Our Top Spots For A Melbourne Sundowner

A city full of surprises, Melbourne has her fair share of scenic settings for drinking and dining – it’s just a question of finding them. Spilling on to the rooftops,  lazing by the waterfront or even floating on the river, here are some of the top spots worth seeking out to enjoy a sundowner.

• Lui Bar, part of Shannon Bennett’s decadent dining establishment  Vue De Monde is a must for those who enjoy the high life with equally spectacular views and a sophisticated drinks menu on level 55 of the Rialto Tower.
• The entrance to Goldilocks Bar is is via a lift located inside takeaway restaurant Noodle Kingdom. Visitors can head up to a secluded grassy rooftop haven with a fully stocked bar and a unique perspective of the heart of the city.
• Newcomer  Fatto Bar and Cantina’s 80 metres of river frontage provides indoor and alfresco drinking and dining options to watch the last rays of the day slide over the city skyline and Yarra River.
• Located within the buzzy St Kilda Sea Baths complex on the St Kilda foreshore, Captain Baxter is a seafront cocktail bar.  Offering an elevated outdoor lounge, it is the ideal venue to take in the views while sipping on a delicious cocktail and enjoying snacks from the Asian-leaning menu.
• North of the city, a hip skyline option is Naked in the Sky, an extension of Brunswick Street’s popular Basque-inspired bar and restaurant Naked for Satan. Floating over Fitzroy, the rooftop terrace incorporates a bar, lounge and restaurant complete with city views and a funky vibe.
• Bomba’s fifth floor bar, on Lonsdale Street, adds another libational location to the growing list of bars spilling across the city’s rooftops.
• Back at water level, patrons of Ponyfish Island can catch the last of the days rays on the Yarra from this hard-to-find, floating venue tucked beneath the Yarra Pedestrian Bridge.
• Drifting on down the river, South Wharf Promenade offers a heady choice of drinking and dining options to sit and watch the sun go down on another wonderful day in Melbourne.

Other top picks include: Rooftop bar, Curtin House (city); Siglo (city); Taxi and Transport (city); The London (Port Melbourne); Brighton Baths restaurant (Brighton); Donovans and West Beach Bathers’ Pavillion (both St Kilda) as well as Atrium on 35 at Sofitel Melbourne and 28 at Crown Metropol.