Melbourne’s Hidden Restaurants, Bars & Secret Spots Worth Knowing About

A magical city with twists and turns at every corner, Melbourne is a city packed full of hidden gems and discovery. Here, stepping into tiny laneways and behind unmarked doors will take you on a unique voyage through secret bars, intimate eateries, transportive art spaces and intrepid wilderness adventures.

Whether you’re a lifelong Melburnian or a new resident on the block, there’s always something new to fuel curious minds. Indulge your imagination here with some of Melbourne’s hidden restaurants, bars and secret spots that are weird and wonderful in equal measure.

Bodega Underground

Educate yourself in mezcal, tequila's in-vogue relative, at this underground bar and taqueria specialising in the smoky Mexican spirit. They offer seventy varieties to sip straight or in punchy cocktails like the Ancho which blends jalapeno mezcal with grilled lime, agave and chilli salt. The perfect companion to your tequila, tacos are at the centre of this China Town eatery. Pork, fish, black beans, you name it - they have it. Spy an eclectic decor of fairy lights, film posters, prints and other knick-knacks accumulated from trips to Mexico. 

55 Little Bourke St, Melbourne 

Easey’s

Five storeys up on the rooftop of a Collingwood building is probably the last place you’d expect to find a decommissioned train carriage, much less one that has a burger joint operating inside it. Whether you’re chowing down on cheeseburgers at a booth inside or knocking back jugs of Melbourne Bitter under the stars, Easey’s is a hidden restaurant in Melbourne that always guarantees a good time.

3/48 Easey Street, Collingwood  

The Cornish Arms Hotel

Boasting eight craft beer taps, a rooftop with views of the city and a dedicated vegan menu, there's something for everyone at friendly local The Cornish Arms. By allowing plant-based fans of pub grub to join their omnivorous mates for a mock chicken parma, seitan souvlaki or even fishless fish and chips, they're doing their bit to bring people together.

163A Sydney Road, Brunswick

Shop Ramen

This Inner-North hipster magnet has won the hearts of Melbourne’s ramen lovers with unconventional bowls spiked with everything from yuzu oil and melted cheese to hot jalapeños. In this vegetarian-friendly neck of the woods, it also stands to reason that their meatless ramen is a standout  – sunk in creamy sesame broth topped with a wholesome medley of tofu, kale, pickles, pea shoots, edamame and marinated egg. 

329 Smith St, Fitzroy

143 Plenty Rd, Preston 

Hells Kitchen

One of the city's most famous laneways, Degraves Street does the whole Jekyll and Hyde thing like nowhere else. Bisected by Flinders Lane, perfectly manicured tables favourited by tourists sit alongside a chaotic mix of gritty, grab-and-go cafes to create the most iconic of Melbourne settings. Keeping true to its surroundings, this longstanding hidden restaurant in Melbourne is a favourite of the city's after-hours crowd. By day, Hells Kitchen is a busy CBD coffee spot with a prime position for people-watching. By night it transforms into a hole-in-the-wall eatery and late-night bites joint serving pizzas, snags and their famous homemade meatballs. 

20A Centre Pl, Melbourne

Cafe Terroni

The Yarraville Village in Melbourne's west is known for its bustling, community-focused atmosphere that will instantly draw you in. While there is no shortage of fabulous eats in the area, Cafe Terroni's authentic menu and intimate, homely feel make it a standout on the strip. Feast on generous portions of Southern Italian favourites like mussels with fregola or pappardelle with diced lamb shoulder ragu. Buon Apetito! 

18 Ballarat St, Yarraville

The Melbourne Supper Club

Where else but the top end of the town would you find a plush, leather Chesterfield-filled European wine bar that’s open until 4 am (6 am on Friday and Saturdays) serving fancy bistro food and even fancier wine? This intimate venue is an ‘if you know, you know’ kind of place, concealed behind an unassuming door and up the stairs – and aimed towards a very select set of patrons.

First floor, 161 Spring Street, Melbourne 

A1 Bakery

The local's choice for a cheap feed, crowds have been flocking to Brunswick’s A1 for over 25 years to pick up fresh out-of-the-oven Lebanese baked goods. Open seven days a week from 7 am, you can get your hands on the house-made flatbread scattered with za'atar, pillowy halloumi-filled pies and juicy chicken tawouk wraps overflowing with crunchy pickles and garlic sauce pretty much whenever you want. Best of all, A1’s famously creamy dips also come in take-home packs.

643- 645 Sydney Road, Brunswick

Soi 38

No, you’re not imagining things – that really is the sound of sizzling pans and the smell of fish sauce coming from deep inside a CBD car park. Soi 38 is now the stuff of local legend, a pocket-sized Thai eatery that’s made a destination of the McIlwraith Place car park. Here the team sling some of Melbourne’s best boat noodles by day, before turning into a Chang-fuelled Thai barbecue and hot-pot joint by night. 

38 McIlwraith Place, Melbourne 

The Black Yard

Peppy Ormond café Walafel is more than worth a visit for their delicious waffle-falafel hybrid, but the real secret here is that if you walk through into their back courtyard on Saturdays and Sundays, you’ll find a different café entirely. At The Black Yard, you’ll find boisterous groups of Israelis ploughing into traditional breakfasts of jachnun, a chewy, slightly sweet pastry that’s torn off in strips for dipping into various relishes. 

1-3 Ulupna Road, Ormond

La Tortilleria

As the name suggests, this pocket-sized diner has a laser focus on making authentic tortillas from scratch – a process that begins with stone-grinding maize and ends with perfectly soft, yet sturdy discs. They make thousands each day and you can enjoy them wrapped around slow-cooked beef cheeks and pork al pastor tacos, under barramundi and guac tostadas, and inside your bag when you take a pack home.

72 Stubbs St, Kensington

Teta Mona

This family-owned neighbourhood restaurant straddles the line between hip and homely, kitted out to look like grandma's house but full of young Melburnians who've fallen for Teta Mona's Lebanese soul food. Expect lots of dips, breads and pickles, plus share bowls that star rich, spiced sauces and play with the textures of nuts, tahini and yoghurt. 

100A Lygon St, Brunswick East 

Laksa King

The original Laksa King in Flemington is a Melbourne institution, and it’s the recommendation that many shares when asked where the city's best laksa is served. The same recipe is used in the shiny outpost in Glen Waverley, where day and night you'll see an endless rotation of hungry diners dropping in for bowls for their spice-rich, coconut-creamy noodle soup. However, there's more to this diner than just the namesake dish, with plenty of other Malaysian and Singaporean favourites you'd be remiss to not try here, from fragrant Hainanese chicken rice to punchy sambal seafood stir-fries.

6-12 Pin Oak Cres, Flemington

3/39 51 Kingsway, Glen Waverley

Ishizuka

To find high-end kaiseki dining in Melbourne you’ll need to visit acclaimed chef Tomotaka Ishizuka’s ultra-exclusive, hidden restaurant in Melbourne. Seating just 16 in a basement on Bourke Street, all guests are served the 11-dish tasting menu in which luxe ingredients, exceptional technique, and art gallery-level plating shine in complex yet restrained dishes. Come here for a masterclass in Japanese perfectionism.

139 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Tonka

Fiery Indian cuisine with a refined and contemporary touch is what you can expect from this CBD mainstay, tucked off one of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways. The luxe white tablecloths won’t be pristine for long after you devour Tonka’s glorious saucy and succulent dishes. The lamb curry with roasted coconut and black cardamom is hard to pass up or try something from one of the Tandoor ovens, like the whole spatchcock or Petuna ocean trout.

20 Duckboard Place, Melbourne

Trinket

Flinders Lane has its fair share of buzzing restaurants and happening joints to blow off some steam. From the outside, Trinket is one of those unassuming cocktail bars that could easily be missed, but once inside this beautifully unique venue, it’s all about stunning old-world charm. While the main floor has you covered with pizzas and cocktails, venture through the wardrobe to discover the secret cellar bar and settle in for the night with a good drop (or two). 

87 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Siglo

A true everyone's club steeped in old-world charm, Siglo’s table-clothed rooftop terrace is without a doubt a city icon. Perched above the Princess Theatre at the cocktail-loving ‘Paris end’, a sense of European style and elegance permeates as chatty patrons savour fine wines whilst overlooking the glittering streetscape below. For the cigar-loving gentlemen and women have your lighters at the ready because Cohiba Siglo's are the venue's signature. 

Level 2, 161 Spring Street, Melbourne

Fiftyfive

Fiftyfive is back baby! Open until 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays, this CBD basement bar is a go-to for late-night antics. Creative types sit shoulder-to-shoulder with city workers, drinking beer and eating pizza under fairy lights, hanging plants and wooden walls that make the bar feel like a mate’s place. There’s DJs on most nights of the week, and an art space hosting shows by local artists.

55 Elizabeth St, Melbourne

Goldilocks

Perched on top of the Denyers Building in the CBD, is an intimate bar that as Goldilocks would say is; just right! With an exclusively Victorian beer, wine and cider list, supporting local has never been easier (or tastier). Good news for all the amaretto sour-loving vegans, Goldilocks does not use any animal products in their drinks, choosing animal-friendly alternatives across the board.

Level 4, 264 Swanston Street, Melbourne 

Above Board

There are cocktail bars and then there is Above Board. Hidden within the sea of pubs and themed bars that Collingwood is known for is the Narnia of all cocktail joints. Headed by cocktail expert Hayden Lambert (ex Bar Americano), Above Board’s curated menu will have you questioning every drink you’ve ever had. ?If you’re looking for a spot to have a quiet solo drink, look no further. Take a seat at the bar and let the crew work their magic. If you can find it that is...

Behind "Beermash" through the back door, 306 Smith Street, Collingwood

Biff Tannin's

Tucked away off Sydney Road in Brunswick is a pizza and wine bar that lets you decide how much vino your glass can hold. With self-serve wine, you can choose if you’re all-in or just want a sample of 32 different options. The laidback local is also home to an impressive whisky selection with a focus on rare and unique drops. Soak up all the wine with one of their classic $8 pizzas or treat the table to one of their Deluxe Charcuterie Boards.

u5/601 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

Loch & Key

Hidden atop the city's oldest pub Captain Melville, this after-hours joint is a favourite of the hospo crowd and those looking for a cheeky pint in the wee hours of the morning. Dark, wood interiors give the space an antique yet cosy feel that is less CBD bar and more house in the woods. Relax and soak up the sunshine on the huge balcony that overlooks Franklin St or retreat to the plush couches inside for an intimate evening complete with cocktails. 

34 Franklin St, Melbourne

Bar Americano

Only 10 people can fit inside this snug standing-room-only cocktail bar at any time, so it’s probably a good thing that it’s tucked away in Presgrave Place, away from the public gaze. A vintage blue tabacchi (Italian for “tobacco shop”) sign marks out the 1930s-inspired venue, where you’ll be served a selection of exactingly prepared classic cocktails that change each week according to the bar’s whim.

20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne 

Bar Margaux

A hidden gem worth knowing about, step under Lonsdale Street and be transported to the classic French brasseries of New York via Bar Margaux, where the gun team is serving classic cocktails and bistro fare all the way until 5 am. Vintage-inspired red-leather banquettes, black-and-white subway tiles and dim lighting snatch away all sense of time as you keep the orders rolling, from oysters and champagne to lobster Croque Monsieur and Manhattans.

111 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Gin Palace

Gin Palace is Melbourne’s OG underground den of luxurious imbibing. Buried in a basement down a dark alleyway, your curiosity is rewarded with a velvet-dressed wonderland where you can delve through hundreds of top-shelf, rare gins, either neat or in imaginative cocktails, while lounging in luxurious chaises.

10 Russell Place, Melbourne 

Jungle Boy

This secret tiki bar is hidden behind a sandwich shop and entered via the cool-room door – how very Melbourne. Inside you'll be greeted with a dim, buzzy bar where animated bartenders shake up tropical cocktails with a side of A+ banter. Pot plants and knick-knacks add to the off-kilter vibe, and if you get peckish, well, you know a sandwich is never far away.

96 Chapel Street, Windsor

Beneath Driver Lane

Tucked behind the grand GPO building, Beneath Driver Lane is doubly hard to find but equally worth the effort. Listen to blues and drink Martinis blasted with liquid nitrogen as you settle into cosy leather booths lit by candlelight. Peckish? The kitchen serves bar snacks including jamon croquettes and moules marinière all the way till 3 am.

3 Driver Ln, Melbourne

Chuckle Park

Off Little Collins Street you’ll find Chuckle Park, down an adorably tiny laneway bar where a caravan serves fun-loving cocktails, beers and wine. There’s mezcal hot chocolates in winter, a full spritz menu in summer, and mimosas and Bloody Marys for day drinking. The seating area is covered by a canopy of flowers and fairy lights, giving a fun, magical mood to your drinking sesh.

322 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

Fortyfivedownstairs

Tucked away under Flinders Lane is one of the city’s most exciting cultural spaces. Venture down the stairs to discover multiple galleries and a warehouse-style theatre, where independent artists, dancers, and musicians are displaying some of the most cutting-edge work around. One day there could be a classical music recital, the next, a rollicking cabaret, but all underground.

45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Fitzroy Gardens Conservatory

Fitzroy Gardens is one of the loveliest spots in the CBD to grab a bit of sun or shade over your lunch break, but it’s also home to a 1930s conservatory where a verdant botanic garden grows. Inside the Spanish Mission-style structure, you may find hydrangeas, poinsettias and fuchsias, depending on the time of year. 

Wellington Parade, East Melbourne

Palace Westgarth

Step back in time to 1950s Hollywood at this unassuming suburban cinema, where the stunning Art Deco features inside, including a grand staircase and ornate ceilings, have been carefully maintained. On-screen it’s a much more contemporary affair, with both indie flicks and blockbusters showing daily.

89 High Street, Northcote 

Blue Lotus Water Garden

From December to April each year, this 50,000 square-metre water garden in the Yarra Valley blooms with water lilies and lotus flowers. Ponds, lakes, palms, lagoons and even a waterfall create a tropical paradise that feels a universe away from Melbourne despite only being a 90-minute drive away.

2628 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction  

The Johnston Collection

The Johnston Collection’s location is kept strictly secret – all visitors are picked up via a shuttle bus to maintain the museum’s security. This lavish English Regency-style house hybrid is filled with priceless items from the Georgian, Regency and Louis XV periods. They were all gifted to the city by prominent antiques dealer and collector William Robert Johnston, and are now on display in his former residence.

Arrive at 192 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne

Jack's Magazine

Concealed at the base of an escarpment on the Maribyrnong River is Jack’s Magazine, a former explosives storage facility that hides a labyrinth of underground tramways, tunnels and rooms that have been locked up since the ’90s. The site is connected to many major events in Victoria’s history, from the Gold Rush to wars, and is well worth seeing if you’re a history fanatic.

Magazine Way, Maribyrnong 

If you liked our round-up of Melbourne’s hidden restaurants, bars and secret spots, we've got plenty more things to do in Melbourne that'll keep you entertained. You'll love our cute date night ideas – think of fun activities like art and cooking classes. Or upgrade your day out to an entire weekend with a relaxing getaway to one of Victoria's beautiful holiday destinations, from Daylesford to the Mornington Peninsula,  or even further afield. Our bucket list of Australian road trips have you covered.