Old meets new at the Builders Arms Hotel on Gertrude Street.

Builders Arms Hotel

This corner pub opened in 1853 and has spun through a dizzying variety of incarnations.

The Albion Hotel pours mostly Bodriggy beers.

Hold our beer,the pub is back. Here are Melbourne’s 20 best right now

In the lead-up to The Age Good Food Guide on sale from November 19,we raise a glass to the return of the pub,in a big and welcome way.

  • Daniela Frangos andJay Clough
Whole fish with salmoriglio and shaved fennel.
Good Food hat15/20

Saint George

Party up the front,elegance in the back.

The Dry Dock’s light-filled dining room.
14.5/20

The Dry Dock

Comfort-first pub that’s a bit too nice to wear thongs to.

Inside The Standard Hotel,which has been serving pots of beer and meals for over 150 years.

The Standard

Seemingly unchanged over its long life,this retreat still reps kitsch cricket memorabilia and sticky carpets,and has one of the best beer gardens around.

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A banquet at the Albert Park Hotel’s restaurant Happy Valley.

Albert Park Hotel

There’s plenty going on behind this historic façade,from frothies and footy in the front bar to Peking duck and dumplings in the restaurant.

Go-to dish:Chicken schnitzel with mash and gravy ($27).
14/20

Goodbye,pokies. Hello,oysters and ‘pretty bloody good’ schnitty at this reborn Redfern boozer

A team of young operators has brought a new look and nostalgia-fuelled tricks to The Bat& Ball Hotel.

  • Callan Boys
The revamped dining room at the North Fitzroy Arms.

Good Food Guide 2025:Melbourne’s top 20 pubs

Raise a glass to Melbourne’s worthiest watering holes.

The outdoor garden at Union House in Richmond.

Union House

For the AFL fan who wants more than a pie with sauce for sustenance,this corner pub offers a multitude of options.

Steam Packet Hotel in WIlliamstown.

Steam Packet Hotel

A pint at the Packet has been a Williamstown rite of passage for generations.