Sydney foodies rejoice: Josh and Julie Niland have announced a reopening date and a fresh new layout for their Paddington eatery Saint Peter.

The restaurant is scheduled to reopen on Friday July 17th with two brand new menus and a fresh counter-style seating approach.

“For us, the best seat in any restaurant is at the counter or by the kitchen, watching the night unfold. And we’ve found a way to offer the best seat in the house for as many of our customers as possible,” revealed Niland and wife Julie in a statement.

The new layout will feature a long counter, lined with comfortable plush stools down the centre of the dining room.

“This layout has long been a dream of ours to better enable us to share our passion for Australian seafood intimately from just across the counter, curating a truly memorable experience for each of our customers,” the couple noted.

The counter-style seating approach is set to appeal to couples and solo diners alike, as well as enabling groups of up to four to have a conversation while sitting along the counter across from the chefs.

Diners can expect a more casual style at lunch and a fresh a la carte menu for dinner, both will, naturally, be in keeping with the philosophy of sustainable whole fish cooking.

Among the new menu offerings are 14-day dry aged Murray cod, Coral trout with anchovy, ginger and Carolina reaper butter; and Chocolate and Murray Cod Fat Caramel Slice.

Reservations for Saint Peter open Wednesday July 1st and with space in the dining room understandably at a premium, the restaurant can only serve a total of 20 guests, making bookings an absolute necessity.

Lockdown introduction Mr Niland at Home will remain in play as the renamed Fish Butchery at Home. Niland’s cookbook The Whole Fish Cook Book recently became Australia’s first book of the year recipient.

For reservations head to www.saintpeter.com.au/reservations