Josh Niland reveals plan to relocate Saint Peter to historic hotel
The chef behind Saint Peter, Fish Butchery and Charcoal Fish in Sydney has announced he will be expanding his seafood empire into a historic boutique hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs early next year.
The chef behind Saint Peter, Fish Butchery and Charcoal Fish in Sydney has announced he will be expanding his seafood empire into a historic boutique hotel in Sydney’s eastern suburbs this summer.
Josh Niland revealed on Wednesday that he and his wife Julie will be taking over the fully-transformed Grand National Hotel in Paddington, which boasts an opulent 45-seat dining room, 15-seat private dining room, a bar and accommodation for those looking for a luxurious overnight stay.
It will also house their hatted restaurant Saint Peter after it relocates from its original site on Oxford Street. The original restaurant will officially close its doors in early 2023.
“For the first time Saint Peter will finally have a bar where guests can enjoy a pre or post dinner drink,” Niland said. “The bar will have its own menu for a more casual experience for both lunch and dinner.”
Guests of the new Saint Peter restaurant will be seated under a skylight illuminating the dining room and will enjoy the theatrics of an open kitchen, wood-fired grill and a selection of fish charcuterie cabinets and displays.
An a la carte menu specifically designed to celebrate Australian seafood and produce will also be available.
Niland is internationally renowned for his pioneering approach to seafood – using everything from “nose to tail” – and that is on display at his Sydney fish butcheries and restaurants.
Niland said he and his team have taken the chance to expand into The Grand National Hotel in their stride.
“362 Oxford Street has been our home for six years and we have achieved a lot as a team within those four walls. However, the opportunity to create a more expansive and accessible dining experience for our guests and creative opportunity for our team is incredibly exciting,” he said.
While the date is yet to be confirmed for the official opening, Fish Butchery will remain trading as normal.
The 33-year-old chef’s obsession with fish was ignited when he met his mentor, chef Steve Hodges, and how it influenced his cooking.
“I was enamoured by Steve’s radiating passion for his work,” Niland said. “Of course, that same passion would frequently boil over, but to see first hand a man so possessed by the granular details of how fish should be handled from sea to plate and everything in between was an experience that I’ll never forget.”
Since that first meeting, Niland has revolutionised the way fish is prepared and eaten, opened multiple eateries and has shared his groundbreaking approach in his cookbooks The Whole Fish Cookbook and Take One Fish: The New School of Scale-to-Tail Cooking and Eating.
His most recent achievement, however, is his appointment as a board member for The Basque Culinary Centre, one of the world’s most revered culinary schools.