Editorial
Melbourne, not Sydney, is Australia's deepest cocktail city. The laneway-bar scene that emerged in the 2000s has matured into one of the world's most consistent. Black Pearl has been pouring serious drinks since 2002. The Everleigh is the modern technical reference. The 10 below cover the CBD laneways, Fitzroy and Carlton. Most are within a tram ride of each other.
Melbourne's laneway-bar architecture forces a particular kind of drinking — small rooms, no signage, regulars-and-strangers mixed. Black Pearl and The Everleigh are the two essentials. The CBD speakeasy cluster (Lily Blacks, Boilermaker House, Bar Americano) makes a good walking evening. Don't miss Embla — Melbourne's natural-wine reference.
West Coast Editor — Los Angeles to Mexico City. Casual luxury, never aspirational.