NEW SOUTH WALES
Saint Peter SEAFOOD
362 Oxford St, Paddington (02) 8937 2539 saintpeter.com.au
Chef Josh Niland
Price guide $$$
Bookings Essential
Wheelchair access No
Every seasoned diner knows the best seat in the house is at the counter. So, it was perhaps logical for Josh Niland to reconfigure his petite Paddington restaurant to feature a single, marble counter stretching the length of the room. The fact it meant halving the number of diners in a sitting made it a little more radical. But fortune favours the bold and, a year on, Saint Peter is setting the bar for how diners want to eat in 2021 and beyond. As an experience, it’s intimate and informative; engaging and entertaining. Most importantly, it’s delicious. You don’t need to particularly like seafood to enjoy Niland’s cooking, such is his ability to transform all manner of fish bits into delicate, flavoursome bites. From ’nduja and mapo tofu to meaty slabs of dry-aged rib eye, there is almost nothing Niland and his team can’t wizard out of a fish. His unwavering commitment to sustainability and minimising waste drives endless innovation, while his mission to educate and engage diners sees the chef take time to speak to every guest. Questions are encouraged and enthusiastically answered. With dinner now a set tasting menu, those less confident can always test the waters with lunch, which offers plenty of approachable options. It won’t take long before you return, ready to dive deeper.
a’Mare ITALIAN
Crown Sydney, Level 1/1 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo (02) 8871 7171 crownsydney.com.au/indulge/amare
Chef Alessandro Pavoni
Price guide $$$
Bookings Recommended
Wheelchair access Yes
Brought to us by Italian power couple Alessandro and Anna Pavoni (Ormeggio at The Spit), a’Mare is the shining jewel in Crown Sydney’s dining portfolio. Despite being set inside a hotel and casino, the new Italian fine diner promises a polished night out without the pretence. You’d think the uninterrupted views of Barangaroo’s shimmering bay and the restaurant’s glamorous, palazzo-inspired interiors would detract from what’s happening on the plate. But the refined dishes are just as demanding as their surroundings. Take the squid-ink risotto for example, which is dark and daring and topped with a buttermilk
