken and you've got yourself quite the time in a friendly, relaxed beer garden.
INSIDER INTEL
- Head inside for a round of pool once the sun goes down.
- The double cheeseburger is next level.
- There’s a handful of tap beers, plenty of cans, and fun cocktail creations like the Rancho Relaxo and Alpine Hookup.
Prince Alfred Hotel
619 Church Street, Richmond
Image: Prince Alfred Hotel | Supplied
A Church Street favourite affectionately known as PA’s, Prince Alfred Hotel is a top spot for putting back a couple of beers in the garden. With over 15 beers on tap, you can go an entire visit without ever sampling the same beer twice. Dogs are not just welcomed but encouraged, there's a stacked menu, and they even have merch for the truly dedicated out there, so there are plenty of reasons PA’s is a hot contender for the best beer garden Melbourne has to offer.
INSIDER INTEL
- Weekday lunches for $24 are the ultimate mid-week pick me up.
- There’s live music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- Happy hour is 3pm to 6pm, so after work drinks are sorted.
The Retreat Hotel
280 Sydney Road, Brunswick
Image: The Retreat Hotel | Supplied
You won’t find a list of the top beer gardens in our gorgeous city that doesn’t include Brunswick’s Retreat Hotel. This spacious beer garden is exactly what you’d expect from a Sydney Road institution. It’s busy, loud, filled with music, and primed for whiling away the weekend afternoons. They also have a sizable beer selection and pumping band room. What more could you want?
INSIDER INTEL
- Let the night live on, The Retreat has live music every single night of the week.
- $10 pints from 4pm to 6pm on Monday to Friday.
- There’s a secret cocktail bar upstairs, perfect for post-beer garden hangs.
Garden State Hotel
101 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
Image: Garden State Hotel | Supplied
Beer garden but make it bougie. Garden State Hotel is one seriously aesthetic spot, with four levels to this boozy oasis. The venue has the capacity to host 800 people at any one time, making it one of the biggest beer gardens in Melbourne. Rest assured it will be absolutely heaving coming into summer.
INSIDER INTEL
- In the mood for a Sunday sesh? They’ve got $15 Bloody Marys and snacks, as well as live music every Sunday.
- Pop into Tippy-Tay for dinner afterwards, Garden State’s in-house Italian bistro.
- There’s DJs until late Thursday to Saturday, in case your sunny afternoon progreses that way.
Arbory Bar & Eatery
1 Flinders Walk, Melbourne CBD
Image: Arbory Bar & Eatery | Supplied
We all know it, we all love it. No doubt one of the best beer gardens Melbourne CBD has ever seen and it's still a winner in 2025. Arbory Bar & Eatery embodies alfresco drinking and dining, with literally the whole bar being outside. Being smack bang next to Flinders Street station, it’s a great meeting place with easy access. Oh and you can’t miss Arbory Afloat for beers atop the Yarra River all summer.
INSIDER INTEL
- Kids eat free every Saturday and Saturday for the entire AFL season. More kid-friendly pubs over here.
- There’s an oyster trolley every Thursday, with $2 oysters.
- The Tiramisu Mont Blanc is one of the most decadent cocktails we’ve tried.
The Keys
188 Plenty Road, Preston
Image: The Keys | Supplied
A relative newcomer to Melbourne's best beer gardens, given that so many have stood the test of time, is The Keys. This sprawling vintage-inspired bowling alley, bar, and beer garden opened in the back half of 2023 and it’s been an absolute hit ever since. It’s nostalgic yet modern — nothing like bowling alleys from when you were a kid, everything like the type of place you’d like to while away an afternoon now. For the perfect day, sink a few cold ones in the beer garden alongside a hefty burger before heading in and sinking a few balls in the bowling alley. This joint might just have it all.
INSIDER INTEL
- Pop in for trivia and $29 steaks every Wednesday.
- There’s White Russians on tap, as well as 48 beers.
- Bowl a perfect game on Thursday and win $3,000 cold hard cash. That’ll last you a few beer garden sessions.
College Lawn Hotel
36 Greville Street, Prahran
Image: College Lawn Hotel | Supplied
A classic Melbourne beer garden loved by many is College Lawn Hotel. It has a certain familiarity to it, where you’re bound to bump into half of Melbourne on a summer’s day, but for some reason it never feels crowded. This place also does an epic parma — it’s so epic that you can order it in a smaller size if you prefer.
INSIDER INTEL
- Get $11 pints and $8.50 wines every weekday from 4pm to 6pm.
- Sundays are an absolute vibe here. There’s roast lamb and shiraz for $35, as well as $15 cocktails.
- They have $24 pub classic lunches every weekday.
The Local Taphouse
184 Carlisle Street, St Kilda East
Image: The Local Taphouse | Supplied
Boasting a stellar selection of craft brews, this European-inspired neighbourhood tavern, The Local Taphouse, is a familiar fixture to many St Kilda residents. Steering away from mainstream beer giants, the beauty of this joint lies in their passion for local tipples, so while you may not recognise the names on their ever-rotating taps, you’ll get to venture into uncharted beer territories. Head on upstairs and plant yourself in the rooftop beer garden with some tasty pub grub that is meticulously matched to their local brews.
INSIDER INTEL
- Knock off drinks are sorted: $10 pints from 4pm to 6pm on weekdays.
- Enjoy $2 oysters in the beer garden every Friday from 4pm.
- Check out their impressive comedy nights every Monday at 8:30pm.
Howler
7-11 Dawson Street, Brunswick
Image: Howler | Supplied
Located in an old wood store warehouse in Brunswick, Howler is a unique blend of bar, performance venue, restaurant, and beer garden. The beer garden offers an alluring open-air experience, reminiscent of a lush forest with hanging greenery. With a diverse gig schedule, a rotating selection of craft beers, and a large menu, this is hands down one of the best beer gardens Melbourne has to offer.
INSIDER INTEL
- In very wallet-friendly news, get $15 burgers on Tuesdays and Sundays.
- There’s $10 pints every single day from 5pm to 7pm.
- See what upcoming events they have here.
Hotel Lombardo
11-13 Sydney Road, Coburg
Image: Hotel Lombardo | Supplied
Embracing a deep 70s New York aesthetic, reminiscent of late-night clubs ala the Copacabana in Goodfellas, Hotel Lombardo is your go-to beer garden in this part of town. The venue offers a beer garden that compliments the interior’s aesthetic, enveloped by greenery and adorned with fairy lights and red Campari umbrellas—very fitting.
INSIDER INTEL
- Nestle into the lush space with a highly sought-after 72-hour fermented pizza.
- We’re obsessed with their chilled red in the beer garden on a sunny afternoon.
- It gets busy. We recommend booking a table.
The Rainbow Hotel
27 St David Street, Fitzroy
Image: The Rainbow Hotel | Supplied
Established in 1869, it’s safe to say The Rainbow Hotel is a well-loved pub. With 12 beers on tap and a fridge packed full of all the lagers, pilsners, ales, I.P.A.s, wheat beers, sours, and ciders you could dream of, there’s no better place for a cold drink. Pull up a seat in the covered beer garden or the deck beer garden, both of which are surrounded by greenery and oozing good vibes.
INSIDER INTEL
- $10 Stone & Wood pints 3pm to 6pm on weekdays.
- The menu features elevated pub classics: pork schnitzel, sizzling fajita, Nashville fried chicken burger, and so much more.
- There’s live music, trivia nights, and Sunday roasts.
Main image credit: Prince Alfred Hotel | Supplied
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