Bar Bellamy

Two Melbourne chefs, asked separately where they drink, both said Bar Bellamy and both said get the devilled egg. One of them wanted a Picon Biere with it. The other wanted an Aviation at half past midnight.

Why go

Dani and Oska Whitehart are married and run it together, with time between them at Archie's All Day, The Everleigh and Gimlet. The name is an anglicised "bel ami", good friend, and the room is built for that: two large communal tables, and a bar worth taking a stool at. The cocktail policy is the part a drinker should know. They make a limited number of each drink, so the list changes a few times a week, and behind it sit more than 150 bottles the staff will use to build any classic you name (50 Best Discovery). Average cocktail runs about $16. The kitchen is not an afterthought either: the Australian trade made it a Best Bar Food finalist in 2026 alongside a Cocktail List of the Year nomination.

Order this / avoid

• Order: the devilled egg, which is the dish two chefs named independently. The chicken liver parfait cannoli, which Lauren Dinse found "piped into technically perfect shells" ref. The martini. Duck garbure with black garlic toast if you are eating properly.
• Avoid: Tuesdays, when it is shut. And do not come back for a specific drink you had last month. The list has moved.

What locals & experts say

• Jett Alexander, chef at Osteria Ilaria: "Bar Bellamy, of course! Dani and Oska are the best combination of fun and flair. If you find yourself lucky (or brave) enough get a seat at the bar, definitely grab their devilled egg and a Picon Biere." ref
• Rosheen Kaul, chef: "Bar Bellamy. Where else can you get a devilled egg and a perfect Aviation at 12.30am?" ref
• Eun Hee An, chef-owner of Moon Mart: "Bar Bellamy is the perfect date spot. It's so cute, the staff are super lovely and the drinks are amazing." ref
• Lauren Dinse, Time Out Melbourne, five stars (2024): on the martini built with olive herb wine and manzanilla sherry, "It's my favourite Martini riff I've tried all year." She also clocked the tell: the room was almost full at 7pm on a Monday. ref
• Australian Bar Awards 2026: a finalist for both Cocktail List of the Year and Best Bar Food, on a peer vote of the trade. ref

Good to know

• Where: 164 Rathdowne Street, Carlton.
• Timing: Wednesday to Monday, per the 50 Best listing. Closed Tuesdays. Drinks are still going out at 12.30am.
• Booking: taken, and worth making. There is also a bar.
• Sibling: the same team opened Melitta Next Door on Rathdowne Street in April 2025. Coverage of one is not coverage of the other.
• Class note: the master list had this as a Newcomer. It opened in April 2023, so it is not new any more and has been re-classed.
• Safety: Victoria publishes no per-venue hygiene rating. Safe Food Victoria's register of court convictions under the Food Act 1984 was read in full on 1 August 2026 and does not list this venue. ref

Jeff's take (his words)

• Note: none. Melbourne has no saved-places export in the repo, so nothing here can be traced to Jeff's own words.

Verdict (Chef Jeff ladder)

must-visit — Three Melbourne chefs name this room without being asked, and two of them order the same thing. Jett Alexander of Osteria Ilaria says get a seat at the bar, a devilled egg and a Picon Biere. Rosheen Kaul asks where else you get a devilled egg and a perfect Aviation at half past midnight. Dani and Oska Whitehart run it, they came through Archie's All Day, The Everleigh and Gimlet, and the way they build a list is the interesting part: they make a limited number of each cocktail, so the menu turns over a few times a week, and behind that sit 150-odd bottles the staff will use to build you any classic you ask for. Lauren Dinse gave it five stars and called the martini, on olive herb wine and manzanilla sherry, her favourite riff of the year. Cocktails average about $16 and there is a real kitchen, not a snack board. That combination is the whole argument.