Menu to Taste

Caretaker's Cottage

Cocktail Bar · Melbourne · Chef Matt Stirling, Ryan Noreiks & Rob Libecans

Ranked No. 19 on The World's 50 Best Bars list, Caretaker's Cottage is a Melbourne cocktail pub founded by Rob Libecans, Ryan Noreiks, and Matt Stirling. Housed in a 19th-century bluestone former church residence, the venue pairs monthly rotating cocktail menus with its signature freezer-chilled house martini.

139-141 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Melbourne

  • #21 World's 50 Best Bars 2024
  • #19 World's 50 Best Bars 2025

Menu

Dishes

  • Pastrami Gildas (12) — House-made pastrami gildas. Bar snack.
  • White Bean Dip (14) — Creamy white bean dip with accompaniments.
  • Welsh Rarebit (14) — Classic British cheese toast. Bar snack.

Cocktails

  • June Bug Milk Punch (26) — Coconut rum, banana, Cottage melon liqueur, pineapple, lime, salt. 2024's star drink - crystal-clear clarified milk punch.
  • Rotating Milk Punch (26) — Monthly rotating clarified cocktail style from 18th century England. Always on menu.
  • House Martini (26) — Signature freezer-cold martini with custom gin made for the bar. Choice of olives, lemon twist, or cocktail onions. Considered one of Australia's best martinis.
  • Corpse Reviver No. 2 (26) — Gin, Lillet Blanc, orange liqueur, lemon. Classic cocktail available off-menu by request.

The Experience

An intimate and lively room in a historic setting. The meal is structured around classic service.

  • Atmosphere: Intimate, Lively
  • Format: Classic
  • Setting: Historic

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