As much a wine bar as a restaurant, and in a great Melbourne location near theatres, Punch Lane serves delicious European food and wonderful wines making this hot little venue one of the city's most long-running successes. Its owners are old hands in the restaurant business and know how to create a welcoming and good-humoured atmosphere.

Juliet in the basement below sister venue Punch Lane is one of Melbourne's late night hot spots. Moody and a little industrial in design, expect a small wine list changing regularly featuring Victorian drops, matched with an interesting snack menu available till late, plus creative cocktails. Juliet hosts raclette nights (that very gooey melted cheese French delicacy), matched with live jazz, so check their website for what's on.

 Photograph: Courtesy of Juliet Melbourne

Le Bon Ton is a New Orleans-inspired oyster saloon, smokehouse, cocktail bar and absinthe den in Melbourne's Collingwood. Think exposed brick walls, copper studded bar, velvet mustard chesterfields, chandeliers overhead and a fairy-light dappled courtyard. It's a place to revel in some early-20th-century jazz and blues, American craft beer, New Orleans cocktails and a punchy menu of Southern favourites including pit-smoked meats and Southern fried chicken.

Photography: Courtesy of Le Bon Ton

In the basement of Pomodoro Sardo on Lonsdale Street, Bar Margaux is a late-night bar and brasserie in the CBD. The 80-seater restaurant takes inspiration from the Big Apple with an NYC-inspired fit out however the brasserie menu will showcase a French flair. From the team behind Melbourne's The Everleigh and Heartbreaker, Bar Margaux will be open until 3 am during the week and 5 am on the weekend, with a supper menu available all night.

Photography: Courtesy of Bar Margaux

The Carlton Wine Room is a chic neighbourhood bistro and bar housed in a charming 19th-century building in Carlton. Spread across three distinct dining levels, it offers a warm and inviting atmosphere, where thoughtful service and good times are always on the menu. Specialising in inventive tasting menus and a curated wine list, the dishes are crafted to complement every sip, perfect for sharing or savouring solo. Led by seasoned hospitality experts Andy and Trav, the team focuses on honest, generous fare and a genuine connection with guests. The Carlton Wine Room is a destination for those who value quality and conviviality.

Photography: Courtesy of The Carlton Wine Room

All aboard the Afloat, this sundrenched floating bar on the Yarra River is best enjoyed with a spritz in hand and a margarita pizza on the way. With such a location, you could forgive the Afloat team if food played second fiddle, but Executive Chef Nick Bennett has managed to keep it centre stage. Influenced from Cinque Terre's rugged coastline and its romantic fishing villages, the menu delivers small and large plates, perfect for sharing amongst groups. Seafood is a focus with special attention given to oyster sourcing.

It's rare that a night out on the town will also provide you with an intoxicating education in cocktail history, but that's the charm of 1806. Quite appropriately, the name of this bar is in fact the year that the first ever cocktail was created and the admirable cocktail list accurately follows a timeline of the last 200 years of drinking, providing an interesting insight into a bar culture that hasn't altered a great deal.