Saint Peter

Saint Peter is the fish restaurant of chef Josh Niland, whose approach to seafood has influenced cooks well beyond Australia. Niland has won a James Beard Award for his writing and has been named chef of the year several times by Australian food publications. The restaurant now occupies the heritage-listed Grand National Hotel in Paddington, which also has 14 boutique guest rooms upstairs.

The kitchen is known for treating fish much as a butcher treats meat. Fish are dry-aged to concentrate flavour and improve texture, and the "scale to tail" approach uses parts of the fish that are usually discarded, such as offal, fat and bones. Alongside fillets and whole fish, the menu features seafood charcuterie, snacks and desserts, often with Australian produce and native ingredients. Sustainability guides the choice of species.

The dining room serves dinner every night from 17:30 and lunch from Thursday to Sunday from midday. The bar has its own menu and is more casual: it opens from 17:00 Monday to Wednesday and from midday Thursday to Sunday, with the kitchen closing at 21:00. The bar is a good option if you cannot secure a dining room booking or want a shorter meal.

Book the dining room well ahead, particularly for weekend lunch. The restaurant holds two hats in the Good Food Guide and has been named restaurant of the year by several publications, so demand is high. Tell the staff about any dietary requirements, although a fish restaurant will naturally have limited options for diners who avoid seafood.

Saint Peter suits serious food lovers, special occasions and anyone curious to see how far seafood cooking can be taken. Staying in one of the hotel rooms upstairs makes for an easy evening without a journey home.

The Nilands also run a number of other seafood businesses in Sydney, but Saint Peter remains the flagship. Because the menu depends on the day's catch, the dishes on offer change frequently, so it is worth asking the staff which fish has come in and how it has been prepared, especially if it has been aged. Paddington is a short bus or taxi ride from the city centre along Oxford Street. The restaurant pairs well with an afternoon exploring the area's terraced streets, independent shops and galleries, or a walk through nearby Centennial Park before dinner.