Best Themed Bars in Melbourne
Each of these bars trades in kitsch – that enigmatic balance of theatre, irony and lack of self-seriousness that separates a themed bar from merely an influenced one.
To really pull off a themed bar, it takes a whole-hearted commitment across the staff, decor, music and drinks. But when it works, as with these bars, your drinking experience will truly be lifted.
Read more:
Best Cocktail Bars in Melbourne
Best Neighbourhood Bars in Melbourne
Best Beer Bars in Melbourne
Best Wine Bars in Melbourne
Words by Callum McDermott
Updated on 13 July 2026
Bar
The LuWow
Check your everyday life at the door – it’s pure fantasy at Melbourne’s favourite tiki bar. There’s bamboo, leopard print and tiki statues everywhere. If you can’t get a good Painkiller, Zombie or Mai Tai here, you can’t get it anywhere.
Bar
Berlin Bar
Drinking in post-war opulence on the West side or soviet grunge on the East side? It's your choice at Berlin.
Bar
Storyville
A fairytale themed bar, from the owners of Pawn & Co. and 29th Apartment.
Restaurant
Natural History Public Bar
Ever wanted to eat a steak in front of a taxidermied animal?
Bar
Pawn & Co.
At this pawn-shop themed bar, the lines are blurred: you can buy a lot of the second-hand goods on display here.
Bar
Double Happiness
Chairman Mao, communist propaganda, cocktails? Far more fun (and inoffensive) than it sounds.
Bar
Holey Moley
Juvenile mini-golf gets an adult makeover at this insane bar.
Bar
The Palm Royale
Tiki bars will never go away, and this Richmond incarnation is Melbourne's proud standard-bearer.
Bar
Moon Dog Wild West
Moon Dog’s bar in the Franco Cozzo building leans heavily into an old-Hollywood interpretation of the American West. It comes complete with a mechanical bull, “Cowboy Shots” and a Blues Brothers-inspired bar.
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