Cocktail hour in Melbourne just got more exciting with four bars dotted around the city that bring a different vibe for every mood.
The QT Melbourne rooftop bar is where we go for servings of the city's skyline as well as signature cocktails that include Lady Marmalade, mixed with gin, marmalade liqueur and passion fruit, and Hot Stuff, a spicy mix of tequila, jalapeño and lime. The bar also serves a yummy food menu with burgers, pizza and bao buns all waiting to be indulged in. If you're looking for a weekend spot to enjoy fancy drinks, good food and twinkling lights then this is it.
Across the road from Albert Park is where you will find Mortimer's, the cocktail bar located on the ground floor of the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park hotel. Here you can toast your fabulous self with The Cloudy Delight, made with a bespoke gin courtesy of Tiny Bear Distillery, Chambord and tonic water, and topped with a floating cloud of fairy floss. This is an ideal spot if you're looking to enjoy a quiet drink but with all the offerings of a bustling bar, minus the noise.
Sheraton Melbourne is another hotel serving up an outdoor bar that brings the best of the city to your cocktail hour. The hotel's Terrace Bar overlooks Melbourne's iconic laneways while surrounding you in beautiful leafy greenery. On the menu you will find sharing plates including oysters and golden salt and pepper calamari, and of course cocktails. Cosmos, espresso martinis and negronis are all here as well as the Sheraton Vesper, shaken with both gin and vodka, and a splash of Cocchi Americano if you're after a stronger drink.
Taking over a small lane in the heart of the CBD off Little Collins Street, Chuckle Park is an al fresco bar that is the embodiment of a colourful street party. Hanging fairlights, lanterns and blooms, the outdoor bar serves its drinks from the back of a mini caravan, where pickle-flavoured beer and spicy margaritas can be ordered to fuel your evening. This is a great spot for cocktail hour, the only downfall, no snacks, just drinks, so do not go if you're borderline hungry.