Josh and Julie Niland to open a restaurant at Hamilton Island’s new luxury boutique hotel, The Sundays
The powerhouse husband-and-wife duo behind some of Australia’s best restaurants – including hatted Sydney icon Saint Peter – are gearing up for a Queensland expansion. Next year, Josh and Julie Niland will open a brand-new restaurant at The Sundays, the forthcoming 59-room luxury hotel overlooking Catseye Beach on Hamilton Island. Josh Niland will be bringing his world-renowned whole-fish ethos to the island, serving a killer menu of morsels from sea and land in a family-friendly setting.
If you keep tabs on Australia’s dining scene at large, you’ve no doubt heard of Josh Niland. The chef is a globally recognised name, famed for his boundary-pushing approach to seafood and pioneering a raft of sustainable practices when it comes to cutting and cooking fish.
In Sydney, Josh and his wife Julie’s widely lauded Paddington restaurant Saint Peter is seen as the pinnacle for progressive pescatarian fare, and the couple’s other venues – Petermen in St Leonards and Waterloo’s Fish Butchery – follow a similar fin-to-tail ethos.
Next April, the Nilands will open their first Queensland restaurant. No, they’re not bringing their talents to Brisbane or the Gold Coast – they’re going a little bit further north, to the Whitsundays, where they’ll open a family-friendly dining destination at soon-to-launch luxury hotel The Sundays.
The Sundays is a boutique escape situated on Hamilton Island boasting 59 rooms and views looking out over Catseye Beach. Josh and Julie will be overseeing The Sundays’ ocean-front restaurant, with the duo looking to celebrate togetherness and offer menus that will cater to the whole family.
You might like
“Julie and I fell in love with the entire vision behind The Sundays,” says Josh. “It reflects so much of what we value – bringing people together to create memories in beautiful surroundings. We can’t wait to introduce a dining experience that feels connected to the island and its incredible natural environment.”
While details on the menu will be revealed closer to launch, we can confirm that diners can expect Josh’s whole-fish ethos to inform the menu, which will also include land-based proteins and local ingredients.
“Josh and Julie’s approach to food is nothing short of exceptional,” says Nick Dowling, Acting CEO of Hamilton Island. “Their creativity and expertise will offer our guests an experience that is uniquely connected to the island’s natural setting.”
The Sundays hotel and restaurant will open in April 2025, with bookings (including a special dining and accommodation experience for first comers) now available on the hotel’s website.