The Best Bars in Carlton & Fitzroy

Champagne sabrage lessons are on the curriculum at this quietly chic Fitzroy wine bar, which says something about the crowd's commitment. The wine list is the real point, organized by style and leaning into macerated whites, orange wines, and chilled reds alongside the expected classics. The cocktail list is small and a little kooky, which is exactly right. Everything, down to the coffee beans, is sourced with the kind of care that borders on obsessive.

1. Australian Good Food Guide 13/20 · One Chef Hat
2. The 50 The 50 Discovery

The Art Deco fixtures cast a warm amber glow over off-white walls and chestnut wood, and the whole room reads like a 1950s New York neighbourhood joint that somehow landed in Carlton. Capitano is an Italian bar where the drinks are the point, though the pasta and pizza pull their weight too. Difford's Guide gives it five stars, which for a corner spot dressed this modestly is a mild plot twist.

1. Difford's Guide 5 stars · Difford's Guide
2. The New York Times 2019 · Critic's Pick · Restaurant Review

1. The 50 The 50 Discovery
2. Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best International Cocktail Bar – APAC

Two large communal tables do the socializing for you at this Carlton cocktail bar, where the menu shifts a few times a week because only a limited run of each drink gets made. The name nods to the French for "beautiful friend," and the room takes that seriously, feeling less like a bar you've wandered into and more like a dinner party someone else is hosting. A good fit for people who don't mind talking to strangers.

1. Australian Good Food Guide 12/20 · One Chef Hat
2. The 50 The 50 Discovery
3. Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best International Bar Team – APAC

1. Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best New International Cocktail Bar – APAC

Dark wood, mismatched velvet, and leather sofas in a muted-light room that invites you to arrive early and leave late. Black Pearl is a cocktail bar on Brunswick Street that most drinks people treat as the main reason to come to Fitzroy at all. The list is short and inventive, boutique beers cover the non-cocktail moods, and bar food handles the rest. Difford's Guide rates it five stars, which tells you where the serious drinkers end up.

1. Difford's Guide 5 stars · Difford's Guide

1. Difford's Guide 3 stars · Difford's Guide