Carlton North

Trading from the same Rathdowne Street address since 1923, this Carlton North cellar has outlasted the chains that have swallowed up most of Melbourne's independent bottle shops over the past century. The shelves run to more than 1,500 bottles — reds, whites, sparkling, rosé, sherry and even saké — with a strong lean toward fortified wines and more than 150 half-bottles for those not committing to a full drink. Wine storage and glass hire round out a business that clearly serves a neighbourhood of regulars rather than passing trade. The brick shopfront sits among Rathdowne Street's cafes and terraces, an easy stop for anyone renting in Carlton North rather than driving in from further out. Open seven days, with later trading Thursday to Saturday. A century-old address is a rare thing in Melbourne retail, and this one has earned it through range rather than nostalgia.

A corner block on Princes Street has run as Carlton North's neighbourhood wine bar and bottle shop since 2016, stocking hundreds of labels from family-run vineyards across Victoria alongside Italian, Austrian and Georgian bottles chosen for character over label recognition. The format is dual: buy a bottle to take home, or take one of the small tables for a glass and a plate of snacks. Broadsheet has singled it out as a contender for the area's favourite wine bar, and the regulars treat it that way, dropping in after work rather than saving it for occasions. Open Monday from 3pm, Tuesday to Wednesday and Sunday from midday, Thursday to Saturday from midday until late. A useful address for restocking a cellar in Melbourne's inner north without resorting to the big retailers on Lygon Street.