Correction (3 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 2 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
A drinks list tells you what a venue trusts, and around Craigieburn South those lists belong to pubs and restaurants rather than stand-alone bars. We could not verify a dedicated cocktail or wine bar, so this page reads five licensed venues instead: four in Craigieburn and one in Donnybrook, all under postcode 3064. Treat it as “in and around Craigieburn South”, because none of the five addresses below is in the suburb itself.
Each entry says what the venue’s own page, or the shopping centre’s directory, says about beer, spirits, licensing or live music. The prices are food prices from the menus we read on 2 October 2026; we did not capture drink prices, so none are quoted. Where a pot (the Victorian small glass of beer) is the sensible order, it is flagged as general knowledge, not a menu fact.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| A sports bar with a live-music night listed | Highlands Hotel (International Buffet, Sports Bar, Cafe & Lounge) | International buffet lunch, Mon-Fri, adult | $36.90 |
| A pub with a big beer garden | Donnybrook Hotel | Basket of Chips with aioli | $9.50 |
| Beer on tap with a day-long menu | Billy’s Boulevard Craigieburn | Just Toast | from $8.50 |
| Indian food with beer and spirits listed | Desi Dhaba Craigieburn | see below | not printed here |
| A licensed Italian restaurant | La Porchetta Craigieburn Central | see below | not printed here |
Highlands Hotel (International Buffet, Sports Bar, Cafe & Lounge) — Cnr Aitken & Grand Boulevards, Craigieburn VIC 3064
The hotel’s own site runs separate Sports Bar and Cafe & Lounge pages. The Sports Bar page says “our friendly staff will keep the cold beer coming”, and the Cafe & Lounge page advertises live music: “Every Second Friday - Cop This Band is appearing live”. That is a recurring listing with no dated gig list, so check before you go. The Sports Bar page also says it is “Equipped with TAB facilities”, and the only prices we read are buffet prices on its sessions-and-prices page, where the International buffet lunch, Mon-Fri, adult is $36.90. The Australian Good Food Guide lists the street address as 301 Grand Boulevard.
The classic: a pot is the Victorian name for the small glass of beer; a schooner is the New South Wales size.
Donnybrook Hotel — 825 Donnybrook Road, Donnybrook VIC 3064
The pub’s own site says it was established in 1863 and describes a “spacious beer garden that can host 100+ that also hosts live music every week”. It also mentions an entertainment area with arcade machines where children can play. The site gives trading as “Everyday from 11am until Late” with the kitchen open from 11am to 9pm, so “late” has no clock time on the page.
On the menu (copied from donnybrookhotel.com.au on 2 October 2026):
- Basket of Chips with aioli: $9.50
- Bangers & Mash: $20.50
- Donny Burger: $23.50
On the list: the menu PDF prints Basket of Chips with aioli at $9.50 for the table, and Bangers & Mash (sausages on mashed potato) at $20.50 for a full meal.
Billy’s Boulevard Craigieburn — B10A, Craigieburn Central, 340 Craigieburn Road, Craigieburn VIC 3064
Billy’s own homepage says it has “a wide variety of beers on tap”, and Craigieburn Central’s directory calls it a “go-to destination for delicious, hearty meals”. Its menu page opens with breakfast, so read it as a day-long restaurant with beer on tap rather than a bar-first venue. We did not capture a tap list, so ask which beers are pouring.
On the menu (copied from billys-boulevard.com.au on 2 October 2026):
- Just Toast: $8.50
On the list: the beer line is the one to ask about; the menu page we read printed Just Toast as its first item at a price that “Starts at” $8.50, and the menu says prices vary with add-ons and sizes.
Desi Dhaba Craigieburn — 340 Craigieburn Road (Craigieburn Central), Craigieburn VIC 3064
Craigieburn Central’s directory says Desi Dhaba serves “a variety of Indian and Australian beers and spirits”. The restaurant’s own Craigieburn page lists 11 am to 11 pm Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and 11 am–12 am on Friday and Saturday; Craigieburn Central’s directory shows different hours for it, so check before a late visit. We could not read item prices on its menu, so none are quoted here.
The classic: in northern India a dhaba is a roadside eatery serving home-style food, and the restaurant borrows the word for its name.
La Porchetta Craigieburn Central — 340 Craigieburn Road (Craigieburn Central), Craigieburn VIC 3064
La Porchetta’s own site says “La Porchetta restaurants are fully licenced”, which is the chain’s statement rather than one about this shop alone. Craigieburn Central’s page for the restaurant lists “PARMA TUESDAYS Only At La Porchetta Sun 31st May - Fri 30th Oct”, with no menu price attached; the listing gives no year and ends in late October, so check it is still running. We could not item prices for this branch.
The classic: a parma is a chicken parmigiana, crumbed chicken under tomato sauce and melted cheese, and it is what that Tuesday listing is about.
Quick answers
Are there any cocktail bars in Craigieburn South?
We could not verify a dedicated cocktail or wine bar in or near the suburb. The five places on this page are pubs and restaurants with licences. Billy’s Boulevard’s own homepage mentions cocktails alongside its beers on tap, and our separate Craigieburn South cocktail bars page reads a Greek restaurant at Craigieburn Central whose listing mentions cocktails.
Which of these places has a beer garden?
Donnybrook Hotel. Its own site describes a “spacious beer garden that can host 100+ that also hosts live music every week” at 825 Donnybrook Road.
Where can I find live music near Craigieburn South?
Two of the five advertise it. Highlands Hotel’s Cafe & Lounge page lists “Every Second Friday” for a band, and Donnybrook Hotel’s site says its beer garden “hosts live music every week”. Neither page we read gave a dated gig list, so check before you go.
What time do these bars close?
Of the clock times quoted on this page, Desi Dhaba’s own Craigieburn page lists the latest close: 12 am on Friday and Saturday, though Craigieburn Central’s directory shows different hours for it, so check before a late visit. Donnybrook Hotel’s site says “Everyday from 11am until Late” and gives no clock time for late, with the kitchen open from 11am to 9pm.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 2 October 2026: the places’ own websites, the Australian Good Food Guide, OpenStreetMap, onlymelbourne.com.au and craigieburncentral.com.au. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 2 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The photos are illustrative, from Unsplash: they show the kind of food or place, not the places on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Highlands Hotel (International Buffet, Sports Bar, Cafe & Lounge): highlandshotel.com.au/contact-us, agfg.com.au/highlands-hotel-37270, highlandshotel.com.au/sessions-prices, highlandshotel.com.au/cafe-lounge, highlandshotel.com.au/sports-bar
- Donnybrook Hotel: openstreetmap.org/61154665, donnybrookhotel.com.au, onlymelbourne.com.au/donnybrook-hotel, donnybrookhotel.com.au/MenuNov25.pdf
- Billy’s Boulevard Craigieburn: billys-boulevard.com.au, agfg.com.au/billys-boulevard-84518, craigieburncentral.com.au/billys-boulevard, billys-boulevard.com.au/menu
- Desi Dhaba Craigieburn: desidhaba.com.au/craigieburn, craigieburncentral.com.au/desi-dhaba
- La Porchetta Craigieburn Central: openstreetmap.org/3624179003, craigieburncentral.com.au/la-porchetta, laporchetta.com.au, laporchetta.com.au/menu-homepage
