Why Speakeasy Bars Still Hold Power in Melbourne’s Nightlife
Creative cocktails or classic wine are naturally in the blood of Melburnians. It does not mean they are alcoholics. It means they enjoy the taste of an amazing drink and the kind of conversation that only starts when the lights go soft in an iconic laneway.
Hidden bars in Melbourne live underneath the quiet surface of the city’s nightlife. They do not shout. They wait for the right people to find them. And the charm is not only in the drink but in the moment you realise, “I found something most people walk past every day without knowing.”
Hidden Bar Etiquette 101: The Origins Every Speakeasy Lover Should Know
During America’s 1920 to 1933 Prohibition era, alcohol was banned nationwide. Many believed it would fix social problems. People did not stop drinking. They found secret ways. Bribing pharmacists for “medicinal whiskey”, making alcohol in private cellars, and building hidden venues for nightlife to survive. From that rebellious spirit, speakeasy became a culture: secret, intimate, emotional.
Today, alcohol is legal and everywhere. Yet people still crave hidden bars. Because of the secret burdens in each bar’s story, each of them is unique, like a human. And Melbourne has numerous “creative secret” bars, like its iconic multicultural city.
If you are looking for the best hidden bars in Melbourne with true speakeasy energy, these five are where the real nightlife starts
The OG for Melbourne’s Speakeasies: Eau De Vie
Eau de Vie is cocktail art disguised as a bar, hidden behind an unassuming wooden door on Malthouse Lane. Inside, the mood shifts instantly. It feels like stepping into the 1920s, when speakeasies lived in the shadows and glamour survived underground. Shared high tables, low banquette lounges and intimate booths create the perfect balance between mystery and comfort.
To witness the theatre behind the bar, order the Espresso Zabaione. Rum stirred with cold drip coffee and maple syrup, finished with vanilla mousse and nitrogen. It is indulgent, rich and impossible to ignore. The Smokey Rob Roy turns the bartender into a storyteller. Liquid nitrogen pours from a flask into your whiskey glass, and the room watches.
And that is just the first layer. Push the bookshelf, and you enter the Whisky Room. Hundreds of rare bottles line the walls. Guests store their chosen spirit in private Bottle Lockers for their next visit. It feels like a club inside a club, revealed only to those who know.
Eau de Vie is more than a drink. It is a performance of bar arts. Long after the last sip, the choreography behind every cocktail keeps playing in your head.
Website: Eau de Vie
Instagram: Eau de Vie IG
Location: 1 Malthouse Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Table tip: Skip the waiting. Just book through the Sevenrooms or Tripleseat and your table is guaranteed.
A First Date Beneath Flinders Lane: Discover Dessous
Dessous sits under Flinders Lane like it has a world of its own. The soft shadows, lamplight, marble, plush velvet and deep greys and greens fill a sense of warmth and romance that wakes up the basement of the historic Richard Allen & Son building, which was constructed in 1897. From the romanesque-inspired tall and arched window building into the underground bar, it evokes elegant but not pretentious, which makes it the perfect first date territory.
Chef Dan Sawansak brings a Thai-accented menu where Australian ingredients connect beautifully with Thai flavours. He also draws on his time working in Hong Kong and Norway, inspiring an international palate in every dish. Connoisseurs often feel as if they travel back to Asian through each drink and plate. A popular pairing here is the crying tiger steak with the Signature Negroni, where the bitter-sweet complexity cuts through the richness beautifully.
From refined cocktails to deep and flavoursome dishes, everything at Dessous encourages you to stay longer. The romance lingers the moment you enter and becomes harder to leave the longer you sit. It is the kind of place where the night slows down, and chemistry writes the rest.
Website: Dessous
Instagram: Dessous IG
Location: Basement, 168 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
Table tip: Skip the waiting. Just book through OpenTable and your table is guaranteed.
A Historical Sin Wrapped in Modern Spirits: Little Lon Distilling Co.
You can serve the finest cocktail anywhere. Yet it becomes far more intriguing when the drink is poured inside a tiny gin distillery in the heart of Melbourne CBD. The venue is licensed for only twenty people. One room holds the bar. Another holds the gin still, with fermentation tanks tucked quietly behind it. Their spirits are hand-crafted from Australian malted barley and Melbourne’s pristine water, which gives them a distinctive botanical character.
But the real secret here is not the distillery. It is the cottage’s scandalous past. Built in 1877, this small house once sat at the centre of Melbourne’s most notorious red light district. People whispered about it instead of speaking about it. Crime, gambling and opium dens shaped the neighbourhood. The walls have witnessed things most history books soften or skip.
Little Lon does not erase that past. It honours it. At the heart of the bar stands Yokohama, a 200-litre copper column still named after Miss Yoko, the mesmerising madame who once ruled this address with velvet power. The drinks carry the same energy. Seductive. Dramatic. Impossible to forget.
Gin cocktails arrive fresh from the still and create the feeling that the past and present are living in the same room. The courtyard and gin garden are perfect for slow conversations, especially when you are tracing Melbourne’s “Marvellous Stories” through every sip. If distillation fascinates you, gin masterclasses on weekends bring you closer to the craft and the world of alcohol behind the scenes.
People say Little Lon attracts those who care about stories more than status. It feels like the bar version of a vintage bookshop. You do not go there to be seen. You go there because you want the night to mean something.
Little Lon Distilling Co. is where history flirts with the present, and every sip feels like a secret someone finally lets you in on.
Website: Little Lon Distilling Co.
Instagram: Little Lon Distilling Co. IG
Location: 17 Casselden Place, Melbourne CBD
Table Tip: Skip the waiting. Just book through the Little Lon website, and your table is guaranteed.
Best hidden bar for a casual night and deep conversation: One or Two
“In the small corner of a big city, a heart-warming story unfolds."
That is the unforgettable scene to start the Midnight Diner series. If you are a fan of Midnight Diner, you will be obsessed. Every late night, when the city falls quiet and dark, a tiny restaurant with a master chef heals customers through Japanese comfort food. Although fictional, the emotions feel real.
In Melbourne, the closest experience to that feeling is One or Two in Chinatown. The bar embraces the Wabi Sabi aesthetic with a minimal whisky and cocktail space. The room holds only twenty-four seats, which naturally creates a calm and emotionally safe environment for drinkers, like a stopover in the middle of evolving lives. It is born to listen to stories rather than drown them out. Everything moves slowly and thoughtfully, which opens space for honest sharing.
Although One or Two is humble in size, it carries an impressive reputation. It appears in the 50 Best International Panel discovery list, and its head bartender, Andy Chu, was recognised as one of the top twenty-five bartenders in Australia in 2023. Explore their playful and fruit-forward menu to understand why. One remarkable drink is the blueberry yoghurt cocktail made with gin, fresh blueberry juice, a touch of lemon and creamy yoghurt. Fresh. Fruity. Slightly bitter. Its pleasant flavour and aromatic profile leave a lasting impression that sets it apart from the usual cocktail experience.
One or Two is the kind of bar where you walk in for a drink but end up healing your inner child. It sends you home softer than you arrived.
Website: One or Two
Instagram: One or Two IG
Location: 18 Celestial Avenue, Melbourne VIC 3000
Table tip: Walk-ins only. The weekend rush hits around 9 pm to 10 pm. Small groups get seated fastest. Come slightly before or after peak time if you want to avoid the queue.
Where Nostalgia Lives in Vinyl and Warm Light: Caretaker’s Cottage
Caretaker’s Cottage, opened in 2022, hides behind the Wesley Church as if it knows it belongs to those who look beyond the surface. It feels like stepping into a cosy old cottage with classic British pub character, filled with vinyl, soft light and the kind of warmth that encourages honesty. People joke that it is the smallest pub in Melbourne. It may sound small, but this British-born space rose with powerful momentum and is now positioned at number 19 in the World’s 50 Best Bars 2025.
At Caretaker’s, two classics have shaped its reputation: the Martini and Guinness. Their signature Martini, served ice cold with custom-made gin, has become part of their identity and history. If you want to enjoy the night without spending too much, there is always Guinness on tap along with craft beers and a small but thoughtful wine list. The bartenders are known for creativity, and their rotating monthly menu blends tradition with modern twists. The vinyl shelves naturally spark conversations.
In my own checklist of bars, Caretaker’s Cottage is the gatekeeper. It is where I go when I need intimacy, coziness and nostalgia in the middle of modern life. It is silent and still lively, and somehow everything feels like it falls into the right place.
Website: Caretaker’s Cottage
Instagram: Caretaker’s Cottage IG
Location: 139 to 141 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tips on getting a table: They do walk-ins only. Weekdays get busy around 6:00 pm, and Saturdays peak around 9:00 pm. If you want to skip the queue, come a little before or after the rush.
Before you slip behind a secret bar, it helps to know which drink will set the tone for the night.
There is no right answer. Speakeasy culture is not about ordering the “correct” drink. It is about tasting something that unlocks a mood, a memory or a version of yourself that only appears when the lights get low.
Every hidden bar has its own personality, so the menu is never a coincidence. What you order is all about how you want the night to feel. If you need a place to start, these classics will never betray you.
Martini
Clean, sharp and unapologetically elegant. Gin or vodka with dry vermouth, finished with an olive or a lemon twist. A Martini always tastes like confidence.
Gin and Tonic
Simple on paper but never boring. Crisp gin, tonic water and lime. Refreshing, botanical and perfect when you want something light that sparks conversation rather than steals the spotlight.
Whiskey Sour
Bright citrus and smooth whiskey meet in one glass. Lemon, sugar and spirit in perfect balance. It is playful but mature. That is someone who flirts with words instead of noise.
Old Fashioned
Bourbon or rye with a sugar cube and bitters, finished with an orange twist. Slow, deep and timeless. A drink made for people who feel classic and sophisticated.
Margarita
Tequila, triple sec and lime with a salt rim. Sunshine in a glass, even in a midnight bar. It tastes like freedom and warmth that refuses to stay quiet.
Negroni
Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Bitter and beautiful. A drink for people who enjoy complexity and are not afraid of depth
Every cocktail has a personality, and every night has a story. When they match, the city feels different.
When a hidden bar turns into a feeling
Melbourne still hides bars and waits for you to explore. My friends say I disappear sometimes, but I do not. The city keeps me in “a secret world”. People collect many things such as sneakers, vinyl toys, art and coffee spots. I collect hidden bars. They are my gateway to privacy, relaxation and escapism. Whenever I step into one, the noise of the world fades. The chaos stays outside.
One or Two has been my safest stopover during 2025. It is where I cried, laughed, loved and healed. The Rolls-Royce, a dry gin infused with Saison white flower, has been a quiet witness to everything I could not express in words. The bartender pours. The walls listen. The night keeps secrets.
So here is my only advice:
And if you see me there, pretend you found it on your own. That is how we keep the magic alive. Speakeasy culture in Melbourne is not for everyone. It is for people who notice the things others walk past.
