Bars and Pubs in Bulleen (2026)
Bulleen has 21 bars and 2 pubs — 23 venues total. Bulleen offers a solid night out.
Bars
#1 The Manningham
the food
What makes it great: Every suburb has one restaurant that defines it. In Bulleen, the argument starts with The Manningham. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. Come once for curiosity. Come back because the food demands it.
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Manningham Hotel & Club — 1 Thompsons Rd, Bulleen VIC 3105, Australia
the food | ★ 4/5 (920 reviews) | $$
What makes it great: Modern pub for smart bistro-style dining, plus a sports bar and a sprawling outdoor beer garden. Add it to your rotation. You will not regret it.
920 Google reviews and a 4 average. The numbers track with the experience.
Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.
Website: Manningham Hotel & Club | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 The Old England Hotel — 459 Lower Heidelberg Rd, Heidelberg VIC 3084, Australia
the food | ★ 4.1/5 (2,060 reviews) | $$
What makes it great: Global cuisine and pub grub in a huge, Victorian-era hotel with old-world decor and a relaxed vibe. There is a reason the regulars do not talk about it much. They do not want the wait.
2,060 Google reviews and a 4.1 average. The numbers track with the experience.
Mid-range pricing that reflects fair value for what comes out of the kitchen.
Website: The Old England Hotel | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 The Advocate — 431B Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn VIC 3103, Australia
the food | ★ 4.4/5 (363 reviews)
What makes it great: The word of mouth around The Advocate has done more than any review ever could. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. Worth crossing Bulleen for. Worth crossing Melbourne for, honestly.
The 4.4/5 Google rating (363 reviews) reflects what regulars already know.
Website: The Advocate | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Bar Christina — 663 High St, Kew East VIC 3102, Australia
the food | ★ 5/5 (27 reviews)
What makes it great: If Bulleen had a signature restaurant, Bar Christina 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. There is a reason the regulars do not talk about it much. They do not want the wait.
A 5 rating from 27 reviews does not happen by accident in Bulleen.
Website: Bar Christina | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Cactus Room — 614 High St, Thornbury VIC 3071, Australia
the food | ★ 4.9/5 (107 reviews) | $
What makes it great: Cactus Room treats the food like it matters. Because it does. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. This is not destination dining. This is your neighbourhood doing what it should.
107 people have reviewed Cactus Room on Google. The average sits at 4.9. Earned, not gamed.
Prices here are honest — you eat well and the bill does not punish you for it.
Website: Cactus Room | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 The Raccoon Club — 145 Plenty Rd, Preston VIC 3072, Australia
the food | ★ 4.7/5 (510 reviews)
What makes it great: The Raccoon Club has been doing this since before Bulleen got its reputation. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. Add it to your rotation. You will not regret it.
A 4.7 rating from 510 reviews does not happen by accident in Bulleen.
Website: The Raccoon Club | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Bar Alba — 132 Cotham Rd, Kew VIC 3101, Australia
the food | ★ 4.8/5 (94 reviews)
What makes it great: Nobody goes to Bar Alba for the decor. They go for the feeling that you have been here before, even if you have not. The kitchen here has found its rhythm. The menu is focused, the execution is steady, and the regulars know what they are coming for. A restaurant that respects the ingredients, respects your time, and respects your wallet.
Rated 4.8 by 94 locals on Google — and the ones who come back do not bother leaving reviews.
Website: Bar Alba | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Black Kite Commune — 30 Russell Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
the food | ★ 4.6/5 (197 reviews)
What makes it great: If Bulleen had a signature restaurant, Black Kite Commune would be on the shortlist. What works here works because the kitchen has stopped trying to be clever and started trying to be consistent. It does not try to be everything. It tries to be good at one thing. It succeeds.
A 4.6 rating from 197 reviews does not happen by accident in Bulleen.
Website: Black Kite Commune | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 HER — 270 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
the food | ★ 4/5 (1,586 reviews) | $$$
What makes it great: HER earns its crowd the honest way — through the food. 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. HER passes.
Rated 4 by 1,586 locals on Google — and the ones who come back do not bother leaving reviews.
Not cheap, but the quality justifies the spend. This is a deliberate night out.
Website: HER | Google Maps
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
Plus 11 more bars. Full details in the table below.
Pubs
#1 Sir Henry Barklys Hotel
the food
What makes it great: What Sir Henry Barklys Hotel does well, it does better than anywhere else in Bulleen. 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. You will not Instagram it. You will remember it.
Website: Sir Henry Barklys Hotel
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
#1 Old England Hotel
the food
What makes it great: The kitchen at Old England Hotel runs on precision and repetition — the same dish, perfect, every time. 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.
Website: Old England Hotel
Source: OpenStreetMap + Google Places, verified March 2026
Practical Tips
- Peak hours: Friday and Saturday from 9pm
- Booking: Most bars are walk-in. Pubs with dining may take bookings
- Last drinks: Most venues serve until 1am–3am depending on licence
Related Guides
- Best Restaurants in Bulleen
- Best Cafes in Bulleen
- Cost of Living in Bulleen
- Bulleen Neighbourhood Guide
- Family Guide to Bulleen
- Is Bulleen Safe?
- Bulleen Transport Guide
- Bulleen Property Market
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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