The Elephant & Wheelbarrow

Pro

Capacity: 250 guestsPricing: From $2,000 minimum spendCategory: VenuesLocation: 94-96 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Highlights

Two private function floors, each with its own bar, for up to 100 or 250
Top floor minimum spend from $2,000 Monday to Thursday
Large screens, wireless microphones and DJ or band connections

About The Elephant & Wheelbarrow

The Elephant & Wheelbarrow is a traditional British pub at 94–96 Bourke Street, on the corner of Exhibition Street in the Melbourne CBD. It opened in 2000 and pours a long list of tap beers, including Guinness, alongside a menu of British pub food. Live sport is shown on the screens, and live music plays later in the week. Functions use two private floors upstairs. The top floor, the third-level bar, holds 100 for cocktails, 60 cabaret style or 45 seated, and has a large screen for presentations, a music connection for your own playlist, wireless microphones and a private bar. The middle floor, the second-level bar, is the bigger room, with 250 for cocktails or 110 seated, a private bar with its own bartender, climate control, its own bathrooms, two HDMI televisions and plug-ins for a DJ or band. It suits 21sts, farewells and trivia nights, and half the floor can be booked by request. Minimum spends for the top floor are $2,000 Monday to Thursday, $3,000 on Friday and $4,000 on weekends; the whole middle floor is $4,000, $4,500 and $5,000. Both rise by $500 from mid-November to the end of December. Food can be canapé platters of 24 pieces from $125, or an alternate-drop menu at $75 for two courses or $90 for three for groups of 20 or more. Drinks packages run three or four hours from $60 per person, or a bar tab can be set up, switching to a cash bar once the minimum is met. Bookings are confirmed with a 30% deposit.

Inclusions & amenities

Venue type

Pub

Budget

$$ (Average)

Food & drinks

Catering AvailableDrink PackagesBar TabPay-As-You-Go Drinks

Features

Cocktail/StandingBanquet/Sit-DownPrivate SpaceIndoorParty Vibe

Facilities

Air ConDJ FriendlyMicrophoneTV/Presentation Facilities

Pricing

The top-floor function room has a minimum spend of $2,000 Monday to Thursday, $3,000 on Friday and $4,000 on Saturday and Sunday. The whole middle floor has a minimum spend of $4,000 Monday to Thursday, $4,500 on Friday and $5,000 on Saturday and Sunday. An extra $500 applies to both from mid-November to the end of December. The minimum spend covers food and drinks only, and a 30% deposit secures the date.

Food

Canapé platters cost $125 for most options, including Angus sliders, sausage rolls, fish fingers, mac and cheese croquettes, tandoori chicken skewers and vegetable spring rolls, with sushi, prawn and chorizo skewers, party pies and a cheese platter from $135 to $145. A sit-down alternate-drop menu is $75 for two courses or $90 for three, for 20 guests or more, with individual vegetarian and vegan meals on request.

Beverages

Silver, Gold and Platinum drinks packages cost $60, $70 and $85 per person for three hours, or $75, $85 and $100 for four hours, and a spirits add-on is $20 or $25 per person. A bar tab can be set up with a limit and raised during the night, and once the minimum spend is reached guests can move to a cash bar.

Availability

Monday12PM – 1AM

Tuesday12PM – 1AM

Wednesday11:30AM – 1AM

Thursday12PM – 2AM

Friday12PM – 3AM

Saturday11:30AM – 3AM

Sunday11:30AM – 1AM

Send a function enquiry through the form on the functions page, choosing the top floor room or middle bar, or call the pub on 03 9639 8444. Tentative holds last seven days, and payment for the function is due 30 days before the date.

Frequently asked questions

What function spaces are there?

Two private floors. The top floor holds 100 for cocktails or 45 seated, and the middle floor holds 250 for cocktails or 110 seated. Half of the middle floor can be booked by request.

What are the minimum spends?

The top floor is $2,000 Monday to Thursday, $3,000 Friday and $4,000 Saturday and Sunday. The whole middle floor is $4,000, $4,500 and $5,000. Add $500 from mid-November to the end of December.

Can we have a DJ or band?

Yes. The middle floor has connections for DJs and bands. Any function with amplified or live music needs security, which the pub books at $65 per guard for at least four hours, with two guards for the first 100 guests.

How do we confirm a booking?

A booking is confirmed once 30% of the minimum spend is paid as a deposit and the terms are signed. Final numbers are due seven days before the function.

What food is available for functions?

Canapé platters such as sliders, sausage rolls and fish and chips start at $125 each, and an alternate-drop menu is $75 for two courses or $90 for three, for at least 20 people. Vegetarian and vegan options are available on request.

Where we are

Suitable occasions

21st Birthday Party Birthday Party Christmas Party Corporate Event Farewell Party

Reviews

See all reviews for The Elephant & Wheelbarrow on Google

Victor Tran

2 months ago

Been coming here for two decades since my first office job, which is only a fraction of this pub's history. It has a great vibe with a solid tap selection, making it a good spot to unwind whether you're after a beer or s…

Yorkie in NZ Col

7 months ago

We were visiting Melbourne for a celebration of our 40th Wedding Anniversary and found this awesome place near to our hotel. Staff were polite and friendly and the process for getting a meal was really efficient. A great…

Aurora Erika

3 months ago

The Elephant & Wheelbarrow is exactly what you want from a local pub, relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and a comfortable spot to settle in for a meal and a drink. I ordered the Beef & Guinness Pie, which arrived loo…

Ashlee Jayde

5 months ago

I visited The Elephant & Wheelbarrow in April 2026 for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival to see Brits vs Aussies. Which was an hour long comedy show where two British comedians and two Australian comedians took…

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