Correction (9 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 5 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
This page is for a drink for two, sorted by what you want from the night. Six bars are covered: five in Northcote and Rocket Wine in Fairfield. Each gets its listed hours, what it says about itself and one practical note.
Every place was confirmed at two independent sources: OpenStreetMap, the Australian Good Food Guide, the bar’s own site and, for Sherbini Bar, the Northcote Rise trader directory. Hours say whose listing they come from. Goodwater is the only bar here with food prices we could read.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date-night wording, late weekend hours | Purple Emerald | see below | not printed here |
| Wine bar open Sunday afternoon | Oh Loretta! | see below | not printed here |
| Cocktails, natural wines and cheese | Sherbini Bar | see below | not printed here |
| Cocktails, open seven days | Kitty Somerset | see below | not printed here |
| Food menu and bookable courtyard | Goodwater | fried polenta, pecan muhammara | $15 |
| Wine bar with BYO food | Rocket Wine | see below | not printed here |
Purple Emerald — 349 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Purple Emerald’s site says you can enjoy a date night, and that it is known for its amazing cocktails. The AGFG listing shows Wednesday and Thursday 5pm to 1AM, Friday 4pm to 3am and Saturday 3pm to 3am. The bar’s own site prints no hours, so the AGFG times are our only source.
Stage: an early Saturday start, since AGFG lists Purple Emerald from 3pm that day.
Oh Loretta! — 324 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Oh Loretta!’s site calls it a Northcote Wine Bar. It lists Wednesday and Thursday 5pm to 11pm, Friday 4pm to 11pm, Saturday 2pm to 11pm and Sunday 2pm to 8pm. The Sunday slot makes it a candidate for an afternoon drink.
Exit plan: the bar’s own listing ends Sunday at 8pm, which gives you a natural finish.
Sherbini Bar — 219 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
The Northcote Rise directory lists Sherbini Bar with cocktails, organic natural wines and artisanal cheese. The listing shows Wednesday and Thursday 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm, and Friday and Saturday 6:00 pm to 12:00 am. That directory is a trader listing and not the bar’s own page, so confirm hours before you go.
Split or splurge: we could not find prices for Sherbini Bar, so ask what a drink and a cheese plate cost before you commit.
Kitty Somerset — 565 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Kitty Somerset’s site says ‘Cocktails and good times.’ and prints ‘Open from 5PM 7 days a week’. The bar’s site gives the opening time only. Closing times come from AGFG, which lists Sunday to Thursday 5pm to 1am and Friday and Saturday 5pm to 3am.
Exit plan: AGFG lists a 1am close Sunday to Thursday, so you can leave early without the bar closing on you.
Goodwater — 300 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Goodwater’s site says you can book the whole courtyard. It lists Wednesday and Thursday 5pm to 11pm, Friday from 5pm to late and Saturday from 3pm to late, with the Sunday opening time missing from the printed hours. The food PDF prints fried polenta, pecan muhammara at $15 and white anchovies, guindilla peppers at $18. It also lists sumac lamb belly skewers, cowboy butter at $21 and beef tartare, black olive, yolk, crisps at $25.
On the menu (copied from goodwater.melbourne/Food.pdf on 5 October 2026):
- fried polenta, pecan muhammara: $15
- white anchovies, guindilla peppers: $18
- sumac lamb belly skewers, cowboy butter: $21
- beef tartare, black olive, yolk, crisps: $25
Split or splurge: split the fried polenta, pecan muhammara at $15 from the Goodwater food PDF, or go up to the beef tartare, black olive, yolk, crisps at $25.
Rocket Wine — 28 Railway Place, Fairfield VIC 3078
Rocket Wine’s site calls it ‘a wine bar and bottle shop rolled into one’ and says its by-the-glass list is ’tight, current and changes with the times.’ It also says select bottles are available through its Coravin system and ‘BYO food from anywhere nearby.’ Its hours: Monday closed, Tuesday to Thursday 3pm to 10pm, Friday 2pm to 11pm, Saturday 12pm to 11pm and Sunday 2pm to 8pm, with public-holiday hours that may vary.
Say this: ask what is on the by-the-glass list this week, since the site says it changes with the times.
Quick answers
Which Northcote bars suit a first drink for two?
Purple Emerald’s site mentions enjoying a date night and its cocktails. Oh Loretta! describes itself as a Northcote Wine Bar. Sherbini Bar is listed by the Northcote Rise directory with cocktails, organic natural wines and artisanal cheese. Pick by the drink you want, and check hours first.
Which Northcote bars are open late?
AGFG lists Kitty Somerset open until 3am on Friday and Saturday. AGFG lists Purple Emerald until 3am on Friday and Saturday too. The Northcote Rise directory lists Sherbini Bar until 12:00 am on Friday and Saturday, and Goodwater’s site lists Friday and Saturday as open until late.
Is there a Northcote bar with a food menu and prices?
Goodwater’s food PDF prints fried polenta, pecan muhammara at $15 and beef tartare, black olive, yolk, crisps at $25. Rocket Wine’s site says ‘BYO food from anywhere nearby.’ We could not find published prices for the remaining bars.
Do these Northcote bars publish accessibility details?
We recorded no accessibility details for Purple Emerald, Oh Loretta!, Sherbini Bar, Kitty Somerset, Goodwater or Rocket Wine, so ask each bar about step-free entry and toilets before you book.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 5 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the Australian Good Food Guide, the places’ own websites and northcoterise.com.au. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 5 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place 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
- Purple Emerald: openstreetmap.org/6744765526, agfg.com.au/purple-emerald-lounge-bar-37535, purpleemerald.com.au
- Oh Loretta!: openstreetmap.org/10906461684, ohloretta.com.au
- Sherbini Bar: openstreetmap.org/12240741518, northcoterise.com.au/sherbini-bar
- Kitty Somerset: openstreetmap.org/617504741, agfg.com.au/kitty-somerset-37817, kittysomerset.com.au
- Goodwater: openstreetmap.org/12032082712, agfg.com.au/goodwater-139448, goodwater.melbourne, goodwater.melbourne/Food.pdf
- Rocket Wine: openstreetmap.org/11729092708, rocketwine.com.au
