Where to find clean and accessible toilets in Melbourne
Is it just me, or does the urge to use a toilet intensify when you have no idea where to find one? I know it’s a universal experience, but funny enough, there’s actually a psychology behind it.
When you know there’s a toilet nearby, your brain relaxes and you’re able to hold on longer. But when there isn’t? You get hyper-aware of it, and it suddenly feels urgent.
Thankfully, you don’t have to wander cluelessly looking for toilets in Melbourne. You just have to take note of these spots so you’ll know where to look next time!
1. Emporium Melbourne
– Media credit: Emporium Melbourne
Website: http://emporiummelbourne.com.au/
Address: 287 Lonsdale St
Phone: +61386098221
Operating hours:
- Saturday to Wednesday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Thursday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
- Friday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Emporium’s bathrooms are generally considered excellent; they’re squeaky clean, smell nice, and accessible.
In the level 3 near the food court, there’s a “parents’ room” that includes multiple baby change bays, a microwave for heating bottles, and a large unisex/family toilet that’s spacious enough to fit a pram or stroller.
It’s frequently mentioned that people often list Emporium among the best shopping centre toilets in the CBD.
All bathrooms within the shopping center are well-lit and surrounded with good tunes.
Pro tip:
If the level 3 toilets are crowded, try the bathroom at level 1 near the boutique shops — fewer people come here.
2. Melbourne Town Hall Public Toilet
– Media credit: Kristina Luniewski
Website: https://toiletmap.gov.au/11517
Address: Melbourne Town Hall, 240 Collins St.
Phone: +61396589658
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Beneath Collins Street is where the iconic Melbourne Town Hall public toilets lie, an underground facility that many locals are familiar with and is more than a century old.
Don’t worry, though — it doesn’t look its age because they regularly keep it in its excellent condition. The design is also modern and clean: tiled walls, decorative ironwork, and old-world fixtures similar to a museum.
You would even hear locals joke about it, saying that it’s the “fanciest free toilets” in the CBD.
Pro tip:
The facility closes at 6 pm sharp, so if you’re around the area and you need to do so badly, better do it early, or you’ll find yourself sprinting to the next street.
3. Forum Theatre
– Media credit: Forum Melbourne
Website: http://www.forummelbourne.com.au/
Address: 154 Flinders St
Phone: +61 1300 111 011
Operating hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Forum Theatre is known for its classic and elegant grandeur both inside and out, and its bathroom isn’t falling behind. These bathrooms come with vintage touches and spacious layouts.
Once you’re inside, you’ll never feel like you’re ages away from a restroom, as their bathrooms are spread across different parts of the building.
Accessibility is covered as well, as there are wheelchair accessible cubicles and gender-neutral toilets.
Pro tip:
It’s already given that there will be a queue for the toilets during intermission. My take? Sip one out five minutes before the break.
4. Gin Palace
– Media credit: Gin Palace
Website: https://www.ginpalace.com.au/
Address: 10 Russell Pl
Business hours: Monday to Sunday 4:00 pm – 3:00 am
Gin’s Palace is a cocktail bar with a pretty elegant decor, framed artworks, and inventive cocktails.
Their bathroom is hella fancy; chandeliers, bougie soap dispensers, and mirrors that look like they came straight out of Snow White. If you’re tipsy, you might even start asking, “Who’s the fairest of them all?”
But that’s just in the ladies’ room. It’s the men’s toilets that get attention due to the inverted urinals that add a quirky touch and a little confusion.
Pro tip:
If possible, try going early to avoid the crowd — a tipsy bunch at that.
5. Uncle Joe’s Wine Bar
– Media credit: Uncle Joe’s Wine Bar
Social media: https://www.instagram.com/unclejoesbrunswickeast/
Address: 325 Lygon St, Brunswick East
Phone: +61393805637
Operating hours: Tuesday to Saturday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Uncle Joe’s is a small wine bar known for its quirky and artsy vibe. The space is pretty intimate, so expect the bathroom to be a little tight.
Uncle Joe’s bathroom is part of the aesthetic playground; there are doodles on the wall, and it might seem a little out of place, but there’s a fully functioning disco ball inside.
So, even if you’re just passing by the establishment for a wee, it’ll feel like you’re also part of the party.
Aesthetics aside, the space is comfortable and the cubicles are clean and well-maintained.
Pro tip:
Don’t forget to bring your own essentials. While Uncle Joe’s bathroom is supplied with toilet paper and soaps, it can get used up quickly by the customers.
6. Sofitel Atrium Bar
– Media credit: The Atrium on 35
Website: http://www.sofitel-melbourne.com.au/restaurant/atrium-bar-no35/
Address: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, 25 Collins St
Phone: +61396537744
Operating hours:
- Monday to Thursday 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Friday 3:00 pm – 11:00 pm
- Saturday 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
- Sunday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
The restroom at the Atrium Bar on the 35th floor of Sofitel Melbourne is quite the charmer. Beyond its primary use, it’s become an attraction to the point where it’s considered “the best loo in Melbourne”.
Why? Because their restrooms (both men’s and women’s) have floor-to-ceiling windows that allow you to overlook the city while you do your business.
From the window, you’ll get to see panoramic views of the Melbourne skyline and beyond, including Fitzroy Gardens and Dandenong Ranges.
You don’t have to worry about privacy because you’re so high up from the ground, no one will see you from the inside.
Pro tip:
The restrooms are free and accessible. When you get to Sofitel’s lobby, just take the elevator to the 35th floor and you’ll find the bar there.
7. Tyler’s Milk Bar
– Media credit: Tyler’s Milk Bar
Website: http://tylersmilkbar.com.au/
Address: 656 Plenty Rd, Preston
Phone: +61413657864
Operating hours:
- Monday to Thursday 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Friday 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Tyler’s Milk Bar is a cozy, family-owned cafe offering tasty brunch and coffee items. Their restrooms—though just single— are well-maintained and come with special touches.
Their ladies’ room, in particular, gets a lot of compliments. It’s painted pink, and it also has a disco ball inside. Aside from that, they’re pretty thoughtful by having a shelf full of women’s essentials, such as sunscreens, wipes, and tampons — all are free to use!
And that’s not all, the restroom also has a times table card pasted on the wall, probably to keep you entertained and busy while you do your business.
Pro tip:
Tyler’s closes at 4 pm. If you have plans afterward and might not be near public restrooms, make sure to use the toilet before leaving.
8. Myer Melbourne
– Media credit: Emilyzyq
Website: https://www.myer.com.au/
Address: Bourke Street Mall, Level 3/336 Bourke St
Phone: +61 1300 112 460
Operating hours:
- Sunday to Wednesday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Thursday to Friday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Myer is a large, multi-level department store in Bourke Street with toilets located on multiple floors. The restrooms are clean and regularly maintained by the staff.
Accessibility features are also present. The restrooms are wheelchair accessible by having a designated cubicle with wide stalls and grab rails.
Given its central location and being a big, modernised store, it has many lifts and escalators, making it easier for individuals with mobility needs to access the toilets.
Pro tip:
There’s a nursing room on Level 3 (by the kids’ clothing and toy section), which includes separate booths for feeding or pumping, a nappy changing table, toilet, and more.
9. David Jones Mall
– Media credit: Tamb Photo
Website: https://www.davidjones.com/
Address: Bourke Street Mall, 310 Bourke St
Phone: +61 133357
Operating hours:
- Saturday to Wednesday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Thursday 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
- Friday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
David Jones Mall is another popular, multi-level department store with public and accessible restrooms inside. Since the mall is more upscale than average malls or stores in the CBD, the restrooms here are more elegant and well-kept.
Several toilets are located on different floors in the building, which gives convenience wherever you are in the store.
There are parents’/feeding rooms and accessible toilets as well.
Pro tip:
For more convenient access to toilets with fewer queues, many recommend the men’s department or the side of the mall where the food hall used to be.
10. Federation Square
– Media credit: Fed Square
Website: fedsquare.com
Address: Swanston St & Flinders St.
Phone: +61396551900
Operating hours: 24 hours
Since Federation Square gets lots of foot traffic due to the tourists, locals, and events, the facilities here are built to handle that.
That’s why Fed Square provides multiple accessible toilets and baby changing facilities, especially around the Atrium and next to Time Out Café.
One of the most notable features here is the “Changing Places” restroom, a facility designed for individuals who need mobility assistance.
It’s more than your standard toilet; it has carers, hoists, height-adjustable changing tables, and plentyof extra space.
It’s accessible using an MLAK key, or via intercom in the Atrium corridor.
Pro tip:
If you’re looking for gender-neutral toilets, you can find them in places like The Atrium and the ACMI museum building.
11. RMIT Building 10
– Media credit: RMIT University
Website: https://www.rmit.edu.au/
Address: RMIT University, Building 10, 330/334 Swanston St
Phone: +61399252000
Operating hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 am 5:00 pm
As a major academic building at the City Campus, it also has a good spread of restrooms and related facilities.
One of the reasons why Building 10 is frequently mentioned is because of accessible features. For example, there are accessible/disabled toilets on level 4 and unisex toilets on levels 2 and 9.
There’s also a parent room in Building 10, which is complete with a toilet, sink, and privacy for breastfeeding.
Pro tip:
If you want to go to a restroom in the building with fewer queues, avoid the floors with high foot traffic, such as the library levels (Level 5 and 6) and the student café on Level 7.
12. National Gallery of Victoria
– Media credit: National Gallery of Victoria
Website: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/
Address: 180 St Kilda Rd
Phone: +61386202222
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
NGV is very accommodating and inclusive with their restrooms. Not only do they have accessible toilets, but they also have gender-neutral restrooms and a dedicated parents’ room.
All-gender toilets are also found on every level of the gallery.
Assistance for accessible toilets is also well handled. Aside from ramps, lifts, and automatic doors, wheelchairs and mobility scooters are available for free hire.
Generally, all toilets in the gallery are clean, well-maintained, and spacious.
Pro tip:
For individuals who need more specialised facilities, there’s a nearby Changing Places restroom located at Hamer Hall, which is around 300 m away from the gallery.