‘Restaurant royalty’ Flying Fish to close in Pyrmont after more than 20 years

In a fresh blow to the dining credentials at Pyrmont casino and entertainment complex The Star, upmarket restaurant Flying Fish will close on Saturday, April 11.

Flying Fish is the latest big-name departure at The Star, following on the heels of luxe Chinese restaurant The Century by Golden Century, which closed 15 months ago, and the earlier exit of degustation-only venue Ele by Federico & Karl. Flying Fish is Pyrmont restaurant royalty, opening at Jones Bay Wharf in 2004, before relocating to The Star in 2018.

“We’ve had eight great years at The Star, there were some onerous days during COVID, but it’s time to fly again,” Flying Fish co-owner Con Dedes said. The seafood restaurant snared its first chefs’ hats in the 2005 edition of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide with chef Peter Kuruvita in the kitchen and Sri Lankan snapper curry on the menu. It now looks set to depart Pyrmont for good.

“We’re looking at sites in the Sydney CBD to relocate,” Dedes said. Husband and wife restaurateurs Con and Kerrie Dedes will retain a connection at The Star, with fast-serve retail outlet Flying Fish & Chips continuing to operate 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 any movement on its vacant restaurant sites.

The Century by Golden Century served it last lobster in December 2024, with the restaurant’s owners hitching their wagon to rival Crown on the other side of the pond, launching Golden Century at Crown last year. The Century’s former digs at The Star are yet to be rebooted with a new operator.

It’s a similar story at the site where Sydney gastronomic temple Momofuku Seiobo reigned for nearly a decade, followed by a 14-month run as Ele by Federico & Karl, under the watch of fine-dining chef Federico Zanellato from the cutting-edge LuMi, and Karl Firla, the one-time owner-chef at Oscillate Wildly.

With its immersive room with art projections and moody electronic music, Ele by Federico & Karl was equal parts fine diner and art installation. One of Sydney’s more adventurous restaurant openings, the food found its voice early and the reviews were good. By the time of its 2023 closure, the restaurant pointed to a “challenging year” for the hospitality industry and nationwide pressures on cost of living.

The Star has had a good track record attracting dining talent. Its premium Japanese restaurant, Sokyo, has continued to add to its collection of chefs’ hats, despite the 2023 departure of long-serving chef Chase Kojima, and talented Korean chef Insup Kim was snared as executive chef at Black Bar & Grill. As for the blueprint for its future restaurant plans, we’ll have to wait and see.