Now Open: The Collective Dining Precinct Has Opened in The Rocks, Fusing Old-World Charm with Sophisticated Cuisine
Bringing three high-end venues to The Rocks, this landmark dining precinct offers a cultured blend of lavish dining and casual cocktails – inside and outside.
Wunderlich Lane. Shell House. The International. Hinchcliff House. Prefecture 48. Steadily, slowly, multi-venue dining precincts have become the talk of Sydney's dining scene. And on Friday, April 11, Hunter Street Hospitality — the same crew behind the legendary Rockpool Bar & Grill — will be adding to the mix with the opening of The Collective.
Located in The Rocks, The Collective will be home to three sophisticated new restaurants alongside the group's existing venues — namely Saké and The Cut Bar & Grill — in this historic precinct. All up, The Collective spans a 1,800 square metres, with each venue offering a distinct experience for just about any occasion. Step into an elegant steak and seafood restaurant, chill out in a sun-soaked courtyard or indulge your inner bon vivant at a moody cocktail bar.
With its quiet sense of drama, The Dining Room is the most debonair of the new arrivals. The two-level restaurant, set in a restored 1881 wool store, sees the space's original sandstone walls and heritage pillars contrast with a glamorous seafood bar that anchors the restaurant's rear. Guided by Hunter Street Hospitality trio of executive chefs — Santiago Aristizabal, Andy Evans and Shimpei Hatanaka — working alongside The Dining Room's executive chef Mike Flood, the menu is punctuated with top-shelf produce from land and sea, from Moreton Bay bug and Eastern Rock Lobster, to Berkshire pork chop and Margra lamb.
As one might expect from a venue that seats 225, The Dining Room's wine cellar is expansive — it's home to over 1000 labels, including rare champagnes, international classics and show-stopping local vintages. Cocktails are also a focus, and continue the restaurant's ingredient-forward focus with creations like a multilayered strawberry-infused negroni and a Roku Gin, Haku Vodka and lychee sake number.
Upstairs, The Bar is a standalone cocktail bar open to all comers from 4pm, featuring a lounge-style setting that offers the ideal space to transition from dinner to drinks (or the other way around, should you wish). On weekday evenings and from 1pm on weekends, DJs will spin tunes from a 'floating' booth, while you can take your pick from a dedicated list of 10 signature drinks, including three martinis. Also upstairs you'll find The Lounge, a versatile private space primed for cocktail parties and special events boasting its own DJ booth and a 100-guest standing-room capacity.
Moving outdoors, The Garden is an alfresco oasis framed by heritage-listed buildings. Though casual in intent, this all-day dining spot still brings plenty of modern elegance. Set amongst handsome olive trees and perennials, cosy dining nooks provide a stylish retreat for breakfast and lunch — think: Blue Swimmer crab omelette served with lemon burnt butter sauce, steak and eggs featuring grass-fed scotch fillet and caramelised onion jam, and fritto misto adorned with zucchini flowers and served with Calabrian chilli oil. As the sun begins to dip, this open-air setting will steadily grow in atmosphere, as curated cocktails like the Rosella — mixing rosella-infused tequila with agave syrup and fresh lime juice — flow beneath the starry skies.
Rounding out The Collective is Tailor Room, an intimate 20-seat cocktail bar that clocks in at just 24 square metres. However, the adage of less being more undoubtedly rings true here, as this smartly designed space sees deep green velvet banquettes set against an opulent red marble counter, providing front-row seating to the technically precise drinks being made behind the bar. Inspired by its heritage surrounds, the venue's first menu, Textures, features 10 signature drinks influenced by luxurious fabrics like the gin-based Silk, which combines coconut and rose geranium with notes of sandalwood to achieve a sleek and subtle effervescence.
Polished from top to bottom, The Collective is a striking addition to The Rocks' cobblestoned streets. "Hospitality precincts aed having a moment in Sydney, and their appeal is only growing," says Hunter Street Hospitality CEO Frank Tucker. "With The Collective, we saw the chance to do something special — breathing new life into heritage spaces that deserve to be experienced, not just admired. There's a lot to uncover once you step inside."
The Collective is located at 12–18 Argyle Street, The Rocks, and is open from Friday, April 11. Head to the venue's website for more information.
Images: Steven Woodburn
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