Hippo Bottle & Bar

Collingwood’s ultimate hybrid bottle-o and watering hole—fresh off a massive Smith Street glow-up. The concept? Brilliantly simple. Snag a stellar bottle from dizzying retail shelves of craft beers, rare spirits, and boutique wines, then crack it open on-site for a flat five-buck corkage. Melbourne’s craft-thirsty crowds are absolutely buzzing over the wildly expanded footprint, flocking to the breezy front seating and massive back courtyard. Expect fiercely independent local drops on tap alongside hyper-niche finds—think imported Croatian brandy—curated by Matt and a crew of genuinely top-tier blokes. Factor in a killer daily happy hour slashing tap prices in half and slinging ten-buck Guinness pints. Skip the standard pubs. This is an absolute ripper of a spot to kill a sunny afternoon.