Geelong turns it on after dark. Most of its best bars are packed into the CBD around Little Malop Street, with more along Pakington Street in Geelong West and a few by the Eastern Beach waterfront. This guide covers 20 of them. Cocktail bars come first, from a whisky speakeasy upstairs to a moody basement bar, then wine bars, old pubs and the craft breweries Geelong is known for, with our top picks, a map and walking routes.
Last checked 14 November 2026. No bar paid to be included.
If you only have one night, start here.
A whisky speakeasy upstairs on Little Malop Street.
The CBD and Little Malop StreetA moody basement bar beneath Shorts Place.
The CBD and Little Malop StreetMartinis and a late kitchen.
The CBD and Little Malop Street1970s neon and Australian-made cocktails.
The CBD and Little Malop StreetHotel-bar style on Little Malop Street.
The CBD and Little Malop StreetHome of an award-winning Geelong gin.
North GeelongA rooftop facing St Mary's.
The CBD and Little Malop StreetCocktails and live music on Pako.
Pakington Street and Geelong WestSingalongs and drag shows.
The CBD and Little Malop StreetA rooftop on an 1855 pub.
Pakington Street and Geelong WestTap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Little Malop Street is Geelong's bar strip, with Ryrie, Moorabool and Malop Streets close by. Most of these bars are a minute or two apart.
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Speakeasy
An upstairs speakeasy-style room with old-world decor, playful cocktails such as the bubble tea-inspired Taro Reader and a cellar of more than 100 Irish, Scottish and Australian whiskies.
📍 82A Little Malop Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Wine and cocktail bar
A French-inspired wine bar and cocktail spot pouring Martinis and award-winning cocktails, with a late kitchen and a deep list of wines by the glass, including rare finds.
📍 126 Ryrie Street, Geelong VIC 3220
🕒 Daily 4pm to 11pm; Fri and Sat noon to 11pm (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Retro cocktail bar
A 1970s-style bar with orange neon, vinyl and velour couches. Cocktails use Australian producers, such as a bush honey and wattleseed Espresso Martini. DJs spin throwback records at weekends.
📍 8 Malop Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Cocktail bar
From the creator of The 18th Amendment, a cocktail bar inspired by the world's top hotel bars, known for skilled bartenders and inventive techniques. Open from 5pm at the weekend. One for an intimate evening.
📍 71 Little Malop Street, Geelong VIC 3220
🕒 Mon midnight to 1am; Fri 5pm to midnight; Sat and Sun 5pm to 1am (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Rooftop bar
A level-three rooftop with views of St Mary's Church, spicy margaritas and a share menu of bold plates.
📍 247 Moorabool Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Lounge bar
An eclectic lounge in a historic bluestone building behind a bright red door, with open mic and karaoke on Wednesdays and acoustic sets from Thursday to Saturday.
📍 77-79 Little Malop Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Basement bar
An intimate, moody basement bar down the stairs beneath Shorts Place, run by Alistair Bullock and Alex Brownbridge, with cocktails, a good wine list, snacks and a strong soundtrack.
📍 4-6 Shorts Place, Geelong VIC 3220
Piano and cabaret bar
Piano performances, singalongs, singing waitstaff and regular drag shows every night, with pizzas and tapas to keep you going.
📍 90-92 Little Malop Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Wine bar and bottle shop
Part bar, part bottle shop, all about Greater Geelong's cool-climate wines, with window seats in summer and couches by an open fire in winter.
📍 97-99 Little Malop Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Craft beer pub
Sixteen beers on tap, rotisserie meats and a beer garden with a retractable roof.
📍 Corner of Malop and Bellarine Streets, Geelong
Pako, as locals call it, runs through Geelong West and Newtown with wine bars, old pubs and newer cocktail spots.
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Pub with a rooftop
An 1855 pub, once the birthplace of the Geelong Cats, with a rooftop looking over the skyline, pints and cocktails, live music, Saturday bottomless brunch and Sunday sessions.
📍 30 Aberdeen Street, Geelong West VIC 3218
Wine bar and restaurant
A big, airy wine bar and restaurant with a blue-tiled bar, classic and creative cocktails, a long wine list and share plates. Local musicians play live, especially on Sundays.
📍 66 Pakington Street, Geelong West VIC 3218
Wine bar and bottle shop
A bottle shop with cheese and charcuterie and a walk-in bar of exposed brick and bentwood stools, run by former Blackhearts and Sparrows operators.
📍 360 Pakington Street, Newtown VIC 3220
Hotel pub
Geelong's oldest hotel, newly refurbished in warm timber, with local ales and wines and proper pub dining.
📍 81 Pakington Street, Geelong West VIC 3218
Five minutes from the CBD, the old Federal Woollen Mills are home to Geelong's own gin distillery.
Distillery bar
Australia's Champion Gin 2018 and 2019
The Geelong gin distillery under the chimney of the 1915 Federal Woollen Mills, makers of Australia's Champion Gin in 2018 and 2019. Book a cocktail or gin tasting flight or a distillery tour. It opens in the afternoon and closes early evening.
📍 33 Mackey Street, North Geelong VIC 3215
Down by Eastern Beach and Little Creatures Village, for sea views and brewery bars.
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Restaurant and bar
Upstairs at Pavilion Geelong, looking over Eastern Beach, with spicy margaritas and spritzes. It leans more restaurant than bar.
📍 Pavilion Geelong, 95 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong VIC 3220
Brewery bar
In Little Creatures Village, with ageing barrels and fermenters on show, the full beer range plus specials only poured here and antipasto platters.
📍 221 Swanston Street, Geelong VIC 3220
Brewery
Geelong's original craft beer star, in a former wool mill, with brewery tours, a kids' playground and its signature American Pale Ale.
📍 221 Swanston Street, South Geelong
A short drive south of the CBD, for two of Geelong's craft breweries.
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Brewery
Nine taps and a brew garden, open Friday to Sunday in summer and Friday and Saturday in the cooler months.
📍 110 Mount Pleasant Road, Belmont
Brewery
Open since early 2021, with about ten core beers and a cider, plus live music at weekends.
📍 29/8 Lewalan Street, Grovedale
Two routes in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.
9 bars · about 20 minutes on foot in total
3 bars · about 20 minutes on foot in total
Start with The 18th Amendment Bar and Daisy, then Fantôme Wine Bar & Cocktails. Our top 10 above covers the rest.
Little Malop Street in the CBD, where most of the best bars are a minute apart. Pakington Street in Geelong West is the other hub.
Yes. The 18th Amendment Bar is an upstairs speakeasy-style room on Little Malop Street. Daisy is a basement bar beneath Shorts Place.
Our walking routes are above. There is also a ticketed Urban Cocktail Trail that runs on set dates.
Not yet. Melbourne Cocktail Week is coming soon. Sign up on our Melbourne page to hear first.
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Now we're bringing it to Australia. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides, including Sitchu.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Cocktail Week in Australia
Run a bar in Geelong that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.
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