Rooftop Bar

Rooftop Bar sits on level 7 of Curtin House at 252 Swanston Street, and it is an open-air bar above the city centre. Curtin House itself is a 1922 building designed by the architect Harry Norris for the Tattersalls Club; it probably takes its later name from John Curtin, the wartime prime minister, and the name was in use by 1948. Today the building is a vertical stack of bars, restaurants and venues, and the rooftop is its most famous floor.

The bar is open from noon until 1am every day, and the website says it trades seven days a week, 361 days a year. The kitchen serves burgers from the Burger Shack from noon until 9pm from Sunday to Thursday and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, alongside cocktails, beer and wine. Walk-ins are welcome, which makes it easy to drop in after a day of sightseeing rather than planning ahead.

The rooftop is also known for Rooftop Cinema, which opened in 2006 as Melbourne's first rooftop cinema and was still listed alongside the bar in 2019. Check the bar's channels for any current season if a film under the stars appeals.

Lower floors of Curtin House have their own venues. Cookie, the bar and restaurant on the first floor, opened in 2003, and the Toff in Town, a live music and performance venue on the second floor, opened in 2007, so it is easy to make a whole evening of the building. Mesa Verde, a restaurant on the sixth floor, has also been listed among its tenants.

Because Rooftop Bar is open to the sky, it is at its best on dry days and evenings, so check the weather and bring a layer. With no bookings, arriving early is the simplest way to secure a spot at popular times. It suits friends, couples and solo travellers looking for a relaxed drink above the city streets.

Curtin House is on Swanston Street in the northern half of the city, a short walk south of State Library Victoria, which is further up the same street at number 328. There is no phone number on the website; enquiries go to [email protected] or to the bar's Instagram account.