Best Melbourne Bars for Pre-Strip Club Drinks: A Bucks Night Shortlist

The best bar for pre-strip club drinks in Melbourne is the one that fits your route, has room for your group and gets everyone together without a last-minute scramble. For a King Street night, start by looking at the western CBD. If you want a cocktail stop elsewhere, allow time to cross the city.

This is a practical shortlist based on location and the venues’ published offerings, rather than a claim that we have personally tested every bar. Pick a meeting point, book when you can and tell the lads where to be.

The Bottom End: a western CBD meeting point

The Bottom End at 579 Little Collins Street is a sensible option for a group heading towards King Street. Its reservation page accepts pub and group enquiries. It makes sense when you want food and drinks in the same stop.

Send the team your date, headcount and preferred time. If catching a game is part of the plan, ask whether a suitable space is available rather than assuming you can turn up and claim a screen.

Garden State Hotel: a different part of the CBD

Garden State Hotel at 101 Flinders Lane has a public bar, beer garden and several spaces with different moods. Consider it when the crew is starting at the eastern end of town or wants to settle in before moving on.

It is not a next-door stop for King Street. Factor the trip west into your booking schedule and check which space your table reservation covers.

Mjølner: for a smaller whisky or cocktail stop

Mjølner Melbourne on Hardware Street has a bar as well as dining. Its official page says drinks-only guests are welcome as walk-ins, subject to availability, and bar space cannot be reserved. That makes it better suited to a flexible, smaller group than a large crew needing a guaranteed meeting point.

If the whole group needs seats, choose a confirmed dining reservation or ask another venue about a group booking.

Choose the bar by the job it needs to do

• Everyone arriving separately: choose a clear meeting point and a confirmed space.
• A hungry crew: check kitchen availability before deciding it is your dinner stop.
• A large group: enquire directly about capacity and minimum spends.
• A tight club arrival time: keep the route short and leave a travel buffer.

Give people the address as well as the venue name. Share one arrival time and the contact details of the organiser. It saves a surprising amount of chasing around.

Keep the evening booking in mind

A few drinks before the main event should still leave everyone able to meet the next venue’s entry rules. Check photo ID and dress requirements in advance. A booking does not override admission policies, and intoxication can mean refusal of entry.

For a suggested route, read our King Street bucks night itinerary. If dinner needs its own booking, use our CBD dinner shortlist.

Common pre-club drinks questions

Can a large bucks group just walk into a bar?

Sometimes, but a walk-in is not a guaranteed space. Contact the venue with an accurate headcount and be clear that it is a bucks celebration.

How many bars should we visit before the club?

One well-chosen stop is often easier than several rushed ones. Plan around your confirmed evening arrival time.

Should we book drinks and the club together?

Treat them as separate bookings unless a venue explicitly confirms a combined arrangement. Keep each confirmation and payment deadline in the group plan.

Choose your evening venue: compare Melbourne CBD strip club bucks packages and book direct.

Official venue pages checked 1 October 2026. Availability, menus and booking conditions can change.