Our favourite thing about Zeta Bar, the smart and slick cocktail bar in Hilton Sydney, is the open-air terrace that looks across the green copper domes of the Queen Victoria Building directly opposite. It’s a cracking spot to knock back a bottle of Champagne with your friends during the day when the sun is shining. Come night, when the QVB is lit up looking grand and regal, the space feels romantic. Inside, the dark leather seats, flicking fireplace and low lights adds to its charm.
Zeta Bar is all clean lines, high ceilings and expanses of glass, and while its decor does feel a little retro – the bar has been a part of Sydney’s drinking scene since it opened in 2005, after all – it’s still is a sophisticated space. And given its location in the heart of the city, it’s a stellar choice for a date or an afterwork cocktail. Speaking of booze, Zeta Bar’s happy hour is great. It’s on from Thursday to Saturday, 5-7pm, and you can get $14 Negronis, as well as house spirits, wines and beers for $12.
The cocktails here are top-notch, so whether you want something classic like a Dirty Martini, or one of their specialty cocktails, including the Pina Mongibello, made with white and coconut rum, pineapple, vermouth, fresh lime and spices, you’re in for a boozy treat.
Of course, you'll need a snack. The bar food menu spans salty, tasty things you want to enjoy with your drink. So there’s lobster rolls with fresh lime; a charcuterie board with soft cured meats and zingy pickles; and mushroom and cheese arancini balls with a garlic aioli. Dated, perhaps. But do fiery chicken wings with a blue-cheese sauce still slap? You bet they do.
If you’re in need of a staycation, and want to be smack-bang in the middle of the city, The Hilton Sydney is where it’s at. And with Zeta Bar and the swish Glass Brasserie minutes from your room, you may not even need to step outside. Except for Zeta’s breezy terrace – armed with Champagne, of course.
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