Melbourne cocktail bar Byrdi has announced it is now closed, with co-founder Luke Whearty sharing the news in an Instagram post.

Taking to Instagram on Friday (18 September), Whearty said: “This has all happened very quickly, it’s not the way we saw things ending here. However, we were forced into a situation we didn’t have any control of and it’s been pretty challenging to say the least. 

“We’re working through it and currently still navigating what the future looks like and we’re going to take everything as it comes.

“Byrdi has become something bigger than we initially thought, it’s actually something that we see as bigger than these four walls. I don’t think this is permanently goodbye, but for now we have to wrap things up.

“It’s been a challenging few years but we’re continuing to stay positive and hopefully we have some better news for you in the coming months,” Whearty continued.

The bar was most recently placed at 91 in the World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 51-100 list, with Whearty also recognised in the Drinks International Bar World 100 at 61. 

A statement from Whearty and the team added: “This isn’t how we imagined this chapter ending, and it’s difficult to put into words what the last few days have felt like. But more than anything, we are grateful.

“To every person who has been part of Byrdi – our past and present team, producers, suppliers, collaborators, friends and the incredible bar community around us – thank you.

“And to everyone who walked through our doors, sat at the bar, drank something we made, brought someone along, came back again and again, or travelled across the world to visit us: thank you for giving us the opportunity to do what we love,” Whearty continued.

The bar was due to turn seven next month, offering a hyper-local approach to cocktail making. 

“This little bar became so much more than we ever imagined it could. Byrdi has always been about more than a physical space. It has been about people, ideas, creativity, hospitality, time and place. So while our time at Melbourne Central has come to an end, we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to Byrdi yet,” Whearty added.