St Kilda has always done things differently. While the CBD huddles under laneways and rooftop pretension, this suburb throws it wide open: bay views, salt air, and drinks that taste better because of what is outside the window. The cocktail scene here is not trying to compete with tiny candlelit joints in the city. It is doing its own thing: beachside spritzes, speakeasy-style mixing rooms, and pubs that pour harder than they let on.
Eight venues tested across three weeks. Some were packed on a Tuesday. Some were nearly empty on a Saturday, which tells you everything.
1. The Ghost of Alfred Felton
Dark wood, velvet booths, and the feeling that a 19th-century art collector is watching you from around a corner. This is The Espy’s crown jewel, a top-floor cocktail den paying homage to Alfred Felton, a chemist and philanthropist who once lived upstairs at the Hotel Esplanade. The room feels like a private library you have snuck into.
Each drink ties back to Felton’s world: Victorian-era ingredients, modern technique, garnishes that double as art. The Alchemist at 26 dollars is gin-based with elderflower, activated charcoal and dry-ice fog that arrives looking like a small weather event. The Philanthropist at 24 dollars uses Australian whisky, honey from a Rooftop Honey collaboration and a thyme sprig that smokes when you twist it.
Ask for the off-menu Felton’s Folly if the head bartender is on shift. It changes monthly and has been rumoured to include actual gold leaf.
Address: Hotel Esplanade top floor, 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182 Hours: Friday to Saturday 5pm to late.
2. Captain Baxter
Rooftop cocktails above the St Kilda Sea Baths. The 1920s beach-bungalow aesthetic means retractable roof, cushioned seating and a panorama from the pier to Brighton. Thai basil margarita at 22 dollars, lychee and sake spritz at 19, and a rum-heavy Sunday Session Punch at 16 dollars a glass.
Sunday Sessions are the signature: DJs, flowing cocktails, and a crowd that ranges from twenty-somethings in linen to families pushing prams. Arrive before 3pm on weekends or you will queue. The Pan-Asian food menu pairs well with the drinks.
Address: St Kilda Sea Baths, 10 to 18 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda VIC 3182 Hours: Wednesday to Thursday 4pm to late, Friday to Sunday midday to late.
3. Ellora
Two-storey operation at 1 Fitzroy Street, right where it hits The Esplanade. Downstairs is a buzzing cocktail lounge. Upstairs is a rooftop bar with the widest uninterrupted bay view in St Kilda. At sunset, this place fills fast.
The cocktail list does the familiar well: Aperol Spritz at 18 dollars, Espresso Martini at 22, Cosmopolitan at 19. Happy hour Wednesday to Sunday 4 to 6pm with 15-dollar cocktails and 8-dollar house wines. In a suburb where happy hours often mean one dollar off a schooner, this is the real thing.
Address: 1 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda VIC 3182 Hours: Wednesday to Sunday 4pm to late.
4. Bang Bang St Kilda
Pan-Asian energy with a cocktail edge. Big booths, share plates and a cocktail list heavy on Asian flavours. The happy hour with 2-dollar oysters and 15-dollar cocktails at 5 to 6pm weekdays and 4 to 6pm weekends is absurd value for Fitzroy Street.
The Bang Bang Sour at 21 dollars blends lemongrass-infused vodka with passionfruit and a chilli-salt rim. The Sichuan Negroni at 23 dollars sounds like a gimmick until you try it: Sichuan peppercorn-infused gin, Campari and sweet vermouth with a numbing tingle that makes you reach for another.
Address: 157 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda VIC 3182 Hours: Monday to Thursday 5pm to late, Friday to Sunday midday to late.
5. Freddie Wimpole’s
Corner of Fitzroy and Grey Streets. Named after St Kilda’s mayor in the late 1880s. Fourteen rotating taps, 180-plus premium spirits, live music four nights a week, and a cocktail program that is quietly excellent. The Smoky Old Fashioned at 22 dollars arrives in a 19th-century-style glass bottle with gentle smokiness that avoids the bong-water trap. The Fitzroy Spritz at 18 dollars uses house-made grapefruit shrub.
Late-night licensing until 3am makes this the spot that catches you when everywhere else has shut.
Address: Corner Fitzroy and Grey Streets, St Kilda VIC 3182 Hours: Daily from 4pm, until 3am Thursday to Saturday.
6. St LuJa
Irish pub meets 1920s speakeasy at 9 Fitzroy Street. The Guinness is excellent and the cocktail list runs alongside it in a parallel universe. Whisky-based cocktails are the forte: Negronis with single-malt depth and Irish coffee variations that would make a Dublin pub weep.
Sunset views from the upstairs seating are genuine. The crowd skews slightly older than the Fitzroy Street average, late 20s to 40s, people who want a bar that respects their liver while still making it worthwhile.
Address: 9 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda VIC 3182 Hours: Thursday to Friday 5pm to 1am, Saturday midday to 3am, Sunday midday to 11pm.
7. Prince Public Bar and Little Prince Wine
The Prince of Wales Hotel at 2 to 4 Fitzroy Street has stood since 1936. The ground-floor Prince Public Bar keeps cocktails classic: solid gin and tonics at 15 dollars, dependable Espresso Martinis at 19. Where it earns its spot is Little Prince Wine next door, whose wine-focused cocktails include spritzes built on Victorian natural wines at 20 to 24 dollars and a Prince Fizz blending sparkling shiraz with elderflower at 22 dollars.
Address: 2 to 4 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda VIC 3182 Hours: Public Bar daily 7am to late. Little Prince Wednesday to Saturday 5pm to late.
8. The Espy Main Bar and Sunroom
You cannot write about St Kilda drinking without The Espy. The Main Bar does coastal-inspired cocktails with views of St Kilda Pier. The Pier Punch at 19 dollars is rum and passionfruit comfort. The Sunroom, opened early 2025, is a brighter 160-person space with an open deck and a cocktail list that leans lighter and more aperitivo.
Mya Tiger on level two does its own cocktail menu at 18 to 24 dollars with lemongrass, pandan and lychee infusions that pair with dumplings and Peking duck.
Address: 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182 Hours: Monday to Thursday 11am to 11pm, Friday to Saturday 11am to 1am, Sunday 11am to 11pm.
What We Skipped and Why
Lucky Coq. The cocktails are an afterthought. This is a pizza spot. Covered in our cheap eats guide.
Day of the Dead. Menu has stagnated. If they refresh, we will reconsider.
Secret Garden. Great for a dance, but drinks are mixed for volume, not craft.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cocktail bar in St Kilda?
The Ghost of Alfred Felton for craft and theatre. Captain Baxter for views. Freddie Wimpole’s for the bar you end up at at 1am and do not regret.
Where can I get cheap cocktails in St Kilda?
Bang Bang happy hour: 15-dollar cocktails with 2-dollar oysters, 5 to 6pm weekdays. Ellora happy hour: 15-dollar cocktails 4 to 6pm Wednesday to Sunday. Both are genuine, not one-dollar-off-a-schooner fake happy hours.
Best cocktail bar for a date in St Kilda?
The Ghost of Alfred Felton for the dark, intimate, impressive option. St LuJa for something quieter with whisky depth. Bang Bang if you want energy and food alongside the drinks.
The Verdict
St Kilda’s cocktail scene splits into two camps: view-driven spots where the bay does half the work, and craft-driven dens where the liquid in the glass is what matters. Both are worth your time.
The cocktail crawl this suburb was built for: start with happy hour at Bang Bang, walk to Ellora for sunset on the rooftop, finish at The Ghost of Alfred Felton for something dark and serious. Three stops, three completely different experiences, one suburb.
For the wider bar scene including pubs and beer, check our best bars guide and best pubs guide. For the full nightlife picture, the St Kilda honest guide covers the whole suburb.
Getting Home Safe
Last trams run around midnight. Check PTV for your specific route; the 96 is your best bet. After midnight, rideshare surge pricing hits hard along Fitzroy Street and The Esplanade. Pick up from the Esplanade car park side to avoid the worst crowds. Stick to well-lit main streets rather than the dark sections of the foreshore.
Explore More of St Kilda
- St Kilda History
- St Kilda Things To Do This Weekend
- St Kilda Cheap Eats
- St Kilda Rent Guide
- St Kilda Date Night Guide
- St Kilda New Openings
- St Kilda St Kilda For Retirees
- St Kilda Things To Do
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