Tiny bar inside Melbourne shopping centre named among world's best

A tiny bar located inside a Melbourne shopping centre has been named among the world's best bars in 2023.

Byrdi, nestled cosily inside the Ella Food Hall in Melbourne Central, has taken out the title of 61st best bar in the world, according to the The World's 50 Best Bars list for 2023, sponsored by Perrier.

With the extended list of global bars ranked from 100 to 51 being revealed today, Byrdi was the only bar from Melbourne or Australia to nab a place on the esteemed list.

It isn't the bar's first time on the list either, having debuted at number 80 on 2020's list, just one year after it opened.

Seating only 40 people, the humble bar is run by Luke Whearty and Aki Nishikura, and over the years they have built a cult following for their high-quality cocktails showcasing seasonal, local produce – as well as the classic wines, beers, and more.

Their autumn 2023 menu, for example, has cocktails where "one ingredient informs the basis for the following drinks, following the life cycle of the fallen apple".

It begins with "Apple", then "Grass", "Milk, "Cheese", "Whey", and "Egg". Ingredients in the various cocktails include rotten apple, Yarra Valley Hay, 90 Day Fermented Red Stringy Bark Honey, and Koji Cured Smoked Egg Yolk, among others.

Though Byrdi is the only Aussie bar in the extended list, there may be more to celebrate when the top 50 bars in the world are revealed on October 17.

Our country fared well last year, with Sydney's Re– coming in at number 87 and Melbourne's Caretaker's Cottage at number 60 on the extended list.

Two others made it to the 2022 main list - Sydney's Cantina Ok! at 41 and 1950s-themed cocktail bar Maybe Sammy taking out the highest ranking at number 29, also being named the best bar in Australasia for four years in a row.

We'll just have to wait until next week to see if they retained the title.