Is fine dining becoming redundant? Plus, René Redzepi departs Noma
Consumer demand is shrinking for high-end experiences, leaving operators to shake up their offerings or ship out.
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A quick note to welcome you to the first edition of Service, Please! Today’s newsletter features a piece on the state of fine dining and a news dispatch—including René Redzepi’s resignation from Noma and the launch date of one of Sydney’s most-anticipated bakeries, Jinius. Thank you for reading and subscribing (button below if you haven’t already), the support is much appreciated.
Think piece
Sydney is arguably the capital of fine dining restaurants in the country (I said arguably!) but the landscape has been hit with some crippling blows and we’re only three months into 2026.
Fink and Peter Gilmore closed Quay, a restaurant that held three hats for a staggering 22 years. Crown Sydney and Clare Smyth shuttered Oncore in February, leaving just two three-hat restaurants in the city: Saint Peter and Sixpenny.
Just last week, Phil Wood and Lis Davies announced Ursula’s last service. The two-hat Paddington restaurant will serve its final plate of Moreton Bay bug pasta on 23 May.
There’s no doubt bookings will surge as they always do when a restaurant announces its closure. I’m sure chefs and restaurateurs are grateful for a busy run to the finish line. I’m also sure the following questions come to mind: “Where were these bookings when we needed them? Why is a closure the push they needed?”
They say “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”, and the aphorism couldn’t be more relevant or timely as we watch the landscape shift. Consumers are cutting back on spending and many can’t justify the price of fine dining, special occasion or not. Consumer spending at restaurants increased by just 2.5 per cent in 2025, which isn’t much help given the climate… rising awards and increased supplier costs are just the start.
It’s understandable but ultimately frustrating, especially when there’s a lack of support for the restaurant sector on all fronts—state and federal government included.
Tourism Australia turned down the Michelin Guide and its reported $40 million price tag again last year. SMH’s hats remain the primary rating system for restaurants. A hat is an identifiable symbol on a local level, but it doesn’t have the global recognition of a Michelin Star.
The inaugural edition of the Michelin Guide New Zealand is expected to debut across the ditch in the next three months. It marks the guide’s first expansion into Oceania—it also marks a huge missed opportunity for Australia.
I can’t help but think Quay, Oncore and Ursula’s would still be here if the Guide was launching in Australia. I’m almost certain they would have all received recognition in the form of multiple Stars.
The power of the guide cannot be underestimated, particularly when it comes to tourism. It’s one of the go-to resources for travellers looking for high-end as well as accessible dining options, which fall under the Bib Gourmand category. Australia’s diverse hospitality landscape would provide plenty of material for Michelin inspectors over both categories.
I ate the most amazing curry puffs, popiah and prawn noodles in Singapore, which I likely wouldn’t have come across if they weren’t recognised by Michelin.
Instead, many fine diners are being forced to change in order to survive or ship out. Change can come in the form of moving from a set menu to à la carte, running promotional events or offering gift cards worth more than the dollar spend.
While independent operators can rebrand, I do believe the ‘pivot’ (sorry) to mid-level dining is an easier exercise for groups. Hunter St. Hospitality (formerly Rockpool Dining Group) scrapped modern Australian/Euro restaurant The Dining Room inside The Collective precinct after 10 months, replacing it with Sahtein, a Lebanese eatery with a more casual food program.
Paisano & Daughters switched vegetarian eatery Flora for Joe’s Tavern in Newtown and Tristan Rosier and Rebecca Fanning will close Arthur “as you know it” on 31 May. The Surry Hills restaurant had a set menu model (I profiled Rosier when Arthur first opened in 2018), but will reopen with an offering more akin to sibling restaurant Jane.
It’s hard not to end this piece on a heavy note. I never made it to Oncore, despite it being on my list for years. I was fortunate enough to have dined at Quay a number of times, and it’s sad to think I’ll never sit in that magnificent dining room ever again. It really is a timely reminder for everyone to show up for restaurants while they’re still here.
News dispatch
René Redzepi has departed Noma in the wake of Julia Moskin’s piece published in The New York Times on Saturday, which detailed the alleged physical and emotional abuse experienced by chefs working under Redzepi from 2009 to 2017. Redzepi initially responded with an apology to those affected, but today he announced his resignation from both Noma and MAD. “An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions,” he wrote on Instagram. He confirmed that Noma will continue to operate under its leadership team, which will push ahead with a 16-week pop-up in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, that commenced on Wednesday. I encourage you to read the full NYT piece—it’s confronting, no matter how many times we’ve encountered stories like this.
Charcoal Fish and Saint Peter alumni Tom Tse has opened a (you guessed it) seafood-centric eatery in Bondi Junction. Rurouni leans Japanese and has a menu anchored by sashimi and kaisen don (seafood bowls) as well as a selection of cooked dishes. Fish is dry-aged for two days, a technique he refined working in Josh Niland’s kitchens.
Speaking of seafood, I’ve been seeing chefs post dishes with lamington sea urchins lately. They have a darker exterior and are covered in short white spines, hence the name. I wonder if they will reach the same heights as caviar bumps or scarlet prawns. Nevertheless, I’m here for the next viral seafood moment.
We have an opening date for Jinius, the new bakery from Tenacious Bakehouse founder Yeongjin Park, and it’s soon. Come 8 April, brunch cafe and bakery Jinius will open its doors on Hickson Road in Dawes Point. Park was the creator of the viral custard tart with miso caramel, and I’m sure Jinius will open to much hype if Ard’s reception is anything to go by. The demand for the bakery has been huge, with lines snaking around the Stanmore corner location. I’ve yet to try, but I’m really interested in the drinks program, specifically the iced fig toffee matcha.
Soul Dining’s Illa Kim and Daero Lee have joined Garry Simonian’s leadership team. Simonian currently has 15 venues in his portfolio, including Jordan’s Seafood, Mecca Bah and Bottega Coco in Sydney. “We are taking on the exciting challenge of overseeing…15 Sydney Harbour venues, plus a flagship harbourside project launching late this year,” Kim posted on LinkedIn. Lee is now group executive chef, while Kim has taken on a role as head of operations and wine director.
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Annabelle Cloros
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