The Collective
What you knew as The Argyle is now The Collective, a flash new hospitality precinct by Hunter St Hospitality, the group behind Rockpool, Sake and Spice Temple.
The five-part precinct spans 1800 square metres in the cobblestoned streets of The Rocks. And the team has taken a restoration-first approach to the project, aiming to breathe new life into heritage spaces that “deserve to be experienced, not just admired”, Hunter St Hospitality CEO Frank Tucker said in a statement.
The dining district includes long-time favourites Sake and The Cut Bar & Grill, which underwent a reno in 2024, plus three new venues: The Garden, The Dining Room and Tailor Room.
The kitchens are led by a team of executive chefs: Santiago Aristizabal (Rockpool), Shimpei Hatanaka (Sake), Andy Evans (Spice Temple) and Mike Flood (ex-Felix, Firedoor, Quay).
All-day diner The Garden takes over the open-plan al fresco courtyard, and the menu leans into luxe takes on classic cafe plates – think steak and eggs with caramelised onion jam, and an omelette folded with blue swimmer crab. Lunch offerings lean more European, with snacky roasted oysters topped with bottarga and espelette (Basque capsicum), and more substantial dishes like minute steak.
The Dining Room occupies the 1881 woolstore building, with its sandstone walls and heritage pillars. The moody fit-out levels up from The Garden, with olive-green booths, banquettes and a new 500-bottle capacity wine room. Local producers fuel the menu, with highlights including baby abalone schnitzel, coral trout with ’nduja XO piperade, and a hefty 1.5-kilo Wagyu tomahawk.
For pre- or post-dinner drinks, you want 20-seat cocktail bar Tailor Room. Apollo Inn alum Mael Jego, who is The Collective’s head of bars, developed the drinks list together with the group’s beverage director Ali Toghani and Tailor Room’s bar manager Benji Kinoial. Nodding to the building’s history as a storehouse for bonded goods like textiles, the debut 10-part cocktail list is inspired by fabrics. The tall and frothy Velvet is powered by dark rum and stout, while the Corduroy is a honeyed mix of spices, quince liqueur and whisky served in a small coupe.
Contact Details
Phone: No phone
Website: thecollectiverocks.com.au
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