THE COCKTAILS: very good, very strong and we love drinking booze on hallowed ground. THE STAFF: so genuine, so nice, felt like we should swap numbers and hang out. THE LOCATION: like The Room of Requirement, you’ll only find it if you need it.

I love this bar more than I ever loved my ex. This bar is so cozy and is in a great location as well. The bartenders were so nice, and the DJs that night played amazing music. It is a great place to meet both locals and people from all over the world. Also, it is close to a police station, so it is also quite safe here. (Maybe this is a bad thing idk). Overall, great experience, and in my opinion the best bar in Melbourne.

Great drinks and the staff were extremely efficient and friendly. The setting is incredible amongst the bluestone buildings.

Super friendly staff and very welcoming, it was fantastic to have 'The Host' take care of us. This place has a great vibe, funky music and the perfect place for a drink with friends. It gets very busy and is walk ins only.

A most excellent little bar where the service and drinks are impeccable. Undeniably the best service in all of Australia and fun and casual. The crew here know how the true meaning of hospitality and how to look after you. Good vibes all night with an excellent sound system and vinyl spinning. Best Guinness in town. Best cocktails without a doubt. 👌🏾 Great for an after work drink with friends, a little date night or just on your own if you wanna have a chat.

I've been here a few times for drinks and the staff are always super friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable. The drinks always come out super fast and the cocktails are always incredible and keep changing quite often. I'm pretty jealous of my friends who have this as their local knock off spot.

Fantastic awesome 👏 retro place where they play a cool 😎 selection of vinyl also great cocktails 🍸 wonderful bar & wait staff thank you for a lovely afternoon gathering with work colleagues & a great way to wrap up a Thursday (the new Friday) will return with the group again

This must be one of the smallest bars in Melbourne. And it's got Guinness on tap. Great hospitality, given water on arrival and asked if we wanted to sit inside due to it being cold. Vinyl playing and also offered a small amount of food. Nice place for an after work drink.

It’s great place for team catch up after work. First time visit, very nice drink- non alcohol, also all the friendly staff very warm welcoming, will return next time with friends. Recommend to people who like a casual drink and explore a new place in Melbourbe CBD.

Great drinks , oh my !! Best cocktail I have had all year ( it had a elderflower flower on top) my family members had great flavours of cocktails as well ! I was more then happy to pay the cost 🙏🙏 The wait staff where so friendly and welcoming ( I had a great recommendation from one of the bar staff regarding food locations which we followed up on and enjoyed ) Overall very interesting location ( however small but that adds a interesting twist anyway) great drinks and great staff. What more do you want ?

So easy to see how this bar made Top 50 bars in the world, it's well deserving! The cocktail list is really different and not your everyday cocktail menu. They have been very creative and the result is excellent, well curated cocktails! A very quaint, well maintained cottage. We went on Saturday night and were seated right away. Staff are super friendly and seem very genuine. Highly recommend!!

The drinks were delicious, the staff and patrons were super friendly and the music was fantastically groovy. The interiors were beautifully executed and thought out. Ask the owners about the artwork behind the bar! An incredible bar with modern pub vibes. Would highly recommend.

Their ice cold dirty martini visits me in my dreams. Gorgeous spot, incredible cocktails. Don't miss this place.

This might have been our favorite spot during our honeymoon - encompassing both Sydney and Melbourne. The hospitality - Ryan and Brian were incredibly gracious with us on both nights that we stopped by. They were very attentive, helpful in offering recommendations, and they even offered recommendations for other cocktail bars to visit during our stay. The ambiance - I list this before the drinks only because it was THAT noteworthy. The cocktail bar has a very laid-back vibe with a great selection of music that varies across funk, jazz, chill electronic, and old-school hip-hop. It is a great place to relax, but it is by no means boring or stale. Try to sit by the bar, and on certain nights you can watch the DJ work the vinyl records. The drinks - all delicious. I locked in on a Wildflower beer that I loved, and I rode that through most of our visits. My wife has a much more refined palate for cocktails, and she was very impressed by all of the drinks that she tried. I took a couple of sips from her drinks, and I was impressed too. Very creative, fruity, and refreshing. Our only regrets are that we couldn't go there more often and that we don't have any place like this at home. Definitely the best cocktail bar we have been to. You must try!

Incredible multisensory experience at Caretakers Cottage one of the best bars in the world. It feels meticulous, passionate, unique & forward thinking without feeling stuffy or pretentious. Incredible cocktails using local botanicals & twists on classics changing every month. Clear but punchy speakers play an array of classics & energising vinyls that are selected by the bartenders. The music, cottage setting and intimate candle lit ambience provide the perfect backdrop for enjoying great food, drinks & company. Friendly service and knowledgeable staff. I had the pandan and wattle cocktail which was complex and interesting. Even have Guinness on tap. It really does feel they've taken care with all the elements that go together to creating a unique, immersive, multisensory experience for your palette & being.

This bar was recommended to me by multiple people as one of the best bars in Melbourne. I went for the first time last night and was amazed at the atmosphere, drinks, music and the bar service. Despite my great first impressions on this bar, I will never be going to this bar again due to the waiters and would advise if you are a person of colour to beware…. The waiters would not let me and some of my asian friends into the bar (after the outside space was closed) despite us being there all night and buying multiple drinks, however happily accepted my caucasian friends and other groups into the bar

An outstanding boutique bar. Lovely renovated heritage space. Outstanding drinks and service. Super music and atmosphere. Such a great place

I came here alone yesterday. Staffs are nice, one of them came talk to me after i got a drink. Cocktail is so great and i love their cute menu. Also, i recommend that you should come with your friends here. If you’re alone, it felt a little lonely because its crowed. No doubt why this is the 60th best bar!

Very cool interior space, service was friendly and attentive, sparkling water was a nice touch , and the snacks seem to be of good quality, however if was really loud could barely have a conversation , it felt like it was a mixture of a night club, pub and winebar in one? The toilet line was right in the middle of us ,not the most pleasant experience when people are constantly brushing up against you. I would love to come back, but based on this time round I won’t be in a hurry sadly.

The venue is a cottage. Waitstaff are dressed like handmaids. Limited seating. You'll either have to make a booking or sit outside. I just had a wine. Service was quick. They served us water without us even asking for it.

Sensational vibe outside on a warm evening after work. The wine list was on point and can’t go wrong with a pint of Guiness. This place is a real gem tucked in behind an old church and definitely worth the time to check out.

What a delight. Warm, welcoming, attentive service staff, minimalist cocktail list (well selected options), amazing atmosphere, great playlist: just about perfect.

Some of the best cocktails and service we have had in years. Cocktails are unique, fresh and powerful! The 2nd Marriage is exceptional. Staff are knowledgeable, honest and fun! Wasn't eating unfortunately but I saw the Welsh Rarebit on the menu....a dark favourite of mine. Looking forward to returning when next in Melbourne.

Husband and I just called in for drink - sparkling wine for me and ginger beer for him, and basically this place is PACKED. There is very limited seating and we were given a stool to stand next to and that was our spot. Yes so you don't go there for a night of it unless standing all night next to a stool, jammed in like sardines is your thing but in saying that I would say go there for a drink because just a cute venue. As name suggests, Caretakers Cottage must have looked after church next door. Quirky.

Was visiting from Singapore. Love, love, love. Solid, friendly mixologists (big-ups to the mixologist in my photo). No airs about them. Hospitable wait staff happy to find you a table despite it being chockers. Small, cosy vibes –you sit and stand shoulder to shoulder with a friendly clientele. Vibing music, great decor. 100% will recommend and head back there. My new fav Melbourne joint.

The cocktails, food, service and hospitality is all amazing. Head down and simply experience it for yourself! The only note is that the bar can be super busy.

I could not have asked for a better experience. The staff were so lovely and genuine - they made my sister and I (both middle aged ladies) feel incredibly welcome and looked after. The laid back vibe with a touch of Bohemia suited me to a tee. BONUS. Top shelf turntable tunes. Will I be back? In a heartbeat.

This is a must go bar in Melbourne. Stunning location in the grounds of the church/halls, all beautifully restored. The bar itself is a lovely cosy space with a couple of different rooms having been a cottage previously. The menu is well designed, really nice cocktails and knowledge staff. Great little place to take one or two people, will definitely be back!