The Sunday Six: Melbourne Bars

Biero
Like beer? Then you’ll love Biero, which offers several hundred of the world’s finest brews, from the eye-wateringly expensive high-alcohol triple bocks through to local craft brews at $5 a pint on Wednesdays. And the styling’s funky, too.
Biero is at 525 Little Lonsdale Street, CBD

Der Raum
If you’re a cocktail geek — I am — or into food, a visit to Der Raum will probably be high on your list of things to do in Melbourne. They take the molecular principles pioneered by chef Ferran Adria and apply them to drinks. What does that mean? Well, anything from complicated creations served in pill form or flavoured with oil through to luscious blackcurrant mixes served in a bottle in a brown paper bag.
Der Raum is at 438 Church Street, Richmond

Madame Brussels
On a sunny afternoon, the roof terrace of this laneway bar is an amazing place to be. It’s named for the celebrated Melbourne madame, Caroline Hodgson, or Madame Brussels, and waitresses in tennis whites plus a host of double-entendres keep up the theme. Punches, served in jugs, are great.
Madame Brussels is at Level 3, 59-63 Bourke Street, CBD

1806
On the large side, by the standards of Melbourne’s laneway bars, 1806 takes its name from the year the cocktail was first defined in print. And a volume that’s more bible than menu will lead you through drinks of yesteryear up to the present. Go early for education, later for a laugh. Or sign up for one of their cocktail classes.
1806 is at 113 Lonsdale Street, CBD

The Waiting Room
If you want glitz, head down to this sexy hotel bar, nestled within the Crown Casino complex, which is more like something out of London or New York than Melbourne’s more typical downbeat style. You’ll find crystal glassware, monochrome photos and amazing cocktails, adapted from the classic hotel drinks of yesteryear. At a price, natch.
The Waiting Room is at Crown Towers Complex, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank,

Melbourne Supper Club
Missed the winery tours and have money to burn? Go here. But don’t look like a backpacker or they won’t let you in. A phenomenally discreet entrance leads up to a gentleman’s club styled space, offering 60-plus pages worth of wines from around the world. And, if wine’s not your thing, Siglo up above has a late, late license.
Melbourne Supper Club is at 161 Spring Street, CBD