The Collins

I didn’t really know what to expect with The Collins. I’m not generally a cocktail bar fan, as I’m not into pretension and like my bars a bit gritty and divey. But I was really pleasantly surprised by The Collins. What I really enjoyed about the bar, was the clear lack of pretension. The crowd was diverse in ages and presentation, and the staff here were so lovely, efficient and friendly. They made us feel welcome, and DANG they can make a great cocktail. The group faves by far were the Froot Loops and the Spiced Black Raspberry Martini (grand marnier + chambord + fresh pressed strawberry’s + fresh basil + spice syrup
+ twist of black pepper). The balance of flavours in the Raspberry Martini was spot on, right down to the basil leaf floating atop of the spiced raspberry tastiness, the scent of which brought together the simple, yet dynamic flavours of the drink.
Whilst it’s not somewhere I’d choose to spend every weekend, I’ll certainly be back on board for a great cocktail or two and a relaxed evening out with a small group of friends.

An excellent Bloody Mary! The deconstructed mojito was weird in a yummy way!
The bartender was professional and explained the drinks well. I’d happily come back!

Great bar! Definitely not your usual hotel lobby style bar.
Great atmosphere and cool setting overlooking the hustle n bustle of Victoria Square. Good seating options with light, bright and airy main area and a comfortable warmer lounge area too.
Fantastic cocktails and amazing choice of liquors.
Worth a visit!

I honestly can’t fault this place… I’ve been here a few times and even on my most recent visit as a pregnant women who can’t drink, I still loved it!
It is certainly one of the hot places to be in Adelaide — even on a cold night it is still packed. The darkness is punctuated with sophisticated, moody lighting which matches the chic furniture.
Take your time to peruse the enormous cocktail, wine & spirit list, I can guarantee that you’ll find more than one item you want to try. The bartenders are also happy to make recommendations. When I was here over the weekend unable to drink I simply told them what kind of fruits I like & they concocted some delicious mocktails for me.
I’ve never tried the food, but I bet it’s amazing.
Yes the drinks are expensive, but the quality & atmosphere make it worth it.
Put on some nice clothes (you don’t want to look daggy here) and go.

Seems to be a friendly bar in the Hilton Hotel. Open only on select daub– generally during the later part of the week.
Decent selection ranging from local regions wines to spirits. Bar tender seems to be very knowledgable and service friendly — suggesting a taste of something you may have not tried before. Good music and a hang out place after dinner on weeks nights.

A wonderful experience esp for a hotel bar. great cocktails and staff. lovely place to watch Fringe fest goers. very much enjoyed it highly reccommeded if your out and about in Adelaide. will visit again for sure next time we take a trip to Australia. Thanks for reading

I have a disclosure to make. I don’t like hotel lobby bars. Usually, they are the realm of unhappy looking, bumbag-​wearing American tourists, or business men in suits with iPads, flexing their per diems. Not The Collins. It’s tasteful — the bathrooms are a joy to visit. The drink list is impressive. And it actually has a solid atmosphere — like a bar, not a hotel bar. What’s more, it looks over the recently renovated Victoria Square. A nice outlook indeed. A window seat is good for some serious people watching.

Okay, okay. Expectations were high. I mean Mel P gave the place high marks! It is a cool location. I was there on a Wed night. The big window was up and you could sit, drink a beer and people watch to your heart’s content.
I had the pork slider and fries. It was the smallest slider I have ever seen. Okay, not great. The fries serving was 2x the slider and was okay. Get two sliders is the point.
Decent beer selection. Huge spirits collection.
Not a bad place to sit and watch the world go by.

YUM! I checked this place out because of all the great reviews on Unilocal… It was love at first sip. I love my cocktails, as my reviews may suggest, but this place is probably the best of em all. The cocktail list was so extensive I didn’t know where to begin. But what I had was amazing. I recommend the one served in a tiki cup (I can’t remember its name).
The other great part is the complimentary popcorn you get once you’ve sat down. A great find. Thanks Unilocal

Great drinks menu and brilliant atmosphere, we were here after dinner but they still bought out bar snacks. Great seating options with the giant slabs of timber making it look a lot less cluttered than if there were smaller tables everywhere.

Almost tried to find something wrong with The Collins just to add something different to the glowing reviews already up. Fortunately we didn’t; great wine selection, beautiful setting, and very accommodating staff.
Toilets usually don’t get a mention but I have to for here. Spotlessly clean, incredibly modern. Who knew…
Pricing was right on the mark; sliders were tasty; had seafood and pork varieties. Truffle oil fries also a hit. Wine selections are great; a Henschke Henry’s Seven Shiraz and a very generous pour was so relaxing as the sunset and you watch people shuffle across the square, trams arrive and depart…
Highly recommended.

Some hotel bars feel as though they are there simply there to serve as a holding pen and meeting area for guests of the hotel. Then occasionally you get bars that are able to stand on their own as a nice place to stay a while, regardless of whether or not you’re staying upstairs.
So when an Adelaide local suggested The Collins (below Adelaide Hilton) as a choice for a nightcap before we retired to a different hotel, I knew this one must be in the latter category.
Not only is it priced reasonably for a hotel bar, they can make a decent cocktail to boot. My drinking buddies were all drinking spirits, from interesting concoctions like an Earl Grey cocktail to a classic negroni. I decided to opt for beer, and was surprised to see one of my favs (Sydney’s Lord Nelson Three Sheets) on tap.
The atmosphere was calm and quiet on a Sunday night, which was perfect for a chat to recap after a busy day. I’d definitely come here again to start/​finish an evening in Adelaide.

Usually if I hear the words ‘hotel bar’ I lose interest, but I knew I was in very capable hands with Chloe from Unilocal Adelaide, so I followed her to the bar.
The Collins has been open for about a year. The interior felt like you were inside a chocolate Easter egg — lots of dark brown soft velvety fabrics and a gold swirly roof.
The staff are clearly passionate about their craft and the venue. Even when we stayed well past close they were very polite.

Cute boys in vests serving me drinks? I’m a fan!
The bar staff are freakin’ magicians! Or perhaps mad scientists. I could not believe the stuff the kinds of things that went into drinks here! Some things I witnessed included: dry ice and an entire frozen peeled apple — I’m going to have to come back with some friends and work our way through the cocktail list just to see what they all are!

Collins Cocktail heaven
The Collins will spoil you for all time –everywhere in the world (well maybe not the Traders Bar on the 33^rd floor of the Sheraton sipping a Rose Lychee martini overlooking the Twin Towers in KL — are you green with cocktail envy?!)
This is my special night out or even not so special night out starting point. The cocktails here are truly unique and now having collectively tried quite a few with partner and friends I can’t find fault. (My personal favourite is the Violet Champagne Cocktail.) The setting is luxuriously decadent and seductive, the cocktails seduce even more and the alcoholic ambience is stupendous. A Sydney friend makes this her only must do whenever in Adelaide. Not that us Radelaideans need to compare ourselves in anyway — do we?
I can’t rave much more except to hint that whether it’s Valentine’s day, Birthday, Anniversary, Chinese New Year, Haven’t Seen Old Friend’s For Ages or you’ve just had a shitty week at work make a beeline for The Collins. Your efforts will be rewarded and the world will look beautiful again.

Faultless. A little pricey but it’s part of the Hilton, so what do you expect? Creative cocktails, innovative ways of serving them, table service, comfy couches (if you can snag them) and generally a good vibe. I had my 30^th here and the very next weekend was back after a wine tour and the staff remembered me. Whether that was because I was rowdy or because I’m totally amazing is yet to be known…
The feel SHOULD be pretentious, but I haven’t felt that. It’s simpy a well done, high class bar.

This may just be my new regular watering hole!
Classy surrounds, central CBD location, fair priced drinks, creative and friendly bar staff, no complaints from me. :-)
Great place for some classy brews after work or to kick off a night out on the town.

Walking into The Collins Bar I thought I might bump into my *dream* besties Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda as it looks like it belongs in NYC and is a huge departure from your typical chain hotel bar.
Aesthetically it looks sleek and sophisticated with gorgeous clean lines and a cool, dark ambiance without being seedy. What sets The Collins Bar apart from other bars is both the cocktail menu (which is to DIE for) and the service.
At The Collins Bar, from my experience, there is no yelling at a bar tender after being elbowed by about fifty people trying to push in front. The staff come to you and the service is excellent with friendly staff happy to assist in deciphering the menu and making a decision. Its also great that upon delivery of your drink they’ll explain to you the best way to drink in order to get the best «experience».
The great part about The Collins Bar cocktails is that they are designed to be an «experience» not just a drink. For example «La première» has popcorn washed (yes — popcorn washed) rum, coke and lime and is served in an old school tall coke glass. Great drink but what makes it even better is the side of popcorn which you are supposed to eat before taking a sip to enhance the flavours.
It is also worth asking the staff if any experiments are being performed — we got to try an amazing Hubba Bubba cocktail (which may be on the menu at the time you read this review — if it isn’t ASK for it, it was a wonderful sweet drink that tasted just like the real thing) when we went on a quiet week night because the bar tender was having a play with different drinks.
According to The Collins Bar, «If you only know Jack, Johnnie and Jim, you need to get out more».

Whether lounging or on the prowl The Collins creates an environment to suit the suits, the skirts and the jeans and polo shirts crowd.
Waitresses will serve your every whim from share platters to drinks as you sit at the dimly lit benches or in the dimly lit lounge room. Bless these guys for being smart about creating a «conversation space» in the lounge (with quieter music) and a «I don’t want to have a d&m with you» space in the bar.
Despite the classiness of the venue, the drinks menu is so reasonably priced for the quality of spirits, cocktails and beers you can get. After a couple of Friday nights here I was shocked to go and pay $ 9 for a shoddy Campari & Soda at another «trendy» bar in the CBD when you could get it for $ 7.50 at The Collins.
As everyone has said the cocktail list is creative and excitingly different. Unfortunately the food menu is a bit expensive and not all that interesting but this doesn’t make the place loose a star because you are not here to eat.
So sit in a dark corner, pick out a 1 to a 40 year old whiskey or a ridiculous cocktail concoction and feel like a million bucks at The Collins.

If you are a very fancy person, or just want your friends to think that you are very fancy, take them to The Collins and get your fancy cocktail on.
As the Hilton’s newest bar, The Collins is a refreshing departure from most hotel bars and lounges. It is full of dark corners to cuddle up in, but also offers seats looking out on the street where you can watch passers-​by as the evening wears on. The service is excellent; the enthusiastic and knowledgeable waitresses come to your table so you never need to wait at the bar to order a drink.
Most importantly, The Collins offers an extensive cocktail menu with exciting offerings such as the Deconstructed Mojito (mojito jelly, fizzy powder, mint mouthwash, candied mint, and a syringe of rum) or the Bacon-​Maple Manhattan (bacon-​washed vodka, sweet and dry vermouth served with a crisp bacon garnish). Seriously, the cocktail list is a mile long and everything sounds amazing; I had to have my drinking companion choose a drink for me because I couldn’t decide!
We went during Earth Hour, and the entire bar was lit by candlelight. It made for a magical experience as we sipped on the Speakeasy Iced Tea cocktail, sneakily served from an antique teapot with teacups and an extra bottle of absinthe and juice served on the side, secretly tucked into a Tarzan book… those Prohibitionists would never know what hit ‘em.