Peter Gilmore on life after Quay
Image: Booking.com
Two months after closing Quay following a 24-year run, Peter Gilmore is channelling his energy into new ventures — most recently a partnership with Booking.com for a one-off Sydney Harbour dining experience priced at just $19.
In a wide-ranging interview with Forbes Australia, Gilmore offered a measured take on the new Sydney Fish Market, noting it would change little for working chefs who deal directly with wholesalers. For the city, though, he sees it as meaningful: "having an updated beautifully built marketplace is something to be proud of and will just improve Sydney's reputation as a culinary city."
On the rising cost of seafood, he was direct: "seafood is becoming more expensive but this is a world-wide trend as it becomes harder to source the abundance of seafood that was once available in our oceans 30 years ago." He pointed to sustainable practices — line catching and hand harvesting — as necessary alternatives to industrial methods, noting that "paying a higher price and protecting and respecting our ocean resources is part of the equation." For operators watching margins, he recommends blue mackerel and bonito as quality lower-cost options, both suited to high-heat grilling and best served medium rare.
Reflecting on Quay's Valentine's Day closure, Gilmore told Forbes: "I feel exceptionally proud of what we achieved over 24 years. I believe that Quay will stay in people's hearts and memories for some time to come."
The Booking.com experience includes a behind-the-scenes Sydney Fish Market tour, a fin-to-tail cooking session, and a five-course lunch — featuring Sydney Rock Oysters, scallops with XO sauce and yellowfin tuna sashimi — aboard Sir Thomas Sopwith, a classic 1974 yacht moored at Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont, followed by two nights on the water.
You can read the full interview with Forbes here.
Jonathan Jackson, 2st April 2026
