The World’s 50 Best Bars List was unveiled this week, and one Melbourne bar has made it to the top 50 for the very first time. After appearing on the longlist at number 60 last year, Caretaker’s Cottage has climbed up the rankings, coming in at number 23. This cosy cottage behind Wesley Church was the only Melbourne venue to make it on the list. The only other Australian bar was Sydney’s Maybe Sammy, which hit the 15th spot. Another Melbourne gem, Byrdi, was ranked at number 61.
Caretaker’s Cottage
As you can guess from the name, this tiny pub once housed the caretaker of Wesley Church. Today, it’s run by bartender-owners Rob Libecans, Ryan Nordics and Matt Stirling. Step inside the cottage, perch up by the bar and watch the experts make your drinks. Their Guinness and their martini received a special shout-out on the list.
The annual World’s 50 Best Bars list is voted on by 680 bar industry experts from around the world. This includes renowned bartenders, consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists.
This year, the voters praised Caretaker’s Cottage for being a “subtle temple to great drinks”. The small and historic venue was celebrated for its warmth and understated elegance, thanks to features like natural timber, ambient lighting and great sound.
The bar also functions as a DJ booth. On one side of the bar, you’ll find a record player set up, with stacks of vinyl set on the back bar. Sip on your drink and listen as tunes emerge from two large golden speakers.
Read what they had to say about Caretaker’s Cottage here.
The Top 10 for 2023 were:
1. Sips, Barcelona
2. Double Chicken Please, New York
3. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
4. Paradiso, Barcelona
5. Connaught Bar, London
6. Little Red Door, Paris
7. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City
8. Tayēr + Elementary, London
9. Alquímico, Cartagena
10. Himkok, Oslo
To see the full list, click here.
Caretaker’s Cottage is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 4pm to 1am.