Bold restaurant to step into space vacated by Josh Niland’s Saint Peter in Paddington

Darren Templeton is bringing his pop-up Izy Aki to Paddington, having signed the lease on the Saint Peter site.

Templeton’s Izy Aki was one of the dining highlights of 2023.

Another esteemed chef is set to step into the hallowed halls, blessed by Josh Niland of the original Saint Peter site in Paddington.

Darren Templeton is bringing his pop-up Izy Aki to Paddington, having signed the lease on the Saint Peter site.

The site was left vacant for the first time since 2016, after fish butcher Niland made it his home and it was recognised as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World. Niland has since moved Saint Peter to The Grand National in Paddington.

Darren Templeton is taking over the former site of Saint Peter restaurant in Paddington. Picture: Richard Dobson

Templeton is responsible for one of 2023’s most surprising, and highly rated, new restaurants. Izy Aki was his own Omakase concept which he opened in The Rocks. It was only supposed to be for three months, however it quickly became very popular and was in the location for a year. Inspired by the old izakaya in Osaka, there is no menu at Izy Aki. Instead guests come in, sit down and “we feed you,” describes Templeton.

There were plans to keep the restaurant at The Rocks but they had to move out for essential work to be carried out on the heritage site. Despite the restaurant being a passion project, Templeton said he knew he had to find a new space.

“Towards the end of my time at The Rocks, they was such a positive vibe everyday, I couldn’t let it finish. It felt like an unfinished chapter,” he said.

The chef looked for another site, including at The Star, which all fell through. At a meeting with a landlord at a Paddington pub, Templeton walked past Saint Peter and saw it was still empty.

“Well known restaurants can be tough to change into something else afterwards and it’s unique venue but it’s perfect for us. It even has the sandstone walls which we had at The Rocks,’ said Templeton, who called Niland immediately.

“I believe in fate and things happen for reason. I was walking down for another meeting and realised this is it.”

Templeton takes over the lease today and after a couple of weeks of facelifts, plans to open the first week of November.

“I’m super excited … but there were nervous signing the lease. I felt like a teenager,” he said.