Flying Fish to close at The Star as vacant restaurant sites pile up
Seafood institution Flying Fish will serve its last meal at Pyrmont’s The Star on Saturday, April 11, becoming the latest high-profile restaurant to exit the casino and entertainment complex.
The closure follows the December 2024 exit of upmarket Chinese venue The Century by Golden Century and the earlier departure of fine-dining destination Ele by Federico & Karl, leaving a growing number of vacant restaurant sites at the Pyrmont precinct without confirmed successors.
Flying Fish has long been considered Pyrmont dining royalty. It launched at Jones Bay Wharf in 2004, earning its first chef’s hat in the 2005 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide with chef Peter Kuruvita at the helm, before relocating to The Star in 2018.
Co-owner Con Dedes struck an upbeat tone about the move, pointing to a prospective CBD relocation.
“We’ve had eight great years at The Star, there were some onerous days during COVID, but it’s time to fly again,” Dedes said. “We’re looking at sites in the Sydney CBD to relocate.”
Husband and wife team Con and Kerrie Dedes will retain a presence at The Star through Flying Fish & Chips, their fast-serve retail outlet operating in the centre’s cafe court.
“We’ve had a good relationship with The Star and look forward to that continuing,” Con Dedes said.
The Star did not respond to requests for comment on its future dining plans or the status of its vacant restaurant sites.
The Century by Golden Century’s former space remains unoccupied after the restaurant’s owners pivoted to rival Crown Sydney, launching Golden Century there last year. The site previously home to Momofuku Seiobo — and more recently Ele by Federico & Karl, the ambitious fine-dining and art installation project from LuMi’s Federico Zanellato and former Oscillate Wildly chef-owner Karl Firla — is also yet to be rebooted. Ele closed in 2023, citing a challenging year for hospitality and cost-of-living pressures.
The picture is not entirely bleak at The Star. Premium Japanese restaurant Sokyo has continued building its chefs’ hat tally despite the 2023 departure of long-serving chef Chase Kojima, and Korean chef Insup Kim has joined as executive chef at Black Bar & Grill. What fills the empty dining rooms, and when, remains to be seen.
Jonathan Jackson, 30th March 2026
