You want a drink in Blackburn, not a tram ride into the city or a fake “hidden gem” list padded with restaurants. Start with Natural Science Wine and Liquor, then use the nearby backups only when the night needs food, karaoke, or a pub table.
The Verdict
Natural Science Wine and Liquor is the pick if you only try one Blackburn bar. It has the strongest signal in the list: 5/5 from 73 reviews, a proper Blackburn address at 9a Salisbury Avenue, and the name actually matches what most people mean when they search for a bar. It is the cleanest choice for a local drink without turning the night into a Whitehorse Road crawl.
The useful thing about Blackburn nightlife is also the annoying thing: the options are spread out. Natural Science keeps you in Blackburn, Amor Mexico gives you a food-first backup at Shop 1-2 Rear Shop/20 Blackburn Road, and Blackburn Hotel is the safe pub option at 111 Whitehorse Road when you need something familiar, bigger, and easier for a mixed group. Bar Nearby rates brilliantly at 4.9/5 from 86 reviews, but it is in Box Hill, so treat it as the eastward escape hatch rather than the Blackburn default. Don’t build the night around Suave Furniture Nunawading or Kerrimuir Noodle Bar unless you already know why you are going there; they may be verified listings, but they are not the obvious answer to “where should we get a drink in Blackburn?”
Local Reality
Blackburn is not Fitzroy with darker lighting. The drinking map here follows main roads and practical decisions: Salisbury Avenue if you want the best local lead, Blackburn Road if dinner matters, Whitehorse Road if you want the most predictable pub-style stop, and Box Hill or Nunawading when Blackburn itself runs out of momentum. That is why Natural Science Wine and Liquor sits at the top: it is not trying to be everything, and it does not require pretending a restaurant or noodle bar is secretly a bar.
The landmarks that matter are Blackburn Road, Whitehorse Road, and the pull of Box Hill. Amor Mexico - Mexican Restaurant in Blackburn is the local dinner-and-drink move, especially if someone in the group wants a meal rather than “just one.” Blackburn Hotel is the most straightforward option when you need space, pub pricing, and a venue everyone can find. Bar Nearby and Red Cup Cafe both sit over in Box Hill on Whitehorse Road, so they work better if your night is already drifting that way. Squires Loft Nunawading and Suave Furniture Nunawading are Nunawading-side listings; useful to know, but not where I would send someone asking for a Blackburn bar first.
Skip this list if you want late-night density, walkable bar hopping, or five venues within two blocks. Blackburn is better for a deliberate first stop than a spontaneous crawl. If you are west of Blackburn Road and already pointing toward Box Hill, Bar Nearby probably makes more sense. If you are south-east toward Forest Hill, KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill is the practical choice when the point of the night is singing, not sipping.
Who This Suits
If you are a date-night drinker, pick Natural Science Wine and Liquor. It is the most bar-shaped recommendation here and the one that feels least like a compromise. If you are organising a mixed group with one person who hates small venues, pick Blackburn Hotel. If you want dinner built into the plan, pick Amor Mexico - Mexican Restaurant in Blackburn. If your group is already near Box Hill, pick Bar Nearby before forcing everyone back into Blackburn. If the night needs an activity, pick KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill.
Cost expectations are fairly simple from the available price signals. Blackburn Hotel, Amor Mexico, and Red Cup Cafe are listed as mid-range, so expect normal suburban night-out spending rather than cocktail-bar damage. Squires Loft Nunawading is marked upscale, which makes sense for a steakhouse-style stop but less sense if the job is simply “meet for a drink.” Several listings do not show a price level, including Natural Science, Bar Nearby, Suave Furniture Nunawading, KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill, and Kerrimuir Noodle Bar, so check the latest menu before you commit the group.
Time of day matters more here than hype. Early evening suits the Blackburn options best because you can choose properly before the group splinters toward food, karaoke, or Box Hill. Friday and Saturday plans should be checked ahead, especially for Natural Science Wine and Liquor and KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill, because smaller or activity-based venues can punish lazy planning. On a quiet weeknight, Blackburn Hotel is the lowest-friction fallback. In warmer months, start closer to home and keep the night simple; in colder months, choose the venue with food attached.
What to Do Next
Start with Natural Science Wine and Liquor, then keep Amor Mexico or Blackburn Hotel as the backup if the group needs food or space. For the wider area context, read the Blackburn Suburb Guide before planning the night.
| Venue | Rating | Reviews | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Science Wine and Liquor | 5/5 | 73 | — |
| Bar Nearby | 4.9/5 | 86 | — |
| Suave Furniture Nunawading | 4.7/5 | 40 | — |
| Red Cup Cafe | 4.3/5 | 1219 | $$ |
| Amor Mexico - Mexican Restaurant in Blackburn | 4.3/5 | 366 | $$ |
| KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill | 4.3/5 | 186 | — |
| Squires Loft Nunawading | 4.1/5 | 793 | $$$ |
| Blackburn Hotel | 4/5 | 1335 | $$ |
| Kerrimuir Noodle Bar | 3.9/5 | 200 | — |
Venue Details
Natural Science Wine and Liquor
Address: 9a Salisbury Avenue, Blackburn
Rating: 5/5 (73 reviews)
Bar Nearby
Address: 1115-1117 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
Rating: 4.9/5 (86 reviews)
Suave Furniture Nunawading
Address: 314 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading
Rating: 4.7/5 (40 reviews)
Red Cup Cafe
Address: 1124 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
Rating: 4.3/5 (1,219 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
Amor Mexico - Mexican Restaurant in Blackburn
Address: Shop 1-2 Rear Shop/20 Blackburn Road, Blackburn
Rating: 4.3/5 (366 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
KBox Karaoke and Bar, Forest Hill
Address: 3 Mahoneys Rd, Forest Hill
Rating: 4.3/5 (186 reviews)
Squires Loft Nunawading
Address: 54/288 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading
Rating: 4.1/5 (793 reviews)
Price: Upscale
Blackburn Hotel
Address: 111 Whitehorse Road, Blackburn
Rating: 4/5 (1,335 reviews)
Price: Mid-range
Kerrimuir Noodle Bar
Address: 523 Middleborough Road, Box Hill North
Rating: 3.9/5 (200 reviews)
About This Guide
Every venue in this guide is a verified, currently operating business sourced from Google Places API. Data last refreshed: 2026-03-31. If a venue has closed or moved, let us know.
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