Saint Peter at The Grand National Hotel by Studio Aquilo

Since the announcement was made two years ago that lauded restaurant Saint Peter would be moving from its central spot on Paddington’s Oxford Street in Sydney, keen punters have been waiting in anticipation to see what a new heritage space would mean for the industry-defining fine diner.

Owners Josh and Julie Niland surprised everyone with their grandiose vision: not only were the couple moving their fish-focused eatery, they would be opening it within the walls of beloved neighbourhood pub The Grand National Hotel, complete with a 14-room accommodation offering.

Located on the ground floor of this revitalised space, the new Saint Peter has a dining room for 40 guests, a bar for 30 and a private dining room for 15 with its own entrance.

The reimagined Saint Peter is the culmination of an explorative eight-year journey in pushing the boundaries of what a head-to-tail approach to whole-fish cooking, butchering and processing could look like, a measure of something world-class in a treasured pocket of Sydney. In this pursuit, the Nilands sought interior design firm Studio Aquilo to realise a restaurant more than double the size of that at 362 Oxford Street and team it with a boutique hotel stay.

Located on the ground floor of this revitalised space, the new Saint Peter has a dining room for 40 guests, a bar for 30 and a private dining room for 15 with its own entrance. Appropriate for the setting where the singularly ambitious Niland revels in elements of surprise throughout his dishes – from Fish Butchery charcuterie to 18-day dry-aged Bigeye Tuna Wellington – the interior combines contrasts with its material choices. Brass hoods cast light directly onto the open kitchen, the main stage where the instinctual wizardry takes place, matched by the confidence of the custom chef’s table where six guests get direct access to the show.

Refined booth and banquette seating wraps around solid timber tables, creating intimate zones and a sense of occasion for Saint Peter’s brand of exemplary dining.

Curves feature repeatedly throughout the carefully conceived space, offering a soft counter to the sharp focus in the kitchen. Refined booth and banquette seating wraps around solid timber tables, creating intimate zones and a sense of occasion for Saint Peter’s brand of exemplary dining. A skylight casts natural sunshine into the space, but, come evening, a cocooning border of dim lighting inset behind the built-in seating brings warmth and theatricality to proceedings.

Vein-ribboned stone, honey-toned timber, brass skirting and earthy textured tiles link all the elements together. Artworks by Michael Cusack from Olsen Gallery add an extra layer of locality emblematic of the restaurant’s spirit, while the skeletal nature of the Colossal pendant light by Melbourne-based Lost Profile Studio recalls the backbone of a fish, another symbolic touch that elegantly encapsulates Saint Peter’s steely raison d’etre.

Interior design by Studio Aquilo.