Welcome to our end of year series of interviews with the people behind the award-winning bars from this year’s Boothby Best Bars Awards program. Next up, Rob Libecans, co-owner of Caretaker’s Cottage in Melbourne, which took out several awards this year: the 2025 Best Bar in Victoria presented by Never Never, and the Best Hospitality Team in Victoria presented by Perrier. The bar also scored the title of Drink of the Year presented by Bacardi, and Drinks List of the Year presented by Perrier, at the Boothby Drink of the Year Awards in December.
While I have you, a request: if you are enjoying these stories and finding Boothby useful, the best way to support Boothby is by becoming a paid subscriber — you'll receive each issue of the quarterly Boothby magazine to your door, preferential access to our events, and the warm, fuzzy feeling you get from supporting our indie bar journalism. You can do that now at the link below.
Boothby Staff
Caretaker’s Cottage is your bartender’s favourite bar. Whether it’s the lighting, the sound, the fitout — everything here conveys warmth, as does the hospitality you’ll experience at the bar. Co-owners Rob Libecans, Matt Stirling, and Ryan Noreiks opened the bar in February of 2022, and it quickly became the standout opening of the year, racking up accolades at home and abroad in the years since; the bar landed at 19 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2025, their third straight appearance on the exclusive list.
The drinks menu — famously — changes monthly, but you’ll always find an excellent, properly cold Martini made with their own custom gin, and one of the best pints of Guinness anywhere — it’s makes for quite the fancy Boilermaker.
Below, we asked co-owner Rob Libecans to share his views on what the challenges for the bar business are in 2025, and what it is that makes Caretaker’s Cottage the busy, popular, and distinct bar that it is.
BOOTHBY: In your opinion, what is it about your bar that resonates with the bar industry?
ROB LIBECANS: Honestly if I knew the true answer I’d bottle it and sell it. But I’d like to think it’s the attention to detail in both our venues [they opened their second bar, Three Horses, this year] that either guests really notice or that we take care of the things they like to a point where they can relax or switch off in our company. We’re not short of places to enjoy good drinks here in Melbourne, you can get Guinness or Martinis in some amazing places. But the fact that we put so much time and effort into every small detail and facet into our service, drinks and environment is the one thing that makes us who we are. Nothing is ever rushed and no decision is made without consultation, no matter how small it might appear to anyone else.
BOOTHBY: How do you describe your bar to people who are only just learning of it?
ROB LIBECANS: Caretaker’s is first and foremost a pub. It’s situated in a 107 year old bluestone cottage behind a church in the centre of Melbourne. Guinness and Martinis are the pillars of our business, as too is music which is played exclusively on vinyl by our bartenders as they shake drinks.
Three Horses is our newest venue, predominantly a cocktail bar designed as a homage to Spanish sherry bodegas. Sherry is front and centre in everything we do there.
BOOTHBY: What’s the most popular to order classic cocktail at your bar?
ROB LIBECANS: At Caretaker’s Cottage Martinis reign supreme. This calendar year we’ve sold close to 24,000. Last year we launched our collaboration gin with Four Pillars named “House Gin” which was designed to take our Martini to the next evolution.
BOOTHBY: Can you describe the attributes you look for in a bartender at Caretaker’s?
ROB LIBECANS: The most important things on a CV for me will always be how long did they stay at their last few jobs? Commitment is an undervalued trait for any employer. I’m not saying people should stay in jobs they don’t like or aren’t good for them. But there comes a time if you’ve had a new job every year then maybe it’s not the job but your ability to choose the right opportunity for yourself. The next thing is looking to see if they’ve ever worked in a busy venue. I don’t care what role they’re going for these two things are crucial. Busy environments make you always work faster, force you to work clean, make you more efficient and also problem solve on the fly. If there’s a choice between someone that can barback in a nightclub at 18 or a bartender that’s only worked 50 Best venues I know which one I’d take.
When it comes to an interview, it’s all about personality and preparation. Come with both things on show.
BOOTHBY: What rough percentage of the sales mix is cocktails?
ROB LIBECANS: Roughly 60 percent which would be considered low by bars standards, but for a pub it’s huge. If we didn’t sell 33,000 Guinness this year then that number would be a lot higher too.
BOOTHBY: How are you finding business in a general sense — are the people out there spending like they did a year ago? Better or worse?
ROB LIBECANS: Caretaker’s is a bit of a unicorn. We’re busy every day of the year. That is something we’ve worked hard since opening to achieve and sustain. Melbourne is rapidly changing though. We’re seeing the big groups get bigger and the likes of Merivale move into the city. So, while we’re doing okay now, we won’t be sitting on hands either.
BOOTHBY: What’s the biggest challenge the bar faces as a business over the next year?
ROB LIBECANS: The same challenge the rest of our community face. The cost of goods, wages and utilities are only increasing which are the biggest costs for any venue. It’s getting to breaking point for so many venues. To be honest, it’s unsustainable in my opinion. Is a cocktail in a good bar priced properly at $30? 100 percent yes. Do I want to spend $30 on a cocktail when I go out? Absolutely fucking not. And that’s the problem. I understand the price of everything that goes into a cocktail, running a bar and creating an environment in which to enjoy them and I still chose not to purchase them, because price and value don’t match up anymore. Imagine how a regular punter feels.
BOOTHBY: What gives you hope and optimism as a bar owner for 2026?
ROB LIBECANS: We are lucky to have some incredible staff with us at both venues. Matt, Ryan and myself have been working hard to push ourselves away from the day to day of Caretaker’s over the last 18 months. With that we’ve trained and promoted a lot of our staff into new roles. It’s critical that they get space and support to take our venue to its next iteration. So if there’s one thing I’m looking forward to it’s going to Caretakers’, having a pint or three and switching off.
You can find Caretaker's Cottage online here, on Instagram at @caretakers.cottage, and in the real world behind Wesley Place Church at 139-141 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne.
The latest issue of Boothby magazine has landed. Get the fifth issue of the magazine, with stories and interviews on Stefano Catino, Andy Chu, Three Horses, Abstract Bistrot, Holly Graham, Evan Stroeve, Mont Blancs, Blaze Young, Chinese wine, El Primo Sanchez, Bobby Carey, Jess Fitzgerald, Babines’ Suze To’, Wild Turkey’s Bruce Russell, FOCO in Barcelona, the Drink Of The Year, champagne, and plenty more. The best way to support Boothby is to get a subscription to the magazine.
