Overview
Paddington nose-to-tail seafood favourite Saint Peter is getting a bar — and Josh and Julie Niland, the pair behind the acclaimed eatery, are getting a boutique hotel, too. Come summer 2022–23, the Nilands will take over Underwood Street's Grand National Hotel, moving their beloved restaurant into it. Also on the cards: a separate bar menu for a more casual stopover, an additional private dining room and 14 rooms for guests to stay in.
It's already been a big few years for Josh and Julie, who also opened their first Fish Butchery in Paddington back in 2018, launched sustainable fish and chip shop Charcoal Fish in Rose Bay in 2021 and set up a second Fish Butchery in Waterloo earlier in 2022. This news is particularly huge, though. Closed since 2019, the Grand National dates back to 1896, and will relaunch under the Nilands after a new stint of renovations.
Newtown Grafitti via Flickr
For seafood lovers eager to follow Saint Peter to its new digs after six years at 362 Oxford Street, the relocated restaurant will sit within a 45-seat dining room — and beneath a skylight ceiling. It's no wonder that the Nilands have called the move "opulent". While you eat, you'll be able to see into the open kitchen and wood-fired grill, and also peer at the fish charcuterie cabinets and displays. And, menu-wise, you'll be picking from an a la carte menu filled with the ocean's finest, showcasing Australia's top fishers and oyster growers (as well as vegetable growers, winemakers and artisans).
As for that bar, it'll be there for sips before or after dinner — or just for lunch or dinner on its own. And, for special occasions, the private dining room will cater to 15.
The interior of Saint Peter, by Nikki To.
Keen to tuck into a fishy spread, have a few drinks, then bunker down for the night? The Nilands describe the hotel as providing "our restaurant guests with an opportunity to extend their Saint Peter experience with a luxurious overnight stay".
Exactly when Saint Peter will start operating in its new spot, and when The Grand National will reopen, hasn't yet been revealed — but Saint Peter Oxford Street will shut its doors sometime in early 2023.
Saint Peter will remain at 362 Oxford Street, Paddington, until early 2023. The Grand National Hotel, at 161 Underwood Street, Paddington, is set to open sometime over the summer of 2022–23.
Top image: Rob Palmer.