Nightlife in Blackburn North (2026)
Blackburn North is a solid drinking suburb where you can piece together a proper night without leaving the postcode. 20 bars and pubs mapped and verified. 20 have Google ratings, averaging 4.5/5.
Top Rated Bars in Blackburn North
| Rank | Venue | Google Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural Science Wine and Liquor | ★ 5/5 | 73 |
| 2 | 8 Track Brewery | ★ 4.9/5 | 224 |
| 3 | Huzzah | ★ 4.9/5 | 118 |
| 4 | Una Una | ★ 4.9/5 | 107 |
| 5 | Bar Nearby | ★ 4.9/5 | 86 |
| 6 | Battle | ★ 4.7/5 | 396 |
| 7 | The Foragers Drop | ★ 4.7/5 | 365 |
| 8 | Carlos Cantina - Blackburn | ★ 4.7/5 | 294 |
Your Night Out in Blackburn North
Early Evening (5pm–8pm)
The after-work crowd. These venues are best when the sun is still up and you can get a seat without elbowing through a crowd:
- Natural Science Wine and Liquor — 9a Salisbury Ave, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia (★ 5)
- 8 Track Brewery — 8 Yallourn Parade, Ringwood VIC 3134, Australia (★ 4.9)
- Huzzah — 4 Paran Pl, Glen Iris VIC 3146, Australia (★ 4.9)
Prime Time (8pm–12am)
The main event. Blackburn North has enough room if you know where to look.
All Bars and Pubs in Blackburn North
#1 Natural Science Wine and Liquor — 9a Salisbury Ave, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 5/5 (73 reviews)
What makes it great: If Blackburn North had a signature restaurant, Natural Science Wine and Liquor would be on the shortlist. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. It does not try to be everything. It tries to be good at one thing. It succeeds.
A 5 rating from 73 reviews does not happen by accident in Blackburn North.
Website: Natural Science Wine and Liquor | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#2 8 Track Brewery — 8 Yallourn Parade, Ringwood VIC 3134, Australia
the food | ★ 4.9/5 (224 reviews)
What makes it great: What 8 Track Brewery does well, it does better than anywhere else in Blackburn North. This is the kind of place that a neighbourhood builds around. Not a destination — a reason to stay local. 8 Track Brewery does not need a rebrand or a renovation. It needs you to sit down and order.
224 Google reviews and a 4.9 average. The numbers track with the experience.
Website: 8 Track Brewery | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#3 Huzzah — 4 Paran Pl, Glen Iris VIC 3146, Australia
the food | ★ 4.9/5 (118 reviews)
What makes it great: The queue outside Huzzah tells you everything before you walk in. This is the kind of place that a neighbourhood builds around. Not a destination — a reason to stay local. The kind of restaurant that makes you eat slower because you want it to last.
118 people have reviewed Huzzah on Google. The average sits at 4.9. Earned, not gamed.
Website: Huzzah | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#4 Una Una — G2/712 Station St, Box Hill VIC 3128, Australia
the food | ★ 4.9/5 (107 reviews)
What makes it great: The queue outside Una Una tells you everything before you walk in. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. The menu changes. The quality does not.
107 people have reviewed Una Una on Google. The average sits at 4.9. Earned, not gamed.
Website: Una Una | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#5 Bar Nearby — 1115-1117 Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128, Australia
the food | ★ 4.9/5 (86 reviews)
What makes it great: Bar Nearby treats the food like it matters. Because it does. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. The menu changes. The quality does not.
86 people have reviewed Bar Nearby on Google. The average sits at 4.9. Earned, not gamed.
Website: Bar Nearby | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#6 Battle — 1/5/7 Diana Dr, Blackburn North VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 4.7/5 (396 reviews) | $
What makes it great: Nobody goes to Battle for the decor. They go for portion sizes that respect your appetite. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. If this place were in Fitzroy, there would be a queue. In Blackburn North, you can still walk in.
Rated 4.7 by 396 locals on Google — and the ones who come back do not bother leaving reviews.
Prices here are honest — you eat well and the bill does not punish you for it.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#7 The Foragers Drop — 499A Whitehorse Rd, Mitcham VIC 3132, Australia
the food | ★ 4.7/5 (365 reviews) | $$
What makes it great: The Foragers Drop opened quietly and got loud fast. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. The kind of place you recommend without being asked.
365 Google reviews and a 4.7 average. The numbers track with the experience.
Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.
Website: The Foragers Drop | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#8 Carlos Cantina - Blackburn — 73 Railway Rd, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 4.7/5 (294 reviews)
What makes it great: Carlos Cantina - Blackburn has been doing this since before Blackburn North got its reputation. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. Add it to your rotation. You will not regret it.
A 4.7 rating from 294 reviews does not happen by accident in Blackburn North.
Website: Carlos Cantina - Blackburn | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#9 State of Grace — 27 King St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
the food | ★ 4.6/5 (3,063 reviews) | $$$
What makes it great: Restaurant and cellar bar with kitsch decor including a mounted giraffe, for Modern European food. The kind of restaurant that makes you eat slower because you want it to last.
The 4.6/5 Google rating (3,063 reviews) reflects what regulars already know.
Not cheap, but the quality justifies the spend. This is a deliberate night out.
Website: State of Grace | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#10 Bar Doh — 148A Springfield Rd, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 4.6/5 (222 reviews)
What makes it great: Nobody goes to Bar Doh for the decor. They go for a kitchen that has nothing to prove. The menu reads simply. The food arrives with more thought than the menu suggests. That gap is the mark of a kitchen that cares more about the plate than the description. The test of a restaurant is whether you think about it the next day. Bar Doh passes.
Rated 4.6 by 222 locals on Google — and the ones who come back do not bother leaving reviews.
Website: Bar Doh | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#11 Legend Billiards Club — Unit 3/321 Middleborough Rd, Box Hill South VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 4.5/5 (327 reviews)
What makes it great: There are flashier places on Unit 3/321 Middleborough Rd. There is nothing more reliable than Legend Billiards Club. The menu reads simply. The food arrives with more thought than the menu suggests. That gap is the mark of a kitchen that cares more about the plate than the description. If this place were in Fitzroy, there would be a queue. In Blackburn North, you can still walk in.
Rated 4.5 by 327 locals on Google — and the ones who come back do not bother leaving reviews.
Website: Legend Billiards Club | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#12 The Rogue Squire — Cnr Ferntree Gully &, Jells Rd, Wheelers Hill VIC 3150, Australia
the food | ★ 4.4/5 (2,467 reviews) | $$
What makes it great: Every suburb has one restaurant that defines it. In Blackburn North, the argument starts with The Rogue Squire. The menu reads simply. The food arrives with more thought than the menu suggests. That gap is the mark of a kitchen that cares more about the plate than the description. Not the flashiest option in Blackburn North. Possibly the best.
The 4.4/5 Google rating (2,467 reviews) reflects what regulars already know.
Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.
Website: The Rogue Squire | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#13 Aunt Billies Cafe — 184 Surrey Rd, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 4.4/5 (1,251 reviews) | $$
What makes it great: Aunt Billies Cafe earns its crowd the honest way — through the food. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. A restaurant that respects the ingredients, respects your time, and respects your wallet.
Rated 4.4 by 1,251 locals on Google — and the ones who come back do not bother leaving reviews.
Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.
Website: Aunt Billies Cafe | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#14 Gourmet Girl Cafe & Catering — 21 Salisbury Ave, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 4.4/5 (403 reviews) | $$
What makes it great: Brunch, tapas & sandwiches in a charming, bustling dining room with a warm vibe & patio tables. There is a reason the regulars do not talk about it much. They do not want the wait.
403 Google reviews and a 4.4 average. The numbers track with the experience.
Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#15 The Advocate — 431B Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn VIC 3103, Australia
the food | ★ 4.4/5 (363 reviews)
What makes it great: The Advocate opened quietly and got loud fast. The menu reads simply. The food arrives with more thought than the menu suggests. That gap is the mark of a kitchen that cares more about the plate than the description. The Advocate does not need a rebrand or a renovation. It needs you to sit down and order.
363 Google reviews and a 4.4 average. The numbers track with the experience.
Website: The Advocate | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#16 Amor Mexico - Mexican Restaurant in Blackburn — Shop 1-2 Rear Shop/20 Blackburn Rd, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 4.3/5 (366 reviews) | $$
What makes it great: The queue outside Amor Mexico - Mexican Restaurant in Blackburn tells you everything before you walk in. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. The kind of restaurant that makes you eat slower because you want it to last.
366 people have reviewed Amor Mexico - Mexican Restaurant in Blackburn on Google. The average sits at 4.3. Earned, not gamed.
Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.
Website: Amor Mexico - Mexican Restaurant in Blackburn | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#17 KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill — 3 Mahoneys Rd, Forest Hill VIC 3131, Australia
the food | ★ 4.3/5 (186 reviews)
What makes it great: Ask anyone on Mahoneys Rd where to eat and KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill comes up before you finish the question. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. Add it to your rotation. You will not regret it.
A 4.3 rating from 186 reviews does not happen by accident in Blackburn North.
Website: KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#18 Blackburn Hotel — 111 Whitehorse Rd, Blackburn VIC 3130, Australia
the food | ★ 4/5 (1,335 reviews) | $$
What makes it great: Blackburn Hotel has been doing this since before Blackburn North got its reputation. This is the kind of place that a neighbourhood builds around. Not a destination — a reason to stay local. It does not try to be everything. It tries to be good at one thing. It succeeds.
A 4 rating from 1,335 reviews does not happen by accident in Blackburn North.
Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.
Website: Blackburn Hotel | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
More Venues in Blackburn North
| Venue | Address | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Hill Hotel | 195 Reynolds Rd, Doncaster East VIC 3109, Australia | ★ 4 |
| New Northcote Brewhouse | T9/70 Middleborough Rd, Burwood East VIC 3151, Australia | ★ 4 |
Nightlife Tips for Blackburn North
- Thursday is the new Friday — Blackburn North bars are busy but not rammed on Thursday nights. Better service, easier parking
- Cash is dead — almost every bar in Melbourne takes card. Some are card-only
- Last drinks — bars will call last drinks 30 minutes before closing. Do not be the person arguing with the bouncer
- Eat first — Blackburn North has 22 restaurants. Line your stomach before you start drinking
- Rideshare pickup — set your pickup point before your last drink. Surge pricing hits hardest between 1am and 2am
- Pub crawl route — start furthest from home and work your way back. Geography is your friend after midnight
Getting Home from Blackburn North
- Rideshare: Uber and DiDi operate across Melbourne. Budget $15–$40 depending on distance
- Night Bus: Check PTV for NightRider services
- Train: Last trains typically depart between 11:30pm–12:30am (check PTV)
- Tram: Some routes run until 1am on weekends
Related Guides
- Best Restaurants in Blackburn North
- Best Cafes in Blackburn North
- Best Bars in Blackburn North
- Cost of Living in Blackburn North
- Blackburn North Neighbourhood Guide
- Family Guide to Blackburn North
- Is Blackburn North Safe?
- Blackburn North Transport Guide
Last updated: March 2026. This guide is refreshed when OpenStreetMap data changes — new openings, closures and corrections are reflected automatically. Found something wrong? Let us know.
Sources
- OpenStreetMap Contributors — openstreetmap.org — accessed March 2026
- ABS Census 2021 — abs.gov.au/census
- REIV Quarterly Median Prices — reiv.com.au
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