Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne hookup guide: laneway bars, late gigs and the last tram home
Piano bars up a staircase, rooftops above Flinders Street, trains that keep running on weekend nights. Meet Melburnians who want to keep it casual. Free to join.
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In short
A hookup in Melbourne usually starts in the CBD laneways: Hardware Lane for wine and live music, Warburton Lane for a piano bar, Driver Lane for a basement cocktail bar, and the rooftops above Flinders Street and Russell Street. Joydate shows you who nearby is open to a casual meet, and joining costs nothing.
- Where to go: the laneways around Hardware Lane and Degraves Street for a first drink, Cherry Bar, Max Watts and The Toff in Town for a late gig.
- Getting home: trains, plus some trams and buses, run through the night on Fridays and Saturdays, and trams are free inside the city's Free Tram Zone.
- Cost: membership starts free with a few messages a day; VIP, the plan for unlimited messaging, is A$24.99 for one week and works out at A$5.99 a week on the 12-month plan.
Melbourne's nights live in its laneways. The City of Melbourne's own visitor guide sends you down Hardware Lane for live music and alfresco dining, up a flight of stairs in Warburton Lane to a piano bar, and into a converted shipping container in Whitehart Lane. If you are looking for a Melbourne hookup, or just a casual evening with someone new, Joydate shows you who in the city is up for it. It names nothing more exact than your city, and the two of you choose the bar.
Laneway, rooftop or late gig?
In Melbourne, the best places for a first drink sit within a few minutes' walk of each other in the CBD. The laneways are the easy choice for a first drink: small venues, plenty of doorways and an easy exit after one round if the chemistry is not there. The rooftops suit a warm evening and a view, and the late music rooms are for people who would rather dance than sit. Whichever you pick, check the venue's own page for current hours before you go.
Know before you go out
Why Melbourne works for a casual night out
Four things that shape a Melbourne evening.
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Bars tucked into laneways
Centre Place is described by the City of Melbourne as packed with cafes, bars, offbeat shops and street art, so a short walk past one doorway puts the next one in view.
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Music most nights
Max Watts books live acts almost every night of the year, and Beneath Driver Lane plays live music four nights a week, which gives a first meet something to do besides talk.
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Rooftops with a view
From Rooftop at QT on Russell Street to the bars above Flinders Street, the city's guide lists more than twenty places to have a first drink above the street.
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A free ride in the middle
Trams cost nothing inside the Free Tram Zone, which covers the central city and Docklands, and the Night Network keeps trains going through the night at weekends.
Melbourne at a glance
Good to know before a Melbourne first meet
- 6areas in this guide, each with a shortlist
- Freetram rides inside the Free Tram Zone, central city and Docklands
- All nighttrains, with some trams and buses, on Fridays and Saturdays
Where Melbourne goes out
Where to meet for a first drink in Melbourne
Six areas and the places that the City of Melbourne's visitor guide names for each.
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Wine and live music
Hardware Lane
A European-style laneway with live music and alfresco dining, the guide says.
Places to start
- Kirk's Wine Bar: the wine bar the laneway walk names for Hardware Lane
- Hotel Nacional: a five-storey venue with a rooftop, listed in the rooftop guide
- Hardware Lane itself: a good place to wander before choosing a table
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Piano bar
Warburton Lane
A lane where the guide points first to the street art, then upstairs to a piano bar.
Places to start
- Murmur: a Spanish piano bar upstairs, with a baby grand and classic cocktails, open Thursday to Saturday until late
- Street art: worth a look on the walk in
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Hidden bars
Driver Lane and Whitehart Lane
Two laneways with unusual bars, one underground and one built from shipping containers.
Places to start
- Beneath Driver Lane: a basement bar in a former bank vault, with live blues four nights a week
- Whitehart: a double-storey shipping container bar with a rooftop
- Centre Place: described as packed with cafes, bars, offbeat shops and street art
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Daytime first
Degraves Street
One of the city's most recognisable laneways, across from Flinders Street Station, with dining tables out in the lane.
Places to start
- Onigiri Kitchen and Sake Bar: Japanese food and fruit sake at the Flinders Street end
- RMB Cafe Bar: a corner cafe bar with outdoor views
- Pidapipo Gelateria: gelato for a daytime first meet
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Gigs and dancing
Late-night music rooms
When the first drink goes well, the guide lists rooms that keep going.
Places to start
- Cherry Bar: rock and roll with DJs and live bands in Little Collins Street, kicking on into the small hours
- Max Watts: a subterranean band room beneath Swanston Street, with live acts almost every night
- The Toff in Town: a stage room on the second floor of Curtin House, open until 5 a.m. at weekends
- Section 8: an outdoor bar in Tattersalls Lane with DJs, open until 1 a.m. at weekends
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Above the city
Rooftops
For a view over the city, the guide lists rooftop bars across the CBD.
Places to start
- Rooftop at QT: level 11 on Russell Street, with a street art mural
- Siglo Bar: views over Parliament and St Patrick's Cathedral
- Fleet Rooftop Bar: above Flinders Street, 68 metres up with Yarra views
- Union Electric: a rooftop gin garden in a Chinatown laneway
Plan a first drink in Melbourne
Places from the City of Melbourne's What's On visitor guide, its laneway walk and its late-night and rooftop guides. Opening hours and band nights move around, so look at each venue's own page first.
Picture the night
Three Melbourne first meets, from laneways to rooftops
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Hardware Lane
Wine and live music
A European-style laneway with live music and tables outside.
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Degraves Street
A daytime first
Gelato, coffee and cafe tables in the lane opposite Flinders Street Station.
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The CBD rooftops
Above the city
More than twenty rooftop bars, from Russell Street to Flinders Street.
What Joydate is
What Joydate does for a Melbourne hookup
Joydate is a casual dating site for adults who want flings, friends with benefits or a fun night with someone new. You join free, say what you're up for and see who in Melbourne and Geelong wants the same.
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Clearer than a swipe app like Tinder
Members say on their profile what they're after, so a drink in Hardware Lane starts with the basics clear instead of a guessing game.
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Melbourne, not your street
Other members see your username and the city, never your address or where you work.
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Look for the badge
The free ID check gives real members a Verified badge; check for it before you agree to meet.
Join free and see who in Melbourne is keen How Joydate works
Before you go
First-meet tips for a Melbourne hookup
Four small habits that make a first meet in Melbourne easier.
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Plan the way home first
Trains run through the night on Fridays and Saturdays, with some trams and buses; look up your route before you order a second round.
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Start where it is busy
Hardware Lane, Degraves Street and the Russell Street rooftop are lively on weekend evenings; choose one and let a friend know the plan.
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Try daytime first
Degraves Street has gelato, cafes and a sake bar within a few steps, which makes a coffee or a short walk easy before you decide on a bar.
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Stay in the chat until you meet
Keep talking inside Joydate's messages; someone who pushes you to another app straight away is a reason to slow down.
Joydate membership prices in Melbourne
Anyone can join for free and keep a Classic profile at no cost. Unlimited messaging comes with VIP and VIP Plus, priced below in Australian dollars: the full amount on top, the weekly equivalent underneath.
| Plan length | VIP | VIP Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | A$24.99 | A$26.99 |
| 1 month | A$64.24A$14.99 a week | A$72.81A$16.99 a week |
| 3 months | A$141.30A$10.99 a week | A$179.87A$13.99 a week |
| 6 months | A$205.46A$7.99 a week | A$256.89A$9.99 a week |
| 12 months | A$312.34A$5.99 a week | A$416.62A$7.99 a week |
The shorter plans, from one week to six months, roll over until you cancel them. The 12-month plan is a single payment and then simply ends. See every plan in every currency.
Meeting safely in Melbourne
- Pick a busy, public place. Hardware Lane, Degraves Street and the CBD rooftops are lively at weekends, and your profile only names Melbourne. In an emergency, call 000.
- Getting home. Trains run through the night on Fridays and Saturdays, with some trams and buses, according to the City of Melbourne; trams are free inside the Free Tram Zone, but trains and buses still need a valid ticket on a myki.
- Getting tested. Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, at 580 Swanston Street in Carlton, offers free testing and treatment, including to international visitors, and is open Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It now sees people by appointment only, so ring 03 9341 6200 first. It is a specialist public service that cannot test everyone who calls, and its partner GP clinics are the alternative; a GP may charge, so ask first.
- Spotting scams. Scamwatch says to stop contact straight away if someone you have only met online asks for money, and never to send money, card details or ID to them. If it has already happened, call your bank, then IDCARE on 1800 595 160, and report the scam to Scamwatch.
Questions about hookups and dating in Melbourne
Where can you find a hookup in Melbourne?
You can find a hookup in Melbourne on Joydate. Open a free profile, see who is nearby in Melbourne and Geelong, and when you hit it off, suggest a drink in Hardware Lane, Degraves Street or a CBD rooftop.
Is Joydate an alternative to personals sites in Melbourne?
Joydate is an alternative to personals sites in Melbourne, though the idea is different. Personals boards are ads that strangers post and reply to; Joydate is built on member profiles, and a free ID check puts a badge on genuine accounts. Read how Joydate compares with Doublelist.
Which Melbourne bars are good for a first drink?
The Melbourne bars worth a first drink are the laneway venues the City of Melbourne lists: Kirk's Wine Bar in Hardware Lane, Murmur in Warburton Lane, Beneath Driver Lane and the rooftop bars on Russell Street and above Flinders Street.
How much does Joydate cost in Melbourne?
Joydate costs nothing to join in Melbourne, and the Classic profile is free. Free members can send a few messages a day, while VIP unlocks unlimited messaging: A$24.99 buys one week, and on the 12-month plan the cost is A$5.99 a week. Browse the plans.
Where can you get tested for STIs in Melbourne?
You can get tested for STIs in Melbourne at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in Carlton, which offers free testing by appointment on 03 9341 6200. As a specialist service it cannot see everyone, so its partner GP clinics are the other route.
How do you get home late at night in Melbourne?
You get home late at night in Melbourne on the Night Network: on Fridays and Saturdays, trains plus some trams and buses run through the night, and trams are free inside the Free Tram Zone.
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