Correction (4 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 between 2 October 2026 and 4 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
A good date bar gives you room to talk, a way to leave when you want to, and a price you can see before you sit down. This page covers five bars: three in Thornbury and two in Northcote.
Each was checked against OpenStreetMap and its own site. Hours are quoted with whose listing they come from, and talk-ability is read only from what the venue publishes, such as DJs listed. None of the five publishes accessibility details in the text we read, so ring ahead if that matters.
Every pick has a plan B, because nobody needs to drink to have a good night out.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| A late Friday or Saturday start | Barton Fink | see below | not printed here |
| Lounge seats and a courtyard | Franklin’s Bar | see below | not printed here |
| Tacos and nachos with drinks | Bar Lingo | FRIED HALLOUMI (GF) | $8 |
| Cocktails with printed prices | Goodwater | KENTUCKY NITRO MARTINI | $18 |
| Wine bar with a garden | Northside Wines | Steak Night | $25 |
Barton Fink — 816-818 High Street, Thornbury VIC 3071
Barton Fink’s site lists “Mon – Closed Tues – 4pm to 12am Wed – 4pm to 11pm Thrus – 4pm to 11pm Fri – 4pm to 3am Sat – 4pm to 3am Sun – 4pm to 11pm”. It opens at the same hour all week, but it is shut on Monday.
The menu is a PDF image, so we could not read any prices. We also could not find live music or DJ details on its pages, so there is no published reason to expect it to be loud or quiet.
Plan B: if it is closed or full, another bar on this page is a short hop along High Street.
Stage: a third date or later, when a late Friday or Saturday finish suits you both.
Franklin’s Bar — 646 High Street, Thornbury VIC 3071
Franklin’s Bar’s site lists “Monday – Wednesday: 5pm – 12am Thursday: 4pm – 1am Friday – Sunday: 4pm – 3am Licensed till 3am”. It describes “romantic vibes in the lounge” and a “dog friendly courtyard”.
For talk-ability, note that the site also lists “late night weekend DJs”. Read that as louder on weekends, so a weeknight is the safer bet for conversation.
We could not read prices, as the drinks menu is an image. Plan B: bring the date forward to a weeknight, or sit in the lounge the site mentions.
Talk-ability: weeknights, because the site lists late night weekend DJs.
Bar Lingo — 875 High Street, Thornbury VIC 3071
Bar Lingo’s site lists “Monday 3pm-11pm Tuesday 3pm-11pm Wednesday 3pm-11pm Thursday 3pm-late Friday. 12pm-late Saturday 12pm-late Sunday 12pm-11pm”. The kitchen hours may differ from the bar hours, so check before you count on food.
The menu prints FRIED HALLOUMI (GF) at $8, described as “with charred corn salsa, grilled pineapple & coriander-lime sauce”. Cauliflower Bites (GF) are printed at $16 and Everyday Nachos (GF) at $23.
Plan B: it works as a food-led date without much drinking.
On the menu (copied from barlingo.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- FRIED HALLOUMI (GF): $8
- GRILLED JERK CHICKEN (GF/ DAIRY FREE): $8
- Everyday Nachos (GF): $23
- Cauliflower Bites (GF): $16
Split or splurge: split the Everyday Nachos (GF) at $23, then add the $8 FRIED HALLOUMI (GF).
Goodwater — 300 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Goodwater’s drinks menu prints KENTUCKY NITRO MARTINI at $18, DUSTBOWL NEGRONI at $26 and SAZERAC at $30. Cheaper, CRYSTAL MIMOSA is printed at $15 and BAD WATER, “house made cruiser”, at $16.
The site lists “wednesday & thursday 5pm - 11pm friday 5pm - late saturday 3pm - late”. It gives no closing time for late, and its Sunday line is missing an opening time.
Plan B: Saturday’s earlier start suits an early first drink.
On the menu (copied from goodwater.melbourne on 4 October 2026):
- KENTUCKY NITRO MARTINI: $18
- DUSTBOWL NEGRONI: $26
- BAD WATER: $16
- CRYSTAL MIMOSA: $15
Split or splurge: a SAZERAC at $30 each is the splurge, CRYSTAL MIMOSA at $15 the easy start.
Northside Wines — 543-545 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070
Northside Wines’ site heads its hours with the words wine bar, kitchen, garden and bottle shop. It lists Monday and Tuesday as closed, with Wednesday 3PM – LATE.
The Wednesday line carries “$25 Steak Night”, so that is the printed deal for a midweek date. Friday is “3PM – LATE”, Saturday “12PM – LATE” and Sunday “12PM – 8PM”.
Sunday’s earlier close makes it a natural early date. Plan B: the bottle shop, if you would rather take a bottle home.
On the menu (copied from northside-wines.com.au on 3 October 2026):
- Steak Night: $25
Exit plan: Sunday is listed as 12PM – 8PM, so it ends early without anyone having to call it.
Quick answers
Which Thornbury bars are open late for a date?
Franklin’s Bar’s site says “Licensed till 3am” and lists Friday – Sunday: 4pm – 3am. Barton Fink’s site lists Fri – 4pm to 3am and Sat – 4pm to 3am, and it is closed Monday. Goodwater and Northside Wines list late on Friday and Saturday but give no closing time.
What do cocktails cost at Goodwater in Northcote?
Goodwater’s drinks menu prints CRYSTAL MIMOSA at $15, BAD WATER at $16, KENTUCKY NITRO MARTINI at $18, DUSTBOWL NEGRONI at $26 and SAZERAC at $30. The prices come from a drinks PDF linked on its site, so check they are still current.
Is there a weeknight date deal near Thornbury?
Northside Wines in Northcote prints “$25 Steak Night” on its Wednesday line, which is listed 3PM – LATE. Its site shows Monday and Tuesday as closed. Barton Fink and Franklin’s Bar list weeknight hours but no deals in the text we read.
Which bars near Thornbury suit a date that is not all about drinking?
Bar Lingo prints food prices, such as Everyday Nachos (GF) at $23 and Cauliflower Bites (GF) at $16, with Friday listed from 12pm-late. Northside Wines lists a kitchen and a garden alongside the wine bar. Franklin’s Bar mentions a dog friendly courtyard, though it is also a late bar.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 2 October 2026 and 4 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the places’ own websites and barlingo.com.au. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, between 3 October 2026 and 4 October 2026, the date given beside each menu. 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
- Barton Fink: openstreetmap.org/1107562244, bartonfink.com.au
- Franklin’s Bar: openstreetmap.org/617287493, franklinsbar.com, franklinsbar.com/drinks-menu, franklinsbar.com/about
- Bar Lingo: openstreetmap.org/3376061070, barlingo.com.au/menu
- Goodwater: openstreetmap.org/12032082712, goodwater.melbourne, goodwater.melbourne/Drinks.pdf
- Northside Wines: openstreetmap.org/617504752, northside-wines.com.au/dine-in-menus, northside-wines.com.au
