The Global Drinker — World Bar Guide
Apollo Inn
Melbourne, Australia
Where do you go when you can't get into the world-recognised, CBD fine-diner Gimlet? The answer is its dedicated cocktail bar next door: Apollo Inn. You won't spot the entrance unless you're looking for it; leather-wrapped doors are set back from the street and found through a foyer, but when you do, you'll be greeted by a host and led to one of the 30 seats. The atmosphere is dark and opulent: low lighting, stone surfaces, velvet curtains, and crystal glassware. The drinks are equally lavish, with a wine selection from Gimlet's beverage director Leanne Altmann, and old-world cocktails mixed with a new world touch from Cameron Parish. With four types of martini on offer, it would be rude not to. The snacks are merely snacks, though, so come before or after dinner unless you plan on eating an entire menu of conservative, but delicious, bites.
165 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000 · $$$
Awards & Rankings
- Australia 2026
- Roadbook 2025 — #5
- Tatler Best Bars 2025