The Cliff Dive

I will give detailed information about this place; The bearded security guard at the entrance is very polite. When you enter, you are greeted by friendly people again. But there are not enough lockers inside, so you have to carry your coat by hand. If you put your coat aside, the female attendant takes it and throws it on the floor. I saw it myself. The ventilation inside looks good. Frankly, I would have preferred more laser lights. Also, with too much light, people prefer not to dance. The drinks were good.

I visited this club on June 28 and experienced blatant racism right at the entrance. While the other staff members were polite, a white man wearing a head covering singled me out when it was my turn. He looked at me, spoke into his radio, and referred to me as a “white witch.” He then refused to search me, forcing me to be checked by someone else. Although the club itself was fine, his actions left me feeling extremely uncomfortable and disrespected for a long time. I strongly urge that this individual be dismissed. If I ever see him again, I will not stay silent and will escalate the matter without hesitation.

This is, without question, the worst-run venue I’ve ever been to. The staff are aggressively rude, the security treat people like criminals, and the manager is so unprofessional it’s almost laughable. There’s no sense of customer service, no accountability, and definitely no respect for the people keeping the place in business. It’s actually impressive how many things they manage to get wrong in one night. From the moment you walk in, you’re treated like a burden. No welcome, no friendliness—just cold stares, attitude, and power-tripping from every angle. You’d get better service at a servo at 3am. Save yourself the stress. This place doesn’t deserve your time, your money, or your patience. There are dozens of better bars within walking distance. I genuinely don’t understand how this place is still operating. Avoid like the plague.

Absolutely disappointing experience. Came to The Cliff Dive on Sunday around 12am with a group of five. We were inside for literally nine minutes — just enough time to pay entry and visit the restrooms — before one of the security guards (a male who looked to be of Indian descent) randomly targeted my friend with an intense stare-down in the bathroom and kicked him out without explanation. When I tried to calmly defuse the situation and suggested we all leave, there was zero attempt from staff to handle the situation professionally. We only got a refund after having to prove how little time we’d been inside. Not exactly a good look. Feels a lot like they’re happy to take entry fees and kick people out at their discretion. We weren’t the only group that night with a similar experience, which says a lot. Definitely won't be coming back — and I’ll be letting others know what to expect if they do.

Unpleasant and disappointing experience. Visited The Cliff Dive on Sunday around midnight with a group of five. We were inside for no more than nine minutes — just long enough to pay the cover and quickly use the restrooms — before one of the security staff (a male, possibly of Indian background) fixated on my friend with an intense stare in the bathroom and then promptly escorted him out without any explanation. I attempted to calmly step in and suggested we just leave, as the interaction felt unnecessarily hostile. It was clear the situation was being escalated by the staff rather than resolved. We were only given a refund after having to prove how short our visit actually was — not exactly the kind of hospitality you’d expect from a reputable venue. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only group that night who walked away with a sour experience. It gives the impression that the venue is more interested in collecting cover charges than actually providing a good night out. Would not recommend — and I’ll be sharing this experience widely so others can make an informed choice.

Easily one of the rudest venues I’ve ever been to in Sydney. The staff have serious attitude problems and the security act like they’re guarding the gates of heaven instead of a bar. From the moment we arrived, we were spoken to like we were a hassle, not paying customers. No friendliness, no basic manners—just constant eye-rolls, short tones, and power-tripping bouncers who go out of their way to be difficult. You can tell they don’t care about the vibe, the people, or even basic customer service. There are too many great places in this city to waste time or money at one that treats people like garbage just for walking through the door.

Really disappointed with how this place handled a simple situation. I left my jacket inside and when I tried to go back in to look for it, I was shut down instantly. I wasn’t drunk, wasn’t aggressive, just politely asking if I could check or if anyone had handed it in. The staff had no interest in helping—just attitude and blank stares. No basic decency, no effort to even check lost property. Honestly felt like they couldn’t care less once you’ve spent your money. Won’t be back. Plenty of better bars in Sydney where they actually treat you like a human being.

Absolutely useless. Lost my jacket inside The Cliff and the staff refused to let me back in to find it. I wasn’t even drunk or causing drama—I just wanted to check for my stuff. They showed zero care, zero help, and treated me like an issue instead of someone who just wanted their belongings back. Honestly, the attitude was disgusting. If you’re going to charge people to be there, at least have some basic decency when it comes to lost property. Never coming back. Do better.

- lots of younger folk - music was great on a Friday night - cocktails are stingily precise - urinating into a trough - mixed drinks taste cheap - I had a great time

New bar on Oxford Street brought to you from the same duo behind Tio's. It's definitely a different venture. It's huge (compared to small bar Tio's) and has a dance floor stuck in the middle. It's made to look like you've stepped underwater with blue wavy lights on the floor and paper lantern fish above your head. It has more of a club atmosphere, but not in a creepy "let's go clubbing way" that you might associate with some places (especially if you're not a club person). When we were there Friday, they had an Elvis impersonator signing live and played mostly 60s classics through the night. It's a great addition to the area. Drink menu is simple but has a lot of character. Cocktails starting at $10 up to $16-17 range depending on what you're after. They also have this crazy monkey head tiki drink for $25 that is meant to be shared by two people (or one really thirsty person).

$5 Pina Colada can't go wrong and they have booths around a sunken dance floor. We hit this place earlier on a Saturday night. It was chill and not as popular as some other spots. But if you're looking for an escape from the crowds and no booking this place is alright.

You had me at late night Papua New Guinean tiki bar. Other things you had me at: - Punchy cocktails starting at just $10, like a Bacardi/gin/apple number that sat me on ma aish. - $6 Southern Pacific beers - Sunken central dance floor - Clean, wonderfully tacky Jimmy-Buffet's-Margaritaville style decor - The giant moai in a grass hula skirt that you have to walk around to get into the club - The bargain $5 cover. In your face other $20 covers around town! - The bomb tunes, fun and weird and unexpected and fun. No weird alienating hardcore here!

Didn't expect this in Sydney, because I hadn't been to a tiki bar in Australia I liked, but this place has great cocktails, as does Tio's (a tequila bar by the owners of this bar) down the way. The owners are solid people, and were some of the friendliest Australians I've met, period. I've been to tiki bars around the world, and this is a great bar. Pro-tip: Get these guys to make you a cocktail that's not on a list, and I assure you it will be great. They care about what they do! The music on dance nights is absolutely fucking terrible, but that's a reflection of the bar scene, not of the owners who also agree that the music during dance nights is absolutely fuckiing terrible.

I enjoyed coming here on a Friday night. We arrived around 9:30PM when it wasn't very busy, and left around 11:15PM and the dance floor was pretty full. I liked the DJ's 90's hip hop selections, regardless of how well they went with the tiki theme. There was no cover at the time we came. The atmosphere was fun and I would come back again.

Came here on a saturday night. Weird crowd. Overly priced drinks. And horrible service at the door, they treated me like I was nothing, being discriminatory - it was disgusting.