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Melbourne drinks Chardonnay with unusual seriousness — and pours it with unusual generosity. These 19 wine bars and restaurants each pour Chardonnay by the glass, from heritage dining rooms on Collins Street and laneway cellars in the CBD to Fitzroy North wine bars, bayside bistros and the cellar doors of the Yarra Valley, the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and the Otways. Expect the mineral cut of Chablis and white Burgundy alongside estate-grown precision from the Yarra and the Peninsula, Adelaide Hills tension and Margaret River richness — every expression of the grape, one glass at a time.
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Archive Wine Bar
Wine Bar · 140 High St, Belmont VIC 3216, Australië
Archive in Belmont, just outside Geelong, is a genuine pilgrimage for wine lovers: more than 160 wines by the glass, including rare and hard-to-find bottles that rarely appear by the pour anywhere. Every wine is available in 75ml or 150ml measures with thoughtful tasting notes attached, which turns a visit into a self-directed masterclass — you can taste three Chardonnays from different regions side by side for the price of a single glass elsewhere. The specialisms are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling, and the room itself is relaxed and unhurried rather than reverent. A suburban wine bar operating at a level most capital cities would envy.
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CIRCL
Restaurant · 22 Punch Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
CIRCL has quietly reshaped what a by-the-glass list can be in Melbourne, pouring more than 200 wines by the glass — a range most cities cannot match by the bottle. Set in a striking double-storey laneway space off Punch Lane, with Scandinavian-influenced design and European-inspired cooking, it is built for exploration: Adelaide Hills, Alsace, Barbaresco, Barolo and Chardonnay all have genuine representation rather than a token entry. The scale never feels scattergun, because the selection is precise and the team can steer you through it. If you want to taste your way across regions in one sitting without opening a single full bottle, this is Melbourne's most immersive address.
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Maison Bâtard
Restaurant · 23 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Maison Bâtard spreads modern French dining and serious wine culture across four levels, and holds one of the most significant cellars in the country — around 10,000 bottles, including Australia's most extensive Bordeaux and Burgundy collection. More than 60 wines are poured by the glass, which is what makes the collection matter: icons such as Petrus and Domaine Leroy become something you can actually taste rather than merely admire on a list. Chardonnay, Burgundy and Cabernet Sauvignon are the natural strengths, and the by-the-glass programme reaches well beyond the usual openers. Elegant but contemporary, and unusually generous about letting guests drink at the very top of the list.
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Marmelo
Restaurant · 130 Russel Street, Melbourne, Victoria
Marmelo brings Iberian ambition to Melbourne's CBD, with more than 60 wines by the glass and a list that rewards curiosity as much as it rewards budget. The focus falls on biodynamic producers, Burgundy, Champagne, Chardonnay and Madeira, celebrating Portuguese and Spanish excellence alongside the global classics. The headline act is the pouring programme itself: rare bottles such as the 1907 D'Oliveiras Frasqueira Reserva Malvasia are served a glass at a time using Coravin, which puts century-old wine within reach of an ordinary evening. Style, sustainability and a genuine sense of discovery run through the whole operation — this is one of the most quietly adventurous wine rooms in the city.
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Oakridge Wines
Restaurant · 864 Maroondah Hwy, Coldstream VIC 3770
Oakridge pioneered winegrowing in the upper Yarra Valley and has become one of Australia's most internationally recognised Chardonnay names — which makes its home at Coldstream, an hour from Melbourne on the Maroondah Highway, the most on-topic address in this guide. The wines turn up on restaurant lists and in bottle shops around the world, but tasting them where they grew is a different proposition: single-vineyard Chardonnay shown in sequence, alongside cool-climate Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and traditional-method sparkling. Regenerative viticulture underpins the whole estate, and the restaurant looks out over the vines it pours from. For anyone trying to understand why Yarra Valley Chardonnay is held in the regard it is, this is the clearest explanation available — a glass at a time, in the place it came from.
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Reine and La Rue
Restaurant · 380 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Reine & La Rue occupies one of Melbourne's grandest interiors — the city's historic stock exchange on Collins Street — and uses the setting exactly as you would hope: for unhurried French dining and genuinely serious wine service. More than 40 wines are poured by the glass from a global list weighted towards Australia, France and the USA, with real depth in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and California. The room is grand without being stiff, and the sommelier team is happy to walk a table from a crisp white Burgundy through to something structured and red across a single meal. A heritage-listed dining room that treats by-the-glass drinking as a proper pursuit rather than an afterthought.
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Society
Restaurant · 80 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Society is Melbourne's grand statement of contemporary luxury, and its cellar backs up the swagger: roughly 10,000 bottles, including the largest Château d'Yquem collection in Australia, with more than 60 wines available by the glass. The strengths run to Barolo, Chardonnay and the Italian greats, with remarkable vertical depth for a restaurant list — rare pours such as Barolo Cannubi 2016 appear by the glass rather than only by the bottle. Curated flights make the collection navigable, and the floor team reads a table well, whether you are here for a landmark occasion or a considered glass at the bar. For wine lovers, few Melbourne rooms offer this much at this level.
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Steer Dining Room
Restaurant · 15 Claremont St, South Yarra VIC 3141, Australië
Steer Dining Room in South Yarra is built around precision and indulgence in equal measure, pairing Australia's finest Wagyu — including rare A5 Kobe — with an award-winning wine programme. More than 60 wines are poured by the glass from a 500-bottle list with real weight in Barossa, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, so the classic steakhouse pairings are covered while leaving room for a white Burgundy before the beef arrives. Curated flights make the list easy to explore across a meal, and the service is polished without tipping into ceremony. A benchmark for modern luxury dining in Melbourne, and a genuinely rewarding room for a glass of something serious.
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Ten Minutes by Tractor
Restaurant · 1333 Mornington-Flinders Rd, Main Ridge VIC 3928
Ten Minutes by Tractor at Main Ridge is the Mornington Peninsula at its most complete: a Two-Hatted dining room set among its own vineyards, pouring more than 100 wines by the glass. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the heartland here, drawn from the estate's own single-vineyard sites and set alongside Burgundy and Champagne so you can taste Victoria's cool-climate expression directly against its French benchmarks. Seasonal produce reflects the region as closely as the wine does, and the whole experience is quietly grounded in terroir and sustainability rather than spectacle. Worth the drive from Melbourne, and one of the best places in the country to understand Australian Chardonnay by the glass.
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Brae
Restaurant · 4285 Cape Otway Rd, Birregurra VIC 3242
Brae at Birregurra is one of Australia's most quietly serious restaurants, set on its own organic farm in the hinterland west of Geelong, and its wine list follows exactly the same philosophy as the kitchen. Forty-one wines are poured by the glass, each chosen for purity, provenance and character rather than reputation, with Burgundy, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and organic producers at the core. The result is a list of expressive, terroir-driven wines from growers who farm thoughtfully — a natural match for Dan Hunter's place-driven cooking. Well beyond Melbourne, and entirely worth the journey for anyone who wants wine and food speaking the same language.
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Cumulus Inc.
Restaurant · 45 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australië
Cumulus Inc. has been an effortless Melbourne favourite for years, and the formula still holds: a beautifully restored rag-trade building on Flinders Lane, all-day dining and more than 50 wines by the glass in a relaxed, social setting. The list balances emerging Victorian talent against revered European names, with Chardonnay, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Riesling leading the way. It is the kind of place that works equally for a single glass and a plate at the bar or a long table with friends, which is exactly what a great by-the-glass programme should enable. Seasonal, spirited and always built around wine worth drinking.
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Omnia Bar & Bistro
Restaurant · 625 Chapel St, South Yarra VIC 3141
Omnia brings refined European-inspired dining to Chapel Street with more than 50 wines by the glass, blending sophistication with genuine warmth. The list is thoughtfully split between classic prestige and modern intrigue: Chardonnay, Barbaresco, Barolo and Barossa on one hand, biodynamic and low-intervention producers on the other. Rare aged Bordeaux appears alongside vibrant Sicilian orange wine, and limited pours mean the by-the-glass selection changes often enough to reward returning. It is an easy room to settle into, and the team is comfortable steering guests towards something unfamiliar rather than defaulting to the safe option. South Yarra dining with real wine ambition behind it.
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Yugen Dining
Restaurant · Shop 10/605 Chapel St, South Yarra VIC 3141
Yūgen pairs Japanese and Asian-inspired cooking with a wine programme that has clearly been built by someone thinking hard about pairing rather than prestige. More than 20 wines are poured by the glass, and the selections are genuinely expressive: Chardonnay and cool-climate whites alongside Listán Blanco from Tenerife, Trebbiano from Italy and aged Cabernet Franc from the Loire. Champagne opens proceedings properly. Each pour is chosen to carry the bold, precise flavours coming out of the kitchen, which makes the pairings feel considered rather than decorative. A South Yarra dining room where the wine list is as thoughtfully composed as the food it accompanies.
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81 Bay Wine Bar & Baix Restaurant
Wine Bar · 81 Bay St, Brighton VIC 3186
81 Bay brings contemporary sophistication to Melbourne's bayside, with more than 30 wines by the glass drawn from a 300-bottle list that celebrates Bordeaux, Chardonnay, Grenache and fine German wines. Modern European-inspired cooking is matched with both renowned estates and smaller artisanal growers, so the list has genuine personality rather than simply covering the classics. The venue also pours its own Baix Sparkling Rosé, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, made in collaboration with Ghost Rock Wines in Tasmania — a nice touch that gives Brighton diners something genuinely exclusive by the glass. Polished and welcoming without being formal, and well worth the trip down Bay Street for anyone exploring the bayside by the glass.
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Laura
Restaurant · 3649 Frankston - Flinders Rd, Merricks VIC 3916
Laura at Pt. Leo Estate in Merricks is a serene, artful dining room where fine wine and contemporary cooking meet on equal terms, set among vineyards and a sculpture park on the Mornington Peninsula. Thirty-nine wines are poured by the glass, with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Chardonnay the anchors, uniting renowned houses with emerging producers worth discovering. The pairings are designed to invite curiosity rather than settle arguments, and the elegant, produce-led plates reflect the abundance of the peninsula itself. Estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sit naturally alongside the imported benchmarks, which makes this an ideal place to taste what the Mornington Peninsula does best. One of Victoria's most complete wine destinations, and a benchmark for cool-climate Chardonnay drinking a glass at a time.
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Neighbourhood Wine
Wine Bar · 1 Reid St, Fitzroy North VIC 3068
Neighbourhood Wine in Fitzroy North is casual sophistication done properly — a relaxed room with an 800-bottle list and more than 20 wines by the glass, where the depth reveals itself slowly rather than announcing itself. The strengths run through Barbaresco, Barolo, Burgundy, Chardonnay and biodynamic producers, and the selection shifts with the seasons alongside an ever-evolving menu. That turnover is the point: regulars come back because there is reliably something new by the glass, chosen with an eye for balance rather than novelty. Unpretentious, genuinely local and distinctly Melbourne — the sort of wine bar that rewards becoming a regular.
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Old Palm Liquor
Restaurant · 133B Lygon St, Brunswick East VIC 3057
Old Palm Liquor in Brunswick East pairs fire-licked, South African-inspired cooking with one of the more adventurous cellars in the inner north: 20 wines by the glass and more than 1,300 by the bottle. The list reaches for rare and cult growers — Montevertine, Overnoy, Joly — alongside standout Chardonnay, light chilled reds and darker-hued rosés that suit the smoke and char coming off the grill. The atmosphere is relaxed and genuinely vibrant rather than studied, and the by-the-glass selection is chosen to be drunk with food rather than contemplated in isolation. Effortless dining, adventurous drinking, and very little pretence about either.
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Pipis Kiosk
Restaurant · 129a Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park VIC 3206
Pipis is a seaside bistro on Beaconsfield Parade in Albert Park, and it gets the register exactly right: understated elegance, coastal ease and more than 30 wines by the glass. The list leans into Barolo, Champagne, Chardonnay and cool-climate wines, setting small local producers against celebrated global names without making a performance of it. That range matters alongside a refined, seafood-focused menu — a crisp Chardonnay or a glass of Champagne with something just out of the water is the whole point of eating by the bay. Relaxed enough for a spontaneous glass, considered enough to plan an evening around.
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Supernormal
Restaurant · 180 Flinders Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Supernormal brings a refined sense of energy to Flinders Lane, blending modern sophistication with Asian-inspired flair drawn from the dining cultures of Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. More than 20 wines are poured by the glass from a 350-bottle cellar, with Chardonnay, Riesling and sake the standouts — a combination that suits the kitchen's balance of texture and spice unusually well. The room is busy and buzzy without being difficult, and the by-the-glass list is built for the way people actually eat here: a glass at the bar, or several across a shared table. A reliable, well-run Melbourne CBD address where the wine keeps pace with the food.
View Full DetailsFrequently Asked Questions
Where can I drink Chardonnay by the glass in Melbourne?
Archive Wine Bar in Belmont pours more than 160 wines by the glass in 75ml or 150ml measures, making it the easiest place in the state to compare Chardonnay styles side by side. In the CBD, CIRCL offers over 200 wines by the glass, while Society and Maison Bâtard pour from 10,000-bottle cellars. On the Mornington Peninsula, Ten Minutes by Tractor pours more than 100 wines by the glass, including its own estate-grown Chardonnay.
What styles of Chardonnay will I find in Melbourne?
Victorian lists lean on cool-climate Australian Chardonnay — Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Adelaide Hills — for precision and citrus tension, alongside richer Margaret River bottlings. French benchmarks are well represented too, from Chablis to white Burgundy. Many of the venues in this guide pour rare or aged Chardonnay a glass at a time using Coravin, so a single bottle can be opened without committing the whole thing.
Which Melbourne restaurants have the best Chardonnay selection?
For depth, Maison Bâtard and Society each hold cellars of around 10,000 bottles with more than 60 wines by the glass. Reine & La Rue pours over 40 by the glass in the old stock exchange, and Marmelo more than 60 with a biodynamic and Iberian focus. Steer Dining Room in South Yarra matches an award-winning Burgundy and Bordeaux list to Wagyu beef.
Where can I drink Chardonnay outside central Melbourne?
Victoria's great Chardonnay regions are all within reach of the city. Oakridge Wines at Coldstream, an hour east, is the Yarra Valley benchmark and pours its single-vineyard Chardonnay where it grows. South-east, Ten Minutes by Tractor at Main Ridge and Laura at Pt. Leo Estate in Merricks both pour estate and international Chardonnay by the glass on the Mornington Peninsula. Further west, Archive Wine Bar in Belmont near Geelong and Brae at Birregurra — set on its own organic farm — are worth the drive for terroir-driven pours.
Do these venues pour Chardonnay in smaller measures?
Several do. Archive Wine Bar offers every pour in 75ml or 150ml with tasting notes, which is ideal for comparing regions in one sitting. Venues using Coravin can pour rare Chardonnay by the glass without oxidising the rest of the bottle, so premium and older vintages appear on by-the-glass lists far more often than they once did.
Wine by the glass turns a single evening into a tasting flight, and the wine bars in Melbourne above show how far a thoughtful by-the-glass programme can travel — from grower Champagne to bio-dynamic reds. Use the map to plan a crawl by neighbourhood, and open each venue for opening hours, the current pour list, and booking details.
The Coravin Guide reviews each venue independently, focusing on the ambition and depth of what they pour by the glass. No venue pays to be included.