Josh Niland s Singapore dream ends abruptly as star chef leaves first international restaurant It took a bit of time to get going

Australian celebrity chef Josh Niland has moved on from his first overseas restaurant, pulling the plug on his high-profile Singapore venture just two years after it opened.

The Saint Peter mastermind, who built a global reputation on his boundary-pushing ‘scale-to-tail’ seafood philosophy, has ended his contract at Fysh – the high end restaurant located inside Singapore’s Edition hotel.

The decision marks the latest twist in the tough battle Australian chefs have faced trying to crack the ultra-competitive Singapore dining scene.

Josh, who co-owns Sydney institution Saint Peter with his wife Julie, told The Sydney Morning Herald the early days weren’t without challenges.

‘It took a bit of time to get going,’ he said of the restaurant’s launch period.

Beyond the usual pressures of opening a venue abroad, the chef said he was juggling frequent travel between Singapore and Sydney, all while running a top-tier restaurant back home and maintaining family life.

He also acknowledged just how fierce the competition is in the city-state, describing Singapore as an ‘extremely competitive market’, with diners spoiled for choice thanks to an abundance of hawker-style options and ‘a lot of great restaurants’.

Fellow Australian chef Luke Mangan echoed the sentiment, telling the publication that the city boasts ‘lots of good cheap offerings’, and warning that rents are extremely high.

Australian celebrity chef Josh Niland has shut down his first overseas restaurant, pulling the plug on his high-profile Singapore venture just two years after it opened

The Saint Peter mastermind (Josh pictured left), who built a global reputation on his boundary-pushing ‘scale-to-tail’ seafood philosophy, has ended his contract at Fysh – the splashy restaurant located inside Singapore’s Edition hotel

Singapore has long been seen as a glittering prize for Australian culinary exports, but it has proved a difficult market to sustain.

While chefs like Tetsuya Wakuda and David Pynt have enjoyed success, others have quietly retreated after ambitious openings.

However, Josh has insisted the timing of his departure felt right, explaining to the publication that he was comfortable handing over to the local team in Singapore.

While his Singapore chapter has closed, Josh’s Sydney flagship continues to dominate on the global stage.

Last year, Saint Peter stormed onto The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 extended list at No.66 – a remarkable 32-spot jump from its previous ranking.

Niland, affectionately dubbed ‘the fish butcher’, has redefined how chefs think about seafood with his bold gill-to-fin approach, utilising every edible part of the fish, from the bones and eyes to the scales and even the offal.

Inspired by techniques traditionally used in meat cookery, Josh’s pioneering philosophy has sparked a global movement in sustainable seafood.

And his menu? It changes daily, based on what’s fresh and available that morning.

While his Singapore chapter has closed, Josh’s Sydney flagship in Paddington, Sydney (pictured) continues to dominate on the global stage. Last year, Saint Peter stormed onto The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 extended list at No.66 – a remarkable 32-spot jump from its previous ranking

British food icon Nigella Lawson (pictured with Josh) has also long championed Josh’s work, famously declaring him ‘a genius’ and applauding his ‘inventiveness, delicate touch, exquisite care, and joyful gift for flavour and texture’

Niland, affectionately dubbed ‘the fish butcher’, has redefined how chefs think about seafood with his bold gill-to-fin approach, utilising every edible part of the fish, from the bones and eyes to the scales and even the offal

The Paddington fine diner now sits alongside some of the world’s most revered culinary destinations, cementing its reputation as one of Australia’s most innovative restaurants.

British food icon Nigella Lawson has also long championed Josh’s work, famously declaring him ‘a genius’ and applauding his ‘inventiveness, delicate touch, exquisite care, and joyful gift for flavour and texture’.

She’s even waxed lyrical about ‘the sensational oysters,’ ‘coral trout bone noodles in maitake mushroom broth,’ and a show-stopping raw bream dish with marigold ponzu, cucumber and purple daikon when she visited.

The Singapore closure follows a period of recalibration for Josh’s hospitality empire.

Saint Peter recently relocated from Oxford Street to a more refined space inside The Grand National Hotel in Paddington, while several of his spin-off ventures – including Petermen on Sydney’s North Shore, Charcoal Fish in Rose Bay and the Fish Butchery outlet in Paddington – have all been wound back or closed.

The move, he said, was a ‘recalibration’ of hishospitality group, allowing the couple to double down on their flagship in Sydney.

Josh told The Herald that London, New York and possibly Spain remain on his wishlist for future ventures, suggesting this may be a pause, not a full stop.

For now, though, the focus is firmly on Sydney, where Saint Peter continues to draw international diners and industry acclaim.