The Best Pubs in Preston
Preston’s pub scene is a living contradiction. It’s got old-school neighbourhood pubs that have been serving schooners since before the word “craft beer” entered the Australian vocabulary, sitting alongside new-wave venues that serve pét-nats and vegan cocktails in spaces decorated with taxidermy and political statements. The result is a pub landscape that covers more ground than you’d expect from a suburb this size.
Whether you want a $7 pot in a room that hasn’t changed since 1985, a locally brewed pale ale in an industrial warehouse, or a schooner with a parma in a proper Aussie bistro, Preston has you sorted. Here’s where to drink like a local.
The Olympic Hotel — Bell Street
Best for: Classic Aussie pub experience with bistro and cold schooners
The Olympic Hotel is Preston’s most traditional pub. Located on Bell Street in the heart of the suburb, it’s been feeding and watering locals for decades, and it does the basics exceptionally well. The bistro serves classic pub fare — parma, steak, fish and chips, schnitzel — at prices that won’t make you wince. A chicken parma will run you around $18–22, which is genuinely competitive in 2026 Melbourne.
The beer garden is generous, the schooners are cold, and the atmosphere is exactly what you want from a neighbourhood pub: no music so loud you can’t talk, no screens so massive you feel like you’re at a sports bar, and a genuine mix of locals ranging from young families to retirees.
The Olympic is also one of the few Preston pubs that does bottomless brunch, which has become a weekend drawcard. It’s not the kind of place that reinvents the wheel — it’s the kind of place that reminds you the wheel was always perfectly fine.
Tallboy & Moose — Raglan Street
Best for: Craft beer enthusiasts and anyone who wants to see beer being made
Tallboy & Moose sits on the Preston-Thornbury border at 270 Raglan Street, and it’s become one of Melbourne’s best microbrewery experiences. Opened in 2016 by “Tall Dan” and “Canadian Steve,” the industrial-style venue has its beer vats proudly on display at the back of the space — you can literally watch your beer being brewed while you drink it.
The beer list is extensive and genuinely diverse: stouts, ales, sours, pilsners, pale ales, lagers, and even seltzers. If you’re the kind of person who does a tasting paddle at every brewery you visit, Tallboy & Moose will keep you occupied for an entire afternoon.
The food comes from Wee Man’s Kitchen, a resident kitchen that serves pub grub with a Scottish twist — homemade haggis, black pudding, solid burgers, and chips. It’s the kind of food that pairs perfectly with a cold beer, which is exactly what you want in a brewery.
The venue has both indoor and outdoor seating. The polished timber benches inside have a warm, industrial feel, while the courtyard catches afternoon sun. It’s family-friendly during the day and transitions to a more adult crowd in the evenings.
The Raccoon Club — Plenty Road
Best for: Grungy, offbeat vibes and board games with your beer
The Raccoon Club is one of those places that defies easy categorisation. It’s technically a bar, but it has the atmosphere of a pub, the game selection of an arcade, and the aesthetic of a vintage curiosity shop. Arriving at 145 Plenty Road, you’ll find a red door that leads into a long, narrow venue filled with people playing pool and board games while taxidermy raccoons watch from above the bar.
The walls are covered in political statements, nude drawings, CDs, records, and VHS tapes. Old-fashioned lamps hang above the bar. The drinks list is well-priced and generous. And because there’s no kitchen, you’re welcome to get food delivered from the surrounding restaurants — the staff will even suggest what works well.
The Raccoon Club is the kind of pub you bring out-of-town friends to because it’s impossible to describe without seeing it. It’s grungy, it’s fun, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously — which is exactly what a pub should be.
The Keys — Murray Road
Best for: Groups, activities, and drinking with something to do
The Keys at Murray Road is what happens when someone builds a pub that’s also an entertainment centre. The venue has 12 bowling lanes, a gaming arcade, a dance floor, 45 beer taps, kegged cocktails, and a beer garden that holds hundreds. It’s designed for groups, celebrations, and anyone who gets bored sitting still for more than an hour.
The beer selection is one of the largest in Preston’s north — 45 taps covering everything from mainstream lagers to local craft options. The cocktails are kegged for consistency, which means your espresso martini tastes the same whether it’s your first or your fifth. The food menu does pub classics: pizzas, burgers, loaded fries, and share plates.
For bowling, book ahead — the lanes are popular on Friday and Saturday nights. The gaming arcade has a mix of vintage and modern machines, and the dance floor comes alive after 10pm when the DJ starts. It’s a venue that works for a quiet Tuesday arvo pint and a rowdy Saturday night equally well.
Surly’s Bar and Garden — High Street
Best for: Local brews, pet-nats, and a pub atmosphere with a craft beer soul
Surly’s opened in December 2019, closed three months later due to the pandemic, and somehow emerged stronger. The name suggests grumpiness, but the reality is the opposite — it’s warm, familiar, and the kind of bar where the mismatched furniture (sourced through Facebook Marketplace) and the 1930s–40s aesthetic give it a genuine character that no interior designer could manufacture.
The drinks list is where Surly’s really stands out from traditional pubs. You’ll find ultra-local ales from Victorian breweries, pét-nats (petillant naturel — the sparkling wine that’s taken Melbourne by storm), and a cocktail list that includes vegan options. It’s a pub in atmosphere and community role, but the drinks programme is pure craft.
Surly’s doesn’t have a kitchen, but local restaurants are happy to deliver. This setup means you can settle in for a session of good drinks and good conversation without worrying about food — just pull up a menu on your phone and something will arrive within 20 minutes.
Oliva Social — High Street
Best for: Pub-style socialising with cocktail-bar quality drinks
Oliva Social at 102-104 High Street straddles the line between neighbourhood pub and cocktail bar. The space has high ceilings, polished concrete floors, and a front courtyard with fairy lights and picnic tables that feels more like a European beer garden than an Australian pub.
The cocktail list is the real draw. The Chinotto Connection (whiskey, Chinotto San Pellegrino, lemon juice, honey) is their signature and it’s excellent. Beyond cocktails, the beer and wine lists are solid, and the food menu covers pizzas, tapas, and grazing platters at reasonable prices.
Oliva Social fills a gap in Preston’s pub scene: a venue where you can have a proper sit-down meal with drinks, in a space that’s social and welcoming without the “pub bistro” feeling. It’s more refined than the Olympic, more food-focused than Surly’s, and more relaxed than The Keys.
Benzina Cantina — High Street
Best for: Mexican-inspired pub vibes with tacos and margaritas
Benzina Cantina isn’t a pub in the traditional sense, but it serves the same community function: a place to gather, eat, drink, and spend a few hours without anyone rushing you out. The neon-lit space has cactus-lined interiors, a spacious dining hall, and a rooftop bar that catches the afternoon sun.
The tacos are loaded with pork belly, spiced chicken, or mixed veg. The margaritas are properly made. The Mexican beer selection goes beyond the usual suspects. And the rooftop — on a warm evening with a margarita and a plate of tacos — is one of the best outdoor drinking spots in Preston.
For pub-goers who want something different from the standard schooner-and-parma combination, Benzina offers a refreshing alternative. Same social energy, different flavours.
Hardout Bar — Plenty Road
Best for: Vinyl DJs, local brews, and that “mate’s living room” atmosphere
Hardout Bar has the soul of a pub with the drinks list of a craft beer bar. The Plenty Road venue is decorated with books from Black Spark Cultural Centre, local art, and the kind of eclectic furniture that says “we care about this space.” The outdoor area is small but perfectly positioned.
The drink selections lean Victorian: local craft beers, regional wines, and pét-nats. Vinyl DJs spin on weekends, covering everything from soul to hip-hop. It’s a bar that functions as a pub — a neighbourhood gathering spot where regulars hold court and newcomers are welcomed without ceremony.
Getting Home Safe
Preston’s pubs are well-connected by public transport. The 86 tram runs along High Street, and the Mernda train line stops at Preston Station. Rideshare availability is good along the main roads (High, Plenty, Bell). If you’re out late, the Night Network buses cover parts of Preston — check the PTV app for current routes.
Preston Police Station is at 260 Hotham Street. If you or someone you’re with needs help, call 000.
What We Skipped and Why
We focused on pubs that serve the community — from old-school bistro pubs to new-wave craft beer venues. We left out the bottle shops, the RSL clubs, and the hotel bars that don’t have their own identity beyond “a room with beer on tap.”
We also skipped the more bar-focused venues like Rebel Rebel and Hard Rubbish because we cover those in our best bars guide. The distinction between a pub and a bar in Preston is blurry, but we’ve tried to include venues where you’d comfortably spend an entire afternoon — not just pop in for one drink.
For Thornbury’s pub and bar scene, it’s a 10-minute walk south along High Street. Northcote has the Social Club and several other venues worth the 20-minute walk. Reservoir has a growing pub scene of its own, five minutes north.
More Preston drinking guides: → Best Bars in Preston — the cocktail and wine bar scene → Pubs in Thornbury — 10 min walk south → Pubs in Northcote — 20 min walk
This guide was researched and written by the MELBZ team. Prices and hours are accurate as of March 2026 but should be confirmed before visiting. MELBZ is an independent Melbourne guide — we don’t accept payment for listings.
