The bar scene went absolutely gangbusters this year. Pros with experience at established greats including Black Pearl, Pearl Diver, Flower Drum and the closed-but-ever-influential Everleigh struck out on their own. Successful single-venue operators opened sibling spots. And a 19-year-old Rathdowne Street mainstay moved to much bigger digs. These are the best new bars of 2025.

Three Horses, CBD

These are the things I like, very much, about Three Horses, the new bar from the Caretaker’s Cottage crew. The jubilant mango G&T, a sgroppino-style blend of Four Pillars x Caretaker’s House Gin, tonic and house-made mango sorbet, served in an icy stainless steel coupe. The sprawling, whimsical painting behind the bar, by co-owner Matt Stirling’s aunt Liz, a celebrated Paris-based artist and frequent Hermes collaborator. The Jabberwock, which has reignited my love of Martinis, with its hearty “say stop when” pour of dry sherry. The vintage light fixtures, especially the geometric pendant at the back. Melbourne is very lucky that Stirling, Ryan Noreiks and Rob Libecans continue to open bars here. They are true pros who put drinks, design, ambience and service on equal pedestals – Three Horses already ticks all those boxes, but best of all, it feels like it’s just getting started. – Katya Wachtel, editorial director

Hands Down, Fitzroy

Cocktail menus, like many recently, tend to play the hits. The people want Martinis and Margaritas, so you give ’em Martinis and Margaritas – or risk losing them to next door. Hats off, then, to the all-star crew at Hands Down for delivering such an original collection of drinks, mainly starring sherry and vermouth. Twelve options draw from the coastal cultures of Italy, France and Spain, handily categorised under spritzy, fruity, savoury and – my fave – slushie. The people are turning up in droves for banana and pineapple cobblers, complex herbal Swizzles and chartreuse-spiked lemon granita. Or maybe just for the informal drop-in vibe, courtesy of a sunny parklet, heavily timbered interior and a lowered ceiling for improved acoustics. It’s a worthy successor to previous tenant Bad Frankie, the first bar in the country to pour nothing but Australian spirits. – Nick Connellan, Australia editor

Geralds Bar, Carlton North

Melbourne’s bar scene has become relentlessly slick. How much terrazzo, leather banquette, and potted monstera can one take before it all starts to feel a bit... samey? When moving to a bigger Lygon Street space, 19-year-old Geralds Bar could have easily caved and adopted that pristine, polished wine bar feel. Instead, the beloved venue – now a hybrid bar, restaurant and bistro – reopened with its soul completely intact. Hoarders are right at home among the hodgepodge of items – porcelain plates, vintage car grills and original leadlight windows cover the walls. And despite the venue at least doubling in size, long-time fans will recognise the familiar service – still convivial, casual and fuss-free. Snack on the Scotch quail egg, white anchovies and chicken liver pâté, plus a Dirty Martini – it wouldn’t be a trip to Gerald’s without it. – Holly Bodeker Smith, newsletter editor

Melitta Next Door, Carlton 

When Bar Bellamy founders Dani and Oska Whitehart took over the former cafe next door, it would have been easy to expand the wildly popular cocktail bar. Instead, the duo opened Melitta Next Door, a more casual spot designed to be an affordable option for locals who still want a damn good drink. Wines, spritzes and the Meli-To – a watermelon-infused take on a Milano Torino – are $14. The latter tastes like a grown-up Sunny Boy – add soda and it’s even served with an iceberg-like block of ice reminiscent of the childhood favourite. It’s best enjoyed paired with chef Lorena Corso’s Mediterranean barbeque menu (you’ll want to order two servings of the puffy flatbread, trust me). – Audrey Payne, Melbourne food and drink editor

Bar Selecta, Hawthorn 

If you told me this time last year that one of Melbourne’s best bars was in Hawthorn, I wouldn’t have believed you. But the team behind Bar Selecta has brought some grown-up cool to Glenferrie Road. Former Flower Drum bartender Joey Tai shows off with playful drinks that pop, and saké sommelier Masaki Hisaike has curated a list that shows off the diversity of the drink. The expert bar knowledge is perfectly matched with one of the best designed venues around (thanks to co-owners Michael and Eleena Tan), complete with vintage JBL speakers from Japan playing everything from city pop to Prince and Ariana Grande. – Audrey Payne, Melbourne food and drink editor

Pendant Public Bar, Fitzroy

My new-to-Melbourne friend and I love to visit decades-old institutions together. When she told me she’d found one called Pendant, I didn’t have the heart to tell her it’s actually a newbie. Her confusion was understandable, because Pendant looks, acts and feels like it’s been there forever. The space has long been a bar, and the couple at the helm have a decade of experience working at some of Melbourne’s best bars, like Black Pearl, The Everleigh (now-closed) and Apollo Inn. With its country tunes and timber-clad walls, Pendant walks a line between well-loved dive bar and suave cocktail den. When I’m not in the mood for one of the four changing cocktails (which is rare – there’s always a tall spritz, a citrus-forward number, a dark-spirited serve, and a stirred, boozy drink). It’s also one of my favourite spots for a Guinness. – James Williams, creative solutions manager

Ruzia’s, Caulfield North

Lots of operators will tell you their venue is full of heart, but at Ruzia’s it’s undeniable. The wine bar is chef and co-owner Ravi Presser’s ode to his grandmother Ruzia Presser, who was born in Poland and survived World War II, as one of the Jews saved by Oskar Schindler, before starting a new life in Australia. Relatives work the floor; Ravi’s wife Lucy Presser handles marketing; his uncle bakes Basque cheesecakes for the venue; and his niece’s father Joel Amos (founder of natural wine supplier Drnks) curates the wine list. Glasses are served alongside Ravi’s homely dishes, including chicken meatballs in a tomato and mushroom sauce with kasha (buckwheat porridge), and Ruzia’s plate, which pairs Baker Bleu’s rye and caraway bread with sliced cured pork neck, gravlax, pickled veggies and cheese. – Audrey Payne, Melbourne food and drink editor

Tiny Bar, Brunswick East

Zac Shearer and Jamila Fontana prove that five-square-metres is all you need to pack a punch. At Tiny Bar, the couple has somehow managed to fit a kitchen, cocktail station, and seating for 15 guests inside a former bagel shop. Shearer, a chef who clocked time at French Saloon and The Lincoln turns out expert snacks such as mussels with guanciale and eel mayo and larger plates including golden crumbed lamb cutlets. Fontana – who works in the corporate world – oversees drinks. There’s a small but growing number of wines, house Martinis and Negronis and a scotch and Coke twist made using Italian chinotto (a soft drink made from chinotto oranges instead of cola). – Audrey Payne, Melbourne food and drink editor

Solace, CBD

For a lot of people, the word “nightclub” understandably summons images of syrupy vodka drinks in reusable plastic cups. It doesn’t have to be this way, Solace says, dancing to the same beat as Angel Music Bar, Music Room and friends. The bar makes most of its shrubs and syrups in-house, building them into fun cocktails like a Sichuan Spicy Margarita, jasmine-infused Martini and Pocari Sweat-spiked highball. And with levels that are more loungey than clubby, the place can be as chill or intense as you want. But do yourself a favour and spend a night dancing to house or techno on the sweaty top floor, where a state-of-the-art Funktion-One sound system rattles the walls. – Nick Connellan, Australia editor

Nobody’s Baby, South Yarra

With Nobody’s Baby, Gustavo Prince (owner of Joe’s Shoe Store and Pizza Meine Liebe in Northcote) and former Joe’s employee Tim Badura have brought a north-side approach and energy to the south. The bar is on an already-packed end of Toorak Road – right by France-Soir – but sets itself apart with playful cocktails and a kitchen residency program. At open, you could order plates from Very Good Falafel, but currently, Rocco’s Bologna Discoteca is overseeing food. Which means you can now get that meatball sub south-side. – Audrey Payne, Melbourne food and drink editor

Slowpoke, Collingwood

The view from the top is magic but the show starts on the ground floor at Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout. Rock up on a Friday or Saturday night (without a booking) and you’ll likely be met by a lively attendant taking song requests while managing capacity four floors up. It’s the perfect warm up before you get the green light to head into the lift. On top, Slowpoke has views of the inner north that stretch almost 360 degrees. It’s especially magic at golden hour, when the sun drops behind the rooftops and the whole space shifts into warm amber. The drinks list is tight but clever (a Slowpoke Picante, anyone?). And as for the food: the nostalgic McDonald’s-level cheeseburger with hash-brown fries somehow makes sunset cocktails taste even better. – Steph Vigilante, head of social media

The Best of 2025 is proudly presented by Square, Kia, NAB and Four Pillars. The bars in this article were selected independently by Broadsheet’s editors.