10 Best Oyster Bars in Melbourne
Melbourne’s supplied oyster options range from intimate cocktail-led bars to seafood bistros, market counters and social shellfish venues. This guide helps you weigh oyster variety, drinks, dining style, group suitability and booking needs.
Our method for this guide
This selection of oyster bars in Melbourne weighs each business's reputation, which anyone can check online, against how much of its work is devoted to this service. Those that do exactly this, and have done it well for years, come first.
Featured positions are clearly marked and only offered to businesses that already earned their place in the guide.
Full Comparison of 10 Oyster Bar Restaurants in Melbourne
Blu Oyster Co
Blu Oyster Co is a small, casual seafood restaurant in St Kilda serving fresh seafood, oysters, small plates, cocktails and wine for dine-in, takeaway, delivery and catering. Its warm setting includes outdoor seating and a bar, while the menu suits both special occasions and relaxed dinners. Staff can help guide dish and wine choices.
Notable strengths: Offers dine-in, takeaway, delivery and catering
Seafood-focused dinners and oyster outingsSpecial occasions or relaxed meals with cocktails and wineDiners seeking takeaway, delivery or catering45A Fitzroy St, St Kilda VIC 3182, AustraliaBobo's Fish Burger & Oyster Bar
Bobo’s Fish Burger & Oyster Bar is a casual Preston Market takeaway and dine-in venue with kerbside pickup. Its small menu includes fish burgers, prawn brioche rolls, anchovy toast and oysters, with the food centred on seafood and carefully prepared components. It suits quick, casual meals, although seating is shared and can be limited when the market is busy.
Notable strengths: A compact menu focuses on fish burgers and seafood items
Seafood-focused quick bites at Preston MarketDiners wanting takeaway, kerbside pickup or a casual meal2/30 The Centreway, Preston VIC 3072, AustraliaStop Whining Seafood Wine Bar
Stop Whining Seafood Wine Bar is a cosy Melbourne oyster bar restaurant offering dine-in and takeaway seafood alongside wine, beer and cocktails. Oysters, sea urchin, small plates and wine by the glass form the core of its experience, with pairing options for seafood. The venue’s compact, casual setting suits a relaxed meal or an indulgent stop in the city.
Notable strengths: Oysters are paired with a broad wine selection by the glass
Seafood diners looking for oysters and wine pairingsVisitors wanting a casual small-plates meal with cocktails or wine161 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaRST Seafood Restaurant
RST Seafood Restaurant is a casual Fitzroy North seafood restaurant for family meals, groups, solo diners and celebrations. It offers dine-in table service, lunch and dinner, with seafood and non-seafood dishes, small plates, vegetarian options, desserts and a bar serving beer, cocktails and wine. A function room, outdoor seating and reservations support different occasions.
Notable strengths: A menu offering seafood and non-seafood dishes from Australia and New Zealand
Seafood-focused meals with family, friends or groupsLunch or dinner with table service and a full bar5 Rae St, Fitzroy North VIC 3068, AustraliaPearl Diver
Pearl Diver is a Melbourne oyster bar restaurant built around oysters, seafood, cocktails, wine and small plates. The intimate venue uses moody lighting and nautical details including model boats and maritime books, creating a cosy setting for dates, catch-ups and solo dining. Its offering includes happy-hour drinks and late-night food, with reservations recommended for dinner.
Notable strengths: A distinctive nautical interior complements freshly shucked oysters and a cocktail-led menu
Seafood lovers and diners planning an intimate meal with oysters and cocktails56 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaMuli Express
Muli Express is a small oyster bar restaurant offering dine-in, takeaway, lunch and dinner in Melbourne. It suits seafood lovers who want to compare oyster varieties, with staff explaining flavour profiles, textures and origins. Oysters can be selected from live tanks and shucked in front of diners, alongside wine and small plates.
Notable strengths: Live tanks allow diners to choose oysters before they are shucked
Seafood lovers wanting to compare different oyster varietiesSolo diners or casual groups seeking oysters with wine163 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaChampagne Problems
Champagne Problems is a Melbourne CBD cocktail bar with indoor and outdoor seating, live music, quiz nights and a food menu. Its cosy, low-ceilinged laneway setting suits groups and casual evenings built around cocktails, wine, bar food or occasional specials such as steak night.
Notable strengths: The venue combines cocktails, wine, food, dancing and live performances
Groups seeking a casual CBD bar with food and drinksCocktail and wine drinkers wanting live entertainmentDiners interested in steak-night or happy-hour specials238 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaReine & La Rue
Reine & La Rue is a Melbourne French restaurant in a restored heritage bank building, offering dine-in lunch and dinner with wine, cocktails, small plates, desserts and vegetarian and vegan options. It suits romantic occasions, groups, tourists and solo diners. Its soaring ceilings, historic architecture and table service create a grand setting, while reservations are required.
Notable strengths: French dining inside a restored heritage bank building
Romantic dinners and special occasions380 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, AustraliaRichmond Oysters
Richmond Oysters is a Richmond seafood restaurant and wholesaler housed in a light-filled seafood bistro with a sleek feature bar. It suits diners looking for oysters, prawns, mussels and other seafood, including special-occasion meals and lunch. The venue focuses on local produce, with cocktails and attentive table service also part of the experience.
Notable strengths: Combines a seafood bistro with a wholesaler operation
Seafood-focused lunches and dinnersSpecial occasions centred on oysters and fresh seafood437 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121, AustraliaThe Boiling Crab
The Boiling Crab in Melbourne CBD is a casual seafood restaurant serving boiled-in-bag Cajun-spiced crawfish, oysters, shrimp and other shellfish. Seafood is paired with buttery, garlicky and spicy sauces for a hands-on meal that works well for sharing with family or friends. Reservations are important on busy weekends and special occasions, when walk-ins may not be accepted.
Notable strengths: Boiled-in-bag seafood with Cajun sauces
Groups wanting a shared seafood mealDiners who enjoy messy, hands-on Cajun-style shellfish4 Tattersalls Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
The numbers on the map match the positions in the list.
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What these oyster venues offer
- Oyster-led bar diningPearl Diver, Muli Express and Stop Whining Seafood Wine Bar centre their offerings on oysters, with cocktails, wine or small plates shaping the experience.
- Variety and shucking guidanceMuli Express offers oyster varieties from live tanks, with staff described as explaining origins, textures and flavour profiles before shucking.
- Broader seafood mealsRichmond Oysters, Blu Oyster Co and RST Seafood Restaurant add dishes such as prawns, mussels, sea urchin, small plates and non-seafood choices.
- Casual takeaway and sharingBobo’s Fish Burger & Oyster Bar suits quick seafood meals at Preston Market, while The Boiling Crab presents Cajun-spiced shellfish in a hands-on sharing format.
How to choose an oyster bar in Melbourne
- Decide whether oysters are the whole focusChoose an oyster-led bar for a concentrated experience; select a broader seafood restaurant when the group wants more variety.
- Match the atmosphere to the occasionPearl Diver is described as intimate and nautical, while market, wine-bar, bistro and Cajun formats create distinctly different outings.
- Consider seating and booking needsSome venues are compact or have limited shared seating. Reservations are recommended or required at several dinner-focused options.
- Choose your drinks pairingWine by the glass, cocktails, beer and seafood pairing guidance vary across the list, so check the emphasis that suits your meal.
Frequent questions
Which venues are most focused on oysters?
Pearl Diver, Muli Express and Stop Whining Seafood Wine Bar are described as oyster bars with oysters at the centre of the offering.
Where can I compare oyster varieties?
Muli Express is specifically described as offering different varieties, with live tanks and staff guidance on origin, texture and flavour.
Are takeaway options included?
Yes. Muli Express, Stop Whining Seafood Wine Bar, Bobo’s Fish Burger & Oyster Bar and Blu Oyster Co all describe takeaway options.
Which options suit a group meal?
RST Seafood Restaurant supports groups and celebrations, The Boiling Crab is designed for sharing, and Blu Oyster Co suits relaxed dinners and special occasions.
