Without a doubt, Melbourne is home to some of the country’s most outstanding rooftop bars in Australia. If you’re making the trip to Melbourne or looking for somewhere to spend some time in CBD or coming off St Kilda Road, we have a list of the best rooftop bars in Melbourne. Whether you’re in Fitzroy, Brunswick or in the heart of Bourke Street, we’ll have a bar that will get you incredible views of the city skyline.
Let’s take a look over Melbourne CBD’s best cocktail bar and rooftop bars below.
Naked in the Sky
To start off our list, we’re heading to Fitzroy in the city’s northwest. At Naked in the Sky, you’ll be ideally perched five floors above Melbourne, and Naked for Satan below, offering by far the best view of the city’s ever-growing skyline. The rooftop bar’s drink menu is an awesome 20 pages long and with Instagram-friendly drinks and craft beers, you’ll be sure to have your friends gushing over your stories and feed posts!
The bar’s terrace has plenty of hearty meals on offer from the restaurant and occasional live music and the open-air beer garden atmosphere is sure to make Naked in the Sky a rooftop terrace that everyone will love.
Rooftop at QT
Heading into the heart of Melbourne now, you’ll find Rooftop at QT standing 11 stories in the sky just opposite to the Bourke Street Mall in the small corner laneway. QT Melbourne offers a unique, modern take on rooftop dining and has curated cocktails, delectable meals and live DJs in-house. As one of the most dynamic rooftop bars in the city, you’ll feel perfectly welcome here whether you’re coming from work, or having a night out with family or friends. The famous Madame Brussels and Good Heavens are also just a few moments walk from here, so a bar crawl to the best rooftop bars won’t be too hard.
You’ll also find a contemporary lounge area both indoors and outdoors here, giving you and your friends plenty of space to sit, eat, drink and take in the city skyline surrounding you.
Upside Rooftop Bar
Arguably the calmest and most inviting cocktail rooftop bar in Melbourne is the Upside Rooftop Bar on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. You’ll find a similar standout view found at Naked in the Sky, but you’ll also be nestled between apartments and the bar on the 2nd floor, perfectly positioned to take in the sunset and the city’s golden glow throughout the evening. You’ll find the bar as being rather urban and with live music, creative cocktails and a selection of snacks, it’s really the place to be in Fitzroy.
To add, if you’re in the area before midnight, you can take advantage of the Number 11 tram to get back into the city on Collins and Swanston Street, or out to the suburbs.
Bomba
If you’re feeling a Spanish vibe for the evening, then there’s only one rooftop bar for you, and that’s the Bamba rooftop bar on the 4th floor of 103 Lonsdale Street in the CBD. The new rooftop bar was refurbished just last year and is incredibly styled to transport you from laneway-style Melbourne, to sunset toned Spain in an instant. With Spanish tapas, grilled corn, and panoramic city views it’s the ultimate Mediterranean cocktail bar for anyone looking to get away from the city’s corner hotel bars.
The bar is also fantastic for functions and after-work drinks thanks to its relaxed, open-air vibe above the city’s bustling streets, though there’s a retractable roof if Melbourne decides to downpour at the last moment.
Siglo
For a more opulent classical feel, you’ll want to head toward parliament house to find Siglo on the second floor above the Melbourne Supper Club. Casually overlooking Spring Street makes Siglo the perfect place for formal gatherings and work get-togethers with its seemingly accidental French-Bohemian vibe. You’ll find some classy though rather expensive small bites to fight off those hunger pangs, and plenty of traditional wines and cocktails as well as attentive wait staff.
Keep in mind Siglo is a rather intimate, formal rooftop bar with its astroturf live music area and clothed tables, so keeping relaxed rather than rowdy might be your best bet here. Take a short walk to The Imperial Hotel or Loop Roof in your south for some more relaxed inner city bars boasting fried chicken, brisket, Asian cuisine and heaters for the winter time.
Melina on the Rooftop
The bar with the highest elevation on our list is the Melina rooftop bar standing 13 stories above Lonsdale Street in Melbourne’s CBD. You’ll have unrestricted views of all Melbourne’s towering skyscrapers in the CBD and South Yarra when wining and dining here, and with the bar’s casual Mediterranean aesthetic, there’s sure to be plenty of Instagram-worthy shots too. The rooftop bar is also open-aired, giving you the chance to take in the city’s fantastic weather, however, there’s a shelter if needed.
The bar is open from breakfast until late making it easier than almost any other Australian rooftop bar to come in and get a bite to eat with a view.
Honourable Mentions
We’d like to spotlight Rooftop Bar on Swanston Street for their summer rooftop cinema sessions, Fancy Hank for sitting in the hottest area in town, and Good Heavens rooftop bar with its and the unmatched Palm Springs-inspired decor. All offer some of the best rooftop vibes, though some services aren’t available all year round, so getting your dose of palm trees and BBQ meals might have to wait another year.