The Global Drinker — World Bar Guide
Above Board
Melbourne, Australia
To find Above Board, you enter via craft beer bar Beer Mash, and go all the way to the back and up the stairs. Or you can walk through Chopper Lane, past a bunch of skip bins, into the back of Beer Mash, past the toilets and up the stairs. Very, very Melbourne. What makes it even more Melbourne is that there's only 16 seats, no reservations, no standing and large groups are not recommended. Thankfully, wait times are short as people generally only stay for a few drinks. Everything about this speakeasy is sleek and minimal, including the approach to drinks. Don't be fooled, there is depth, elegance and complexity in what appears to be a deceptively simple-looking drink. These include the HSL Special – a signature cocktail that combines absinthe, creme de mure, Montenegro and lime – and is why Above Board consistently ends up on the World's 50 Best lists.
1/306 Smith Street, Collingwood, 3066 · $$
Awards & Rankings
- Australia 2026
- Roadbook 2025 — #7
- Top 500 Bars 2025 — #132
- Tatler Best Bars 2025
- World's 50 Best Bars 2024 — #100
- World's 50 Best Bars 2021 — #44
- World's 50 Best Bars 2020 — #84
- World's 50 Best Bars 2018 — #95
- Top 500 Bars 2026 — #155
- Apollo Inn — Melbourne
- Bar Olo — Melbourne
- Bar Bellamy — Melbourne
- Mr West — Melbourne