Awards, Press and Media

Recognition

Three Chef Hats - The Pier Restaurant, Sydney Held for five consecutive years under Grant's leadership as Chef de Cuisine.
Australia's Best Restaurant - Gourmet Traveller The Pier named best restaurant in the country.
San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants The Pier ranked #98 - one of only a handful of Australian restaurants to achieve international recognition at this level.
Three Gourmet Traveller Stars - The Pier
Two Chef Hats - Gastro Park, Sydney
Two Gourmet Traveller Stars - Gastro Park
Gault and Millau -18 out of 20
No.1 Chef in Australia - Gault and Millau
Chef of the Year Australia - Gault and Millau Read the Gault and Millau 2015 award finalists coverage
Top 10 Restaurant in Australia - Gastro Park
Guest Judge - MasterChef Australia (multiple seasons)
Co-Author - The Pier Cookbook (with Greg Doyle)

What Critics Have Written

"I knew King would be good but this is really good." Terry Durack, Chief Restaurant Critic, Sydney Morning Herald Read the full SMH review of The Pier
"The sense of adventure, the culinary bravado and the diamond-hard skills remain." Pat Nourse, Gourmet Traveller Read the Gourmet Traveller review of Gastro Park
"18/20. Chef of Australia."Gault and Millau "There is purity in King's work, a generosity and a kooky theatricality. The execution is flawless, the unfussy harmony of flavours belying the skill of composition."
"Grant's inventive presentations can be compared with an Australian Heston Blumenthal." JRM Hospitality Read the full profile
"Most Promising Restaurant" NZ Edge - The Antipodean Read the recognition

Features and Long-Form Press

Sydney Morning Herald — In the King's Playground (2011) The SMH feature on the opening of Gastro Park. Grant's first independent restaurant described as a playground of gastronomy - a space for his creative ambitions to run without compromise. Read the feature
Gourmet Traveller - Gastro Park Review Gourmet Traveller's full review of Gastro Park. The restaurant that earned two chef hats, two stars, and placed Grant at the top of Australian fine dining. Read the review
CEO Magazine - Playground of Food: Gastro Park Sydney A profile of Grant and the food philosophy behind Gastro Park. Read the feature
Molecular Recipes — Gastro Park: Australian Molecular Gastronomy An international feature on Gastro Park as one of Australia's leading modern cuisine restaurants, recognised globally for Grant's technical approach. Read the feature
The Saturday Paper - Blackberry Pavlovas (2026) A recent feature in The Saturday Paper including Grant's recipe. Read the feature
Export Fresh - Chef of the Month: Grant King at Gastro Park A profile of Grant's approach to produce - the petite rainbow carrots, micro coriander, sorrel, and marigolds that defined the Gastro Park aesthetic. Read the profile
Sydney Morning Herald - The Antipodean Review (2017) SMH coverage of The Antipodean, Grant's evolution of the Gastro Park concept showcasing the finest produce from Australia and New Zealand. Read the review

Australian Financial Review - Hotel Restaurants Up Their Game (2018) The AFR on the transformation of hotel dining in Australia, featuring Grant's work at QT Sydney as a benchmark for what hotel restaurants can be. Read the feature

Television

MasterChef Australia — Liquid Butternut Gnocchi Challenge Grant's signature dish — liquid butternut pumpkin gnocchi spherification — set as a pressure test challenge on MasterChef Australia. Contestants described the brief as impossible. Grant demonstrated it live. Read the news.com.au coverage

Daily Telegraph — Grant King Returns to MasterChef Australia Coverage of Grant's return to MasterChef Australia as a guest judge, including his philosophy on ingredients and produce. Read the article

Career Milestones in the Press

Hospitality Magazine — New Executive Chef at QT Sydney (2018) Grant appointed Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at QT Sydney — the role that placed him at the helm of one of Australia's most high-profile hotel dining operations. Read the announcement
QT Hotels Press Release — QT Sydney Welcomes Grant King The official QT Hotels announcement of Grant's appointment. Read the press release
Broadsheet Sydney — Gastro Park and Antipodean Chef to Head QT Sydney Kitchens Broadsheet's coverage of Grant's move to QT, recognising him as the chef who built two of Sydney's most significant dining concepts. Read the Broadsheet feature
Concrete Playground — Gastro Park to Close, Making Way for Grant King's Newest Venture The end of Gastro Park and the announcement of what came next — covered as an evolution, not a closure. Read the article
Hospitality Magazine — Chef Grant King Announces Next Sydney Opening Grant's announcement of his next Sydney venture, covered by Hospitality Magazine. Read the article