Number 45 in the World's 50 Best Bars 2026
Number 45 in the World's 50 Best Bars 2026
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Tiny CBD cocktail bar in a heritage cottage beside Wesley Church, ranked 45th in the World's 50 Best Bars 2026, open Monday to Saturday.
Caretaker's Cottage is a cocktail bar in a heritage cottage beside Wesley Church in the CBD. In October 2026 it ranked 45th in The World's 50 Best Bars, down from 19th a year earlier, and it remains the only Australian bar in the main top 50. Time Out credits a vinyl-heavy soundtrack, unfussy service and a menu that changes monthly.
The bar's website lists hours of 16:00 to midnight Monday to Thursday and 16:00 to 01:00 on Friday and Saturday, and Concrete Playground describes one of the coldest martinis in the city and a well-poured Guinness. The bar is tiny, so go in a small group. Not for you if you want a late night: it closes at midnight on weeknights and 01:00 on Friday and Saturday, and is shut on Sunday.
Small CBD cottage bar known for a freezer martini, a well-poured Guinness and a house punch; cocktail menu changes monthly.
Small bar: arrive early and go in a small group.
Guest list
Reservations
No bookings; walk-ins only. Staff say they will do their best to accommodate guests on arrival.
Dress code
Drinks and food
Freezer martini made with a custom gin from a Victorian distillery, a pint of Guinness and a house punch; the cocktail menu changes monthly.
Happy hour
Drink prices
Price level
Outdoor and smoking
Opened in early 2022 in the restored outbuildings of the gothic Wesley Church, within a new office development on Lonsdale Street. The bar has two small, dimly lit rooms and was started by industry veterans previously behind the Fancy Free pop-up.
Facts checked on
2026-10-25
· Sources:
caretakerscottage.bar, the50.com, australianbartender.com.au
Price level
Opened
2022
