Make the most of what could be the last bout of warm weather before autumn truly sets in. From South Yarra to Thornbury, these new watering holes (some of them sun-drenched) are worth making plans around.
When Melbourne surprises you with a sunny forecast for an autumn weekend, you change your plans to make the most of it. Here’s where to soak up some rare rays, from a hot new rooftop hangout to a buzzy wine bar’s verdant courtyard.
Peaches Wine Bar, Thornbury
Jamal Nicoll and Genevieve Bruwer, the couple behind Preston cafe Skinnys, know how to nail a neighbourhood venue. Their latest is Peaches, a walk-ins-only corner wine bar that, Nicoll says, “we wanted to feel dark but … warm”. Cafe curtains and terracotta-coloured walls fulfil the brief. The tap list ticks a lot of boxes (Guinness, Fin wine, house-batched negronis), while charcoal touches much of the menu, from kangaroo-loin skewers with pepper caramel to smoked mushrooms giving big flavour to a vegan pasta made with cavatelli.
901 High Street, Thornbury, instagram.com/peaches.wine.bar
Gracie’s Wine Room, South Yarra
Kelsie Gaffey took a punt by quitting her corporate job to open a wine bar – and documented the whole process on TikTok. A few months on, it’s paid off. “I never could’ve anticipated how crazy it would be,” Gaffey says. Online fans brought the buzz initially, but very real regulars are making sure it doesn’t fizzle out. Join them in the lush green courtyard, an unexpected oasis from busy Toorak Road, with a lobster roll and a house spritz powered by peach schnapps and syrup made in-house.
27 Toorak Road, South Yarra, gracieswineroom.com
Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout, Collingwood
Melbourne’s hottest new rooftop bar is where you want to be at golden hour. Ascend to the fourth floor of co-working hub Zero Gipps to take in the sky’s peachy tones as the sun sets over the city. After dark, a sexy red glow engulfs the bar. Bow-tied bartenders pour everything from the classics (Kir Royales) to the not-so-classics (a drink with Perla yerba mate soda and your spirit of choice). Slowpoke is by the founders of Daybreak music and arts festival, so expect a choice line-up of local DJs.
Level 4, 50 Gipps Street, Collingwood, slow-poke.com
Daaru by Chapati, CBD
Teage Ezard’s Gingerboy is no longer. Now in its laneway location: Indian diner Chapati (also in Fairfield) and its newly opened moody cocktail bar upstairs Daaru. “I blended bold Indian flavours into our cocktails [with] subtle twists that are exciting but not overpowering,” says owner Arjun Dewan. The signature Tandoori Temptress is spiked with tequila, fragrant with curry leaves and a tandoori spice mix, and sweetened with pineapple. Snacks range from masala peanuts to butter chicken croquettes.
Level 1, 27-29 Crossley Street, Melbourne, chapati.au/daaru-by-chapati
Baby Driver, CBD
Blues bar Beneath Driver Lane has gone strong for nearly a decade. Italian-inspired sibling Torino Aperitivo, which opened next door in late 2023, wasn’t as much of a hit. So, the team has flipped it into Baby Driver, a bar that “better complements – not competes with – what we do downstairs,” owner Hamish Goonetilleke says. “Instantly, it’s been more successful.” The layout and golden lighting remain, but a new vinyl booth spins ’70s jazz and funk while souped-up espresso martinis spin in the slushie machine.
2 Driver Lane, Melbourne, instagram.com/baby_driver_melb
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