Saint Peter to mark 10 years of innovation

The best meal I had in 2025 was undoubtedly dinner at Saint Peter in Sydney - in the restaurant's new home at the Grand National Hotel. 

Josh and Julie Niland are masters of the art of hospitality. 

The multiple courses of seafood were of exemplary quality - and the service was of a rare standard of excellence. 

Niland celebrates fish in all its glory - and makes even unfashionable cuts a treat. This is food that is innovative and inspired. 

It was fascinating to watch him conducting his kitchen brigade like a conductor leading an orchestra (above). 

Saint Peter will celebrate its 10th birthday in September and throughout 2026 the venue will hosti a series of collab dinners with chefs who have shaped how the Nilands think and work.

Chefs who will feature include Virgilio Martinez, Wylie Dufresne, Peter Doyle, Joan Roca, Pascal Barbot and Kylie Kwong & Steve Hodges.

The first dinner is with Rasmus Munk from Alchemist in Copenhagen, currently #5 on the World's 50 Best. Best be quick. 

In the meantime, Saint Peter will be offering seafood all over the Easter holiday this year - a serious treat from a restaurant rated in the world top 100. 

From Good Friday to Easter Sunday, Saint Peter will be open for both lunch and dinner over all three days. And for an extra experience you can stay the night in the recently opened hotel rooms.

For details see https://www.saintpeter.com.au/ 

Saint Peter & The Grand National Hotel are at 161 Underwood St, Paddington, NSW, 2021, Australia. (02) 9167 3703. hello@saintpeter.com.au

25Hours to revitalise a Sydney landmark location

One of Sydney's most famous addresses is to be re-born as a hip hotel later this month.

25hours Hotel The Olympia in Paddington will open its doors in Sydney on September 25.

The new 109-guest rooms venue is located on the heritage-listed site of the former West Olympia Theatre and the Grand Pacific Blue Room.

Pre-opening publicity says the hotel will be "deeply rooted in Sydney’s creative past and pays tribute to these iconic establishments that once shaped the city’s art and social scene".

The Olympia Theatre on Oxford Street has a creative history stretching back to 1911 and the new hotel will showcase an offspring of the famous The Palomar restaurant in London's Soho.

Cocktail and wine bar The Mulwray, coffee shop Jacob the Angel and and Monica Rooftop Bar (above) will also share the venue.

The name ‘25hours Hotel’ embodies the idea that 24hours simply aren’t enough. The brand specialises in trendy locations, so will be hoping to revive the once-hip Paddington strip.

The first 25hours Hotel opened in Hamburg in 2003 in a former factory building, part of the company ethos of breathing life back into historic landmarks and respecting the culture and heritage of the communities in which they are located.

In Sydney's case the former theatre was renovated and reinvented multiple times, screening everything from cult films to arthouse productions.

In the 1990s, the building reinvented itself as the Grand Pacific Blue Room, one of Sydney’s most fashionable nightclubs.

Each 25hours Hotel comes with its own hotel mascot - and the chosen creatures for 25hours Hotel The Olympia are a rainbow lorikeet and a frill-neck lizard.

25hours Hotel The Olympia will have six hire bikes available for guests to explore the neighbourhood of boutiques, galleries and restaurants.

See https://25hours-hotels.com/sydney/the-olympia/  

Leading restaurateurs unveil opening date for their Sydney boutique hotel

The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter, Sydney, will open its doors on Friday, January 31, owners Josh and Julie Niland have announced.

Room reservations are now live for the much-anticipated new venture by the renowned restaurateurs.

The 14 luxury rooms, situated above their restaurant and bar, Saint Peter, will represent the final phase of Saint Peter’s relocation to the historic site in the inner suburb of Paddington.

The Grand National Hotel was once a much-loved neighbourhood pub, with the original structure dating back to 1890.

Building owner George Penklis wanted to restore The Grand National and maintain its role as a Sydney hospitality destination.

He first approached the Nilands in 2018 with the idea of opening a restaurant. In the years that followed, as building work progressed, Josh and Julie Niland’s vision of extending their hospitality offering evolved.

The result is the Nilands’ first venture as hoteliers.

Belinda Chippindale and Dimity Chitty of Studio Aquilo designed the hotel interiors with extensive participation from the Nilands. When work began, the structure was in a state of semi-dilapidation.

Original features including marble fireplaces, architraves, and vintage tiling have been retained.

The aesthetic in the bedrooms is described as "more vibrant and elaborate than in the restaurant downstairs".

Upstairs, design features blend texture and colour to offer elegant, modern comfort, respecting the classic heritage backdrop.

Chef Josh Niland’s whole fish philosophy has equally found its place in the hotel, with the rooms boasting fish-fat candles and ceramics made from fish bones.

“When approaching the hotel, we paid as much attention to detail to the design and furnishing as we did with the restaurant," says Julie Niland.

"This is our first venture into being hoteliers, and we knew that we wanted to apply the same level of care to the rooms so that they weren’t just an addition to Saint Peter but a destination in their own right."

Josh Niland adds: “Opening the hotel allows us the opportunity to fulfil our vision of hospitality beyond dining into a thoughtful 360-degree hotel experience, from handmade chocolates on your pillow to the breakfast cooked by our team.”




Room rates include breakfast, a complimentary non-alcoholic mini bar and snacks.

Prices start from $600 a night.

See www.saintpeter.com.au/stay

Restaurant opening times: Lunch: Thursday to Sunday.- Dinner: 7 days a week.

Images: Christopher Pearce

Heritage Paddo pub gets million dollar makeover

Heritage Paddington pub The Royal Hotel has just been given a million dollar makeover across all four levels. 

The Royal sits at the Five Ways junction, with the historic building dating back to 1888 and reign of Queen Victoria. 

The hotel was purchased by Public House Management Group in 2015 and work started on the renovations last year. 

Starting from the ground up, the Royal’s sports bar has been expanded to take over the previous bottle shop area and provides multi-screen viewing for sports lovers. 

On level one is the popular Veranda Bar and Balcony, and one floor up is the Elephant Bar, which is dedicated to private events and functions. 

The jewel in the crown is The Royal’s rooftop with views over the Sydney city skyline, 

With the new-look Royal comes a fresh menu, designed by PHMG executive chef Scott Greve. 

Classics like the Royal burger, LPs hot dog and steak frites with Café de Paris butter complement more modern dishes like the Poke Bowl. 

There are a range of regular offerings, including Monday-Friday happy hour from 4-6pm with $6.50 house wine, beer and bubbles and a Monday-Sunday bottomless dinner from 5.30pm-7.30pm every evening with a a two-course sharing menu including bottomless selected cocktails, wines and beer for $105 per person. 

Traditional Sunday roasts are another favourite. 

The wine list, however, is disappointing with a very limited choice by the glass and, peculiarly, one one wine from the Hunter Valley and none from anywhere else in NSW. Some serious work is needed here.  

See www.royalhotel.com.au

Images: Maria Boyadgis 

All change for Sydney fish stars as they enter the pub business

Seafood restaurateurs and butchers Josh and Julie Niland are going into the pub business.

Their all-new Saint Peter Restaurant will open in July at The Grand National Hotel, Paddington, Sydney.

 
Saint Peter's new home is just down the road from its original location and the restaurant's opening in July will be the first phase for the refurbished 14-bedroom boutique hotel, with the rooms opening later this year.

Saint Peter at The Grand National will have a menu that reflects the ongoing journey of the owners.

From opening as a small fish eatery in 2016 on Oxford St, Paddington, the Nilands’ Saint Peter restaurant has provoked conversation around whole fish cooking, butchery, storing, and processing fish.

Saint Peter's new home will more than double the size of the original restaurant.

The new Saint Peter restaurant, bar, and private dining room are all located on the ground floor of the hotel.

The main dining room is flooded with natural light from an expansive skylight that frames the open kitchen and offers booth and banquette seating, along with a custom-made chef's table for six guests with front-row seats at the kitchen pass.

In addition to the capacity for 40 guests in the dining room and 30 in the bar, Saint Peter will have a private dining room offering bespoke dining for up to 15 guests.

This room will feature a restored heritage fireplace and have its own private entrance on Elizabeth St.

The Grand National Hotel has a rich history as one of Paddington’s favourite pubs.

The bar’s location at the front of the venue has been preserved to ensure that locals still have a welcoming place to meet.

The backbone of the bar menu will be Australian Rock Oysters with a list curated by Josh and the Fish Butchery team.



Lunch will be à la carte and change day-to-day, offering in-room guests, along with the local Paddington community, the opportunity to enjoy the restaurant more frequently.

“I don't want to lose what makes Saint Peter a special place, not only to eat and enjoy as a guest but also for me and our team to work,” says Josh Niland.

“We are excited about the challenge ahead of not just moving into a beautiful home for Saint Peter but also expanding our expression of hospitality to a wonderful bar and boutique hotel."

Julie Niland says: "We are working with some incredibly talented people to develop a world-class wine and cocktail offering. The luxury accommodation has been so beautifully designed that you will think you are in Paris - until you see the quintessentially Paddington rooftops and beautiful gum trees out your window.

"At the heart of Saint Peter remains a commitment to whole fish cooking, where the entirety of the fish is celebrated with Josh’s trademark respect and technique.

"With both a charcoal grill and rotisserie, fish will continue to be viewed and cooked in the same way as meat."

The Fish Butchery at nearby Waterloo will continue to be the processing kitchen for all fish for Saint Peter, while the beverage programme will be crafted by sommelier Houston Barakat.

Reservations for Saint Peter at the Grand National Hotel are now open for August and September. Reservations for July will be released closer to opening once dates are confirmed.

Opening times: Lunch Thursday-Sunday, dinner Tuesday-Saturday.

For reservations hit https://www.saintpeter.com.au/

Images: Christopher Pearce