Catch up with your besties on the ultimate girls’ night out in Melbourne. From cocktail masterclasses to boozy cruises and spunky male dancers, there’s plenty to see and do from dusk ‘til dawn in our action-packed city.
1. Eat some of the best dishes Melbourne has to offer
A night of debauchery should always start with food, and if you’re in Melbourne, the food should be nothing short of spectacular. Foodies will be spoilt for choice at Grazeland, an exciting culinary precinct just five-kilometres from the city. The festival-style environment has food trucks galore, live music and roving entertainers.
Image: MoVida, Hosier Lane
On Hosier Lane, surrounded by eclectic Melbourne street art, dine on authentic Mexican shareplates at Tres a Cinco or tantalise your tastebuds with bite-size Spanish fare from Chef, Frank Camorra at MoVida.
After something sweet? Get your just desserts at Om Nom, the Adelphi Hotel’s dedicated, decadent dessert restaurant. Pair your dessert degustation with sweet cocktails or a fruity wine.
2. Dress to the nines for a live show
Book your seats for the show of a lifetime in Melbourne’s vibrant theatre district. With a packed calendar of incredible events and an array of exceptional eateries and bars for pre or post-show dining, you'll be spoilt for choice. Grab tickets to a show-stopping musical or a hilarious comedy show for a fun-filled Melbourne night out.
For a low-key night at the cinema, see a classic movie at the iconic, Astor Theatre on Chapel Street in St Kilda, or amp things up a notch and get your woo on at the Princes of the Night Show at Crown. See the hottest men perform live on stage as you sip cocktails with your main girls.
3. Belt out your favourite tunes at a music venue
Melbourne is the home of live music, so spend your night on the town with flowing drinks and your favourite music at a Melbourne institution. Southside music fans can hop over to the Esplanade Hotel, with its three stages, 12 bars and two restaurants, it’s the perfect spot for a whole night of fun.
Across the river in Collingwood, you’ll find The Tote, the church of punk rock music in Melbourne will not disappoint. Think drinks in the beer garden, hazy late nights and heaving, sweaty rock ‘n’ roll. Or, back in Melbourne, seek out the neo-gothic façade of The Forum to see local or international musicians take the stage in the heritage building’s ornate interior.
4. Hop from bar to bar
Journey through Melbourne’s thriving bar scene and grab a drink from Cold War Berlin, either from the Communist East Germany side of the wall, or Capitalist West Germany on the other at Berlin Bar, or sip fairytale-themed cocktails while perched on a mushroom at Storyville.
Image: Transit Rooftop, Federation Square
Keep the fairytale ambience alive on the rooftop at Goldilocks Bar and adventure through their ever-changing cocktail menu, sip sundowners as day turns to dusk from HER Melbourne, or get a buzz with views of Federation Square aglow with city lights from Transit Rooftop.
5. Hop aboard a boozy cruise
Charter your own evening of fun and hire a boat from Melbourne Self Drive Boat Hire, or pop a bottle of Champagne as you and your besties cruise along the Yarra in a GoBoat (just make sure you have a designated sober driver).
Hire your own skipper and embark on a premium cruise on a Luxury Private Yarra River Cruise. Enjoy a glass of premium wine and a cheese platter on a quiet, all electric boat.
Or, lounge in the beer garden or by the floating bar on a bottomless cocktail cruise. Enjoy the views as you treat yourself to unlimited mimosas, tequila sunrises, pina coladas, as well as beer, cider and wine.
6. Hit the clubs
Image: Pulp Bar, Melbourne
Put on your finest party attire and get ready to hit the dancefloor at one of Melbourne’s most popular nightclubs. From guest DJs, live music and deep house, electro or RnB tunes to choose from, you can bust a move all night long.
7. Laugh the night away at a comedy show
While Melbourne is a riot of laughs every March and April when Melbourne International Comedy Festival rolls into town, the city is a great place to laugh out loud year-round, with comedians taking the stage at renowned clubs and bars and pubs, big and small.
Hit up the Espy Comedy Club on a Monday evening as a jam-packed line-up of Melbourne’s next generation and rising stars of comedy crack jokes in The Espy Basement. Or, for the big names, head to The Comedy Club for a huge night of laughter.
8. Let your adventurous side run wild with a fun activity
Try something a little different on your girls’ night. See the city skyline transform with pretty pastels and fiery oranges from the viewing platform at Melbourne Skydeck – the Southern Hemisphere’s highest observation deck. While you’re there, grab a drink from the bar with the best views in Melbourne, Bar 88.
Image: Bar 88, Melbourne Skydeck
Play a round of mini golf in quirky surrounds at Holey Moley or play some arcade games with a wild cocktail in hand at Archie Brothers Cirque Electric at the District Docklands.
9. Get your craft on at an alcohol-infused class
We all love a good paint and sip class, a bit of pottery accompanied by our favourite drinks, or for some real zest, a cocktail masterclass. Melbourne and its surrounding neighbourhoods are a hub for creative activities.
Some of our favourites are the gin masterclass at Patient Wolf Distilling Co. in Southbank, the whisky and cocktail experience at 1930s upmarket-style bar, Nick and Nora’s, or the classic paint and sip class at Cork & Chroma in Collingwood.
