Where To Wine and Dine in Melbourne for Maximum Summer Vibes

If it feels like you spend half the year just waiting for summer to return, now’s the time to rejoice. Melbourne might be blessed with cosy pubs and fire-focused restaurants, but it’s never as enticing as when that summer sun finally arrives, bringing the warm season with it. It’s the time of sun-drenched rooftop bars, shady beer gardens, refreshingly cool restaurants and snacky menus to go with a spritz in hand.

The CBD is packed with summer-friendly bars and eateries, no matter what you’re looking for. While you could easily make a new discovery just strolling down one of the city’s many laneways, we’ve listed five summery spots below to get you started.

Her Rooftop

The five-storey Pacific House represents a potentially never-ending adventure, packed as it is with spaces like the fiery Thai restaurant BKK and the vinyl-spinning Music Room. In summer though, head straight for the top (via the lift, if it’s a scorcher) to find Her Rooftop, an open-air hideaway from the city below. The panoramic city view is, of course, the big talking point up here, but the bar’s cocktail list (mainly classics with a tropical twist) and Thai snacks from BKK make it easy to while away those summery afternoons in the sky.

Lollo at W Melbourne

Italian cuisine can be hearty and perfect for the cooler months, but that’s not the whole story. Head to Lollo at W Melbourne and you’ll find an ideal warm season eatery with a menu of summery dishes like New York-style shrimp scampi, tuna crudo with limoncello, and Abrolhos Island scallops with caviar and prosecco cream. On the bar side, you’ll find crisp Italian wines and summer spritzes. Grab yourself a few glasses and take in that summer sun through Lollo’s massive windows.

Caretaker’s Cottage

Caretaker’s Cottage is one of those rare bars that draws us in year-round, no matter the weather. Of course, the bluestone bar is naturally cosy in winter, but you don’t discount it when the weather turns warm. Picnic table seating and a tidy lawn outside become very inviting in the summer season, especially with vinyl spinning and Caretaker’s rotating selection of rare classic cocktails and milk punch to keep you company. Even the bar’s single beer – properly-poured Guinness – works in the shady space outside.

Yarra Botanica

When the warm weather sets in, both sides of the Yarra River start to light up. Everyone has their own favourite, but riverside bar Yarra Botanica – on the Southbank end – is hard to beat. The plant-covered floating bar and eatery spans two storeys, with a focus on showing off great local produce. The food menu is built for sharing and has a heavy seafood focus, highlighted by small plates like pickled mussels with red gazpacho, octopus with ’nduja, and Lakes Entrance calamari with native spice salt. You can also pop in just for a drink, with plenty on the menu geared for warm days by the water. There’s a boozy mango and coconut slushie; a gin, curaçao, watermelon and lemon cocktail named for Bels Beach; and lots of local beer and wine.

Pearl Diver

Nothing says summer like a platter of oysters and a glass of crisp white wine. At Pearl Diver, you’re spoiled for both, starting with a dedicated oyster menu featuring some of Australia’s finest (and a wide selection of house-made accompaniments, too). The rest of the food menu is similarly seafood-focused, with ideal summer options like the cold seafood set (oysters, tuna tartare, crab rosti), charcoal-grilled octopus or king prawn skewers, and baked scallops with laksa butter. The wine list is big on the crisp and clean, with plenty of chablis and muscadet alongside local riesling and pinot grigio.

Dolly at Le Meridien

Sometimes the best way to beat the summer heat is to head underground – which is why Dolly at Le Meridien is perfect for those sweltering nights. Descend the stairs from Bourke Street to find a classically European-inspired restaurant full of old-school glamour, with towering ceilings, leather banquettes and arched mirrors. Chef Hervé Borghini’s menu combines timeless dishes with modern bistro touches, with options like bombe alaska (torched tableside), steak frites and barramundi with mussel bouillabaisse. With its class and theatrics – not to mention its insulated subterranean location – Dolly is an ideal spot to retreat when the summer really sets in.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Marriott Hotels & Resorts.