Melbourne’s Best Laneway Bars
Jay Martin
Guest Blogger
The City of Melbourne is awash with secret alleys and hidden laneways. Down these iconic cobblestone paths you’ll find any number of cafes, boutiques, and restaurants for you to explore.
Tucked away up stairways or down trash-bin-lined alleyways you’ll also find some of the best bars in Melbourne. Here are a few of my favourite hidden drinking spots this vibrant city has to offer.
Sister Bella
22 Drewery Place (Enter via Sniders Lane), Melbourne CBD
With no street signage it’s unlikely you’ll ever stumble across Sister Bella by accident. Tucked away down a street art lined alleyway off another painted laneway you’ll find the small doorway into one of Melbourne’s best, hidden bars.
For a relaxed vibe, good tunes, great cocktails and cheap (and delicious) pizza, make sure you come check out Sister Bella on your next Melbourne adventure.
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Bartronica
Basement, 335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
A little less hidden away but definitely worthy of mention is one of Melbourne’s newest bars – Bartronica. The bar is home to a large number of old-school arcade machines from as far back as 1975! You can bring back some childhood nostalgia playing games such as Tetris, Mario Kart, Rampage, Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam, all while sipping on some delicious, local craft beer.
A range of premium beers are also on tap, and their friendly staff can also whip you up a mean cocktail if you’re not in the mood for a brewski. It’s almost impossible to have a bad time at this Melbourne bar, just make sure you bring plenty of spare change!
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The Randy Dragon
313 Flinders Lane, Melbourne CBD
Only a hop, skip, and jump away from Bartronica also on Flinders Lane is one of my all-time favourite Melbourne hangouts. Despite the name, The Randy Dragon is not an adult entertainment venue, but one of Melbourne’s best bars.
They do great after work drink specials, and offer decent prices all throughout the week. It’s a great place to unwind with lots of loungers, great music and friendly bar staff. The place can get a bit hectic on Saturday nights after 8pm, but if you’re out on the town at that time then you’re probably in the mood for it anyway!
Jay Martin was born in Brisbane, Australia, but has spent his life traversing the world in search of excitement and freedom. From tearing up the slopes in Canada, the U.S. and New Zealand to backpacking across Europe and living the high-life in Asia, there’s always a new challenge on the horizon for this intrepid adventurer.
After graduating from the University of Queensland with a BBM (Marketing), and working at a few advertising agencies, Jay went out to start his own digital marketing firm. Assisting other businesses build their brands through the development of interesting and exciting content has helped him fine-tune his own passion for writing.
He is currently based between Hong Kong and Australia, with his job allowing him the freedom to travel and work from wherever his next escapade begins- as long as they have internet there.