Wallpaper* checks in at The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter: ‘a lush restaurant with rooms’

In a metropolis of spectacular dining, Australia’s most celebrated chef has reopened his three-hatted restaurant (the equivalent of a Michelin star), now in an expanded version complete with boutique accommodation to match. From dinner to breakfast, guests can experience the full extent of chef Josh Niland and his wife Julie’s vision, where their passion for seafood at their modern Australian restaurant goes hand-in-hand with their ethos of traceability and no-waste in whole-fish cooking.

The well-situated, yet quieter location, that being a heritage-listed former pub The Grand National Hotel in Sydney’s Paddington, suits the destination, where fine dining and luxury accommodation combine for an immersive, unforgettable stay.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter

Who is behind the design?

Sydney-based interior design firm Studio Aquilo – directed by Belinda Chippendale and Dimity Chitty – worked with the Nilands to create the right design to bring their concept full circle. ‘This building has been around since 1980 and although we didn’t necessarily want to lose its Victorian / Paddington terrace feeling, we wanted to bring it up to date,’ explains Josh Niland. ‘Studio Aquilo brought a really sharp eye when it came to textures and layering. They did the dining room and bar as well as the rooms, allowing the overall design to feel complimentary of its history but different at the same time.’

Australian tones of Eucalyptus and earthy browns are found throughout the building, purposefully natural and quietly refined. Studio Aquilo also worked with local artisans on design features. In the main dining room, a handmade skeletal fish-bone aged brass pendant light by Lost Profile is hard not to admire, while a JN Custom Metal-made bespoke vessel shaped like an oyster shell chills wines and champagne. The open kitchen sees hanging dried seaweed, while custom-rendered walls and ribbed tiling represent the ocean and fish scales. For the tableware, artisans Claudia Lau and Sam Gordon were enlisted on custom designs for both plates and cups, using discarded fish bones in their clays.

The room to book

With seven rooms on each floor, each is slightly different in the heritage build, but they all come with unique selling points from top-floor city vistas to slightly larger room footprints. There are also perks for every guest: priority booking at the fine dining restaurant, along with an exclusive experience that can be discovered at night when looking down onto the Saint Peter kitchen through the glass ceiling.

Find king-size beds and footed bathtubs amongst brass, marble and stone detailing and illustrated wallpaper from luxury brands such as Catherine Martin, Cole & Son and Fornasetti. Art pieces are curated by Tim Olsen of Sydney-based Olsen Gallery, including artworks by Byron Bay artist Michael Cusack and the legendary Ken Done, both in the hotel and dining areas. Every part of the detailing in rooms has been selected by the Nilands, such as the all-inclusive mini-bar, Aesop amenities and fish-fat soap made in collaboration with The Soapstress using waste from the restaurant.

Welcome snacks include treats such as a Yellowfin Tuna fermented rice cake with N25 Kaluga Caviar (an Australia-wide exclusive to Saint Peter currently) or Passionfruit Marigold and Lemon Myrtle Soda, an inventive concoction by Sam Cocks, the Saint Peter bar manager. At turn-down, guests receive handmade chocolates on the bed along with a personalised, signed note from Josh Niland.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

A seat at Saint Peter’s table has long been the hottest ticket in town, with pioneering chef Josh Niland creating a one-of-a-kind experience revered by Australian and global chefs alike. Their new home includes a dining room for 40 guests, a bar for 30 and a private dining room for 15.

Niland’s sustainable, fin-to-scale and whole-fish philosophy has influenced how many now consume and serve fish, with his trail-blazing approach presented in his artistry. From Australia’s best oysters in the restaurant’s nine-course tasting menu to a yellowfin tuna cheeseburger in their ala carte dining at the bar, both fine dining and casual are welcomed here at Saint Peter at The Grand National Hotel.

Breakfast of champions?

Available exclusively to guests, the hotel breakfast is a spectacular event: a three-course breakfast menu, cooked especially by the Saint Peter team and served either by Niland personally or head chef Joe Greenwood.

It all tastes as sensational as it looks, but it's the marron scrambled eggs dish which delights the most. The Australian freshwater crayfish has every edible part of its torso presented on the plate, along with its head filled with rich hollandaise – all served on a bed of foie sourdough toast and scrambled eggs. Seasonal fruit plates are presented with marigold flowers and goji berries freeze-dried with liquid nitrogen to create dramatic smoke effects for extra theatrics. It’s a breakfast that guests will be talking about for months.

The verdict

Independently run, the Nilands keep developing their offering to make it even better – it is also their personalised approach at Saint Peter that makes every guest feel welcome and proud to support their mission. Josh Niland’s whole-fish cooking has been instrumental to sustainable consumption and transparent sourcing, translated into the extraordinary dishes guests from around the world travel to Saint Peter for. Now, they can experience the full extent of the Niland’s vision, from check-in to check-out.

The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter is located at 161 Underwood St, Paddington NSW 2021, Australia; saintpeter.com.au