Saint Peter, Sydney: Restaurant review

Start with an Oyster Shell Martini, stirred tableside. That’s the best way to begin Josh Niland’s journey beneath the waves at his endlessly innovative fish restaurant, now housed inside Paddington’s Grand National Hotel. Move on to the real thing with a supplementary selection of South Coast oysters, bracingly fresh and briny. Next, you’re likely to follow a fish through many guises – yellowfin tuna, say, served as tartare on a fermented rice cake, then wrapped in pastry as a Wellington, then as a petit four of bone marrow fudge – each showcasing the potential of the secondary cuts that are the backbone of Niland’s renowned scale-to-tail craft. There are other blazes of brilliance: a John Dory liver pâté crowned with sweet port and Madeira jelly is textural and silken, while the signature salt and vinegar mackerel dissolves on the tongue. The service is seamless, the dishes as artistic as the Sophie Cape artwork in the eucalypt-toned dining room. Saint Peter is in peak form.

Price Guide

$$$$$

Bookings

Essential

Wheelchair Access

Yes

Opening Hours

Lunch Thu-Sun; Dinner daily

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Annual Restaurant Guide

Related stories

About your privacy