Best-of list · Sports Guides
The 10 best sports bars in Melbourne for 2026 — picked by our editors. Hand-picked by our city editors. Locations, hours, neighbourhoods and price.
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Melbourne builds its sporting life around the MCG, and its bars follow suit. The best rooms here run the AFL on Friday nights, open early for European soccer, and turn louder once the final siren sounds. This list covers ten that locals actually trust, from heritage corner pubs to Chapel Street party dens.
The Crafty Squire holds down Russell Street with rows of James Squire taps and screens angled for the footy. Locals pack the long bar for AFL Friday nights, and the kitchen keeps parmas and burgers coming late. Time Out flags its trivia nights as some of the CBD's busiest. Come early on a Carlton or Collingwood game day, because the front tables go fast.
Three Monkeys has anchored Chapel Street in Prahran for years, equal parts sports den and late-night party. The crowd leans young and loud, with DJs taking over once the final siren sounds. Screens cover the AFL, the A-League and the big international fights. Its bottomless packages pull weekend groups, so book ahead for a table before a Saturday match.
The Cherry Tree Hotel sits on a quiet Cremorne backstreet, long loved for 20-plus rotating craft taps and wood-fired pizza. The owners are refreshing the rooms through 2026, so check the socials before you head over. When it returns, expect the same neighbourhood crowd settling in for the footy. Regulars rate it as Richmond's calmer alternative to the Corner.
Full listing & hours →The Corner Hotel is a Richmond institution, best known for its bandroom but just as serious about sport downstairs. The newly renovated rooftop bar fills on warm match days, and the public bar runs the AFL and cricket on big screens. OpenTable reviewers praise the kitchen's steaks. Go on a non-gig night for the game without the crush.
Full listing & hours →Bridie O'Reilly's brings the Irish-pub template to Chapel Street in South Yarra, which means Guinness on tap and rugby, soccer and AFL across the walls. Live bands take the corner stage most weekends. The crowd skews international, with supporters' groups claiming tables for early-hours European fixtures. A full menu of pub classics keeps the room fed through long match days.
Full listing & hours →The Imperial Hotel has watched over the top of Bourke Street since 1858, directly across from Parliament. Its large rooftop beer garden draws after-work crowds for live sport under the open sky. Downstairs runs the AFL and the Spring Carnival on screens, with trivia filling Monday nights. Yelp regulars rate it for an easy CBD pint before a game at the MCG.
Full listing & hours →The Mitre Tavern claims a spot among Melbourne's oldest pubs, tucked down Bank Place since 1868. The crowd runs more after-work suits than rowdy supporters, but the screens carry the racing and the footy all the same. Its courtyard fills on Friday evenings. Come for a heritage schooner and a quiet corner to catch the early game before the city empties out.
The Sherlock Holmes Inn channels a London corner pub onto Collins Street, with cask ale upstairs in Dr Watson's Bar and a cosy basement below. English football is the draw, and the early-hours Premier League crowd treats it as home. Tripadvisor reviewers single out the cask selection. Best for a midweek match when you want a pint pulled properly and a seat.
Full listing & hours →Young & Jackson has stood opposite Flinders Street Station since 1861, which makes it the obvious pre-match meeting point before the MCG or Marvel Stadium. The upstairs bars run the footy, and the ground floor stays packed on game days. Tourists and locals mix easily here. Grab a window seat upstairs, watch the crowds flow toward the G, and settle into the build-up.
Full listing & hours →The Belgian Beer Café sits at the base of Eureka Tower on Southbank, trading Art Nouveau looks for a serious list of Belgian brews. It leans more European than rowdy, so the soccer and rugby crowds feel at home. The riverside terrace catches the afternoon sun. Order a Leffe or a Tripel, claim an outdoor table, and watch the match by the Yarra.
Beyond the 10
An Irish pub on Elizabeth Street with trad sessions and a snug, showing GAA and football in its farmhouse rooms. The official site lists a 2026 summer menu, and Tripadvisor reviewers flag the upstairs beer garden.
Brunswick's live-music pub on Sydney Road, with a front bar, band room and a large dog-friendly beer garden. Broadsheet and the venue's site confirm seven-days entertainment and screens for the footy.
The Federation Square pub across from Flinders Street station, home to live AFL in the CBD with every game shown loud. The official site lists a public bar, the Transit rooftop and weekend live music seven days a week.