Josh Niland: Saint Peter

6pm for 6.30pm Wednesday 21st October

Josh Niland in conversation with Jill Dupleix

The making of Sydney’s legendary seafood restaurant – in over 100 recipes

A landmark work from chef Josh Niland, Saint Peter: Chapter & Verse captures the philosophy, craft and evolution of his celebrated seafood restaurant through expansive essays and over 100 defining recipes. Blending story, technique and world-class cookery, it offers an unprecedented look inside one of the most influential kitchens of its generation.

Structured around three expansive essays and over 140 defining recipes, the book moves between story and craft – tracing the evolution of the restaurant, articulating Niland’s revolutionary whole fish approach, and offering a rare, deeply considered look at the mechanics of service. Recipes are presented as ‘verses’, interwoven through the narrative, spanning everything from foundational preparations to the dishes that have defined Saint Peter’s menus, including its most iconic and unexpected creations.

At its core is a singular philosophy: that every fish deserves to be treated with rigour, intelligence and respect. From dry-ageing and butchery to cooking and presentation, Niland’s work expands the possibilities of seafood in ways that are both technically groundbreaking and deeply thoughtful. This is not simply about sustainability, but about unlocking flavour, texture and potential at every stage.

Photographed by David Loftus and produced as a richly layered, design-led object, Saint Peter: Chapter & Verse is both a document of a restaurant at its peak and a lasting contribution to the global conversation around cooking. It is a book for chefs, serious home cooks and anyone interested in the intersection of craft, creativity and hospitality – a definitive statement from one of the most important voices in food today.

Josh Niland is one of the globe's most innovative and influential chefs, celebrated for his transformative approach to fish cookery. As the founder, owner, and executive chef of Saint Peter in Sydney’s Paddington, Niland has redefined seafood dining. Saint Peter has earned widespread acclaim, including being named “the most exciting place to eat in Australia” by The New York Times and securing a spot on the world’s Top 100 list.

Jill Dupleix is the Culinary Editor of AFR Magazine, Australian Financial Review. She is a food writer, restaurant critic, cook book author and food curator at TEDxSydney