Neil Perry is the Australian chef and restaurateur widely recognised as one of the most-influential figures in modern Sydney fine-dining and the founder of Margaret in Double Bay, currently the No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in the World and No. 1 in Australia in the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list. Born 12 January 1957 in Sydney, New South Wales, Perry trained as a chef in the late 1970s and through the 1980s, opening Rockpool in 1989 in The Rocks, Sydney, which became one of the defining Sydney three-Chef-Hat restaurants of the 1990s and 2000s. The Rockpool group expanded to include Spice Temple, Burger Project, and multiple other restaurants across Sydney and Melbourne before Perry exited the group in 2020.
Perry’s 2025-2026 work centres on the Margaret restaurant in Double Bay, Sydney, which he opened in 2021 as a family-run wood-fired produce-driven steakhouse. Margaret has been named the No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in the World and No. 1 in Australia in 2025 and again in 2026 by the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list, cementing its reputation as a world-leading steakhouse. The restaurant focuses on premium beef from suppliers including Blackmore Wagyu and CopperTree Farms, with strong seafood programming, and has been described as a modern-day intimate iteration of Perry’s previous classic Rockpool. The Margaret Group operates Margaret alongside additional Double Bay venues.
TL;DR
- Australian chef born 12 January 1957 in Sydney, New South Wales
- Founded Rockpool in The Rocks, Sydney 1989
- Rockpool group included Spice Temple, Burger Project, multiple Sydney and Melbourne restaurants
- Exited Rockpool group 2020 after over three decades
- Founded Margaret Double Bay 2021 as family-run wood-fired steakhouse
- 2025-2026: Margaret No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in the World, No. 1 in Australia
Neil Perry key facts
| Born | 12 January 1957, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Major past restaurant | Rockpool The Rocks Sydney (1989-2020) |
| Past group | Rockpool Dining Group (Spice Temple, Burger Project, Rockpool Bar and Grill) |
| Current flagship | Margaret Double Bay Sydney (founded 2021) |
| Current group | The Margaret Group (Double Bay) |
| 2025-2026 ranking | No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in the World; No. 1 in Australia |
Early life and training of Neil Perry
Neil Perry was born on 12 January 1957 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He grew up in Sydney and developed his culinary instincts through Australian family cookery before pursuing professional kitchen work in the late 1970s. His father was a butcher in Sydney, giving Perry early exposure to high-quality meat handling that has informed his subsequent career and the steakhouse focus of Margaret.
Through the late 1970s and 1980s Perry worked at multiple Sydney restaurants, gaining classical Australian and continental European technique alongside the strong Sydney hospitality foundation of the period. The Sydney training period prepared him for opening his own restaurant in 1989 at age 32 in The Rocks district, the heritage waterside Sydney neighbourhood that became the defining setting for Rockpool.
Rockpool opened in The Rocks, Sydney, in 1989. The restaurant became one of the defining Sydney three-Chef-Hat restaurants of the 1990s and 2000s and established Perry as one of the most-influential Australian chefs of his generation. The Rockpool group subsequently expanded to include Spice Temple (modern Chinese), Burger Project (fast-casual), and multiple Rockpool Bar and Grill venues across Sydney and Melbourne.
Neil Perry career timeline
- 12 January 1957: Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Late 1970s: Begins professional kitchen work in Sydney
- 1980s: Multiple Sydney restaurant roles
- 1989: Opens Rockpool in The Rocks Sydney at age 32
- 1990s: Rockpool earns three Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide
- 2000s: Expands Rockpool group to multiple Sydney and Melbourne venues
- 2003: Becomes consulting chef for Qantas First Class catering
- 2009: Opens Spice Temple modern Chinese in Sydney and Melbourne
- 2010s: Burger Project fast-casual chain; Rockpool Bar and Grill expansion
- 2016: Order of Australia for services to gastronomy
- 2020: Exits Rockpool Dining Group after over three decades
- 2021: Opens Margaret in Double Bay Sydney as family-run wood-fired steakhouse
- 2023-2024: Margaret cements reputation as world-class Sydney steakhouse
- 2025: Margaret No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in the World and No. 1 in Australia
- 2026: Margaret reaffirms No. 2 World ranking and No. 1 Australia ranking
- 2025-2026: The Margaret Group expands additional Double Bay venues
Neil Perry signature style: wood-fired produce-driven Australian steakhouse
Perry’s central argument, developed across more than 35 years from 1989 onwards, is that produce-driven Australian cuisine combined with classical technique can anchor a sustained Sydney three-Chef-Hat operation. The Rockpool menu under Perry from 1989 through to 2020 became one of the defining Sydney three-Chef-Hat menus of the period, anchored in modern Australian seafood and premium beef.
The second defining element is the multi-format restaurant group operation. The Rockpool Dining Group across Sydney and Melbourne combined fine-dining (Rockpool), modern Chinese (Spice Temple), steakhouse (Rockpool Bar and Grill), and fast-casual (Burger Project) formats in a single chef-restaurateur portfolio, representing one of the largest Australian chef-led restaurant groups of the 2010s.
The third pillar is the 2021 family-run Margaret reset and the 2025-2026 World No. 2 steakhouse ranking. Within the Australian three-Chef-Hat cohort Perry sits alongside peers including Peter Gilmore at Quay Sydney, Ben Shewry at Attica Melbourne and Shannon Bennett at Vue de Monde Melbourne as one of the defining figures in modern Australian fine-dining.
Notable Neil Perry work
Several Perry projects have become reference points in modern Australian gastronomy. Rockpool in The Rocks Sydney (1989-2020) is his career-defining 31-year three-Chef-Hat operation. The Rockpool Dining Group across Sydney and Melbourne represented one of the largest Australian chef-led restaurant groups of the 2010s. Margaret in Double Bay (founded 2021) is his current family-run flagship and the World No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in 2025 and 2026. The Qantas First Class catering consulting role since 2003 demonstrates the broader culinary influence. Multiple cookbooks across the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s cement his profile as one of the defining Australian food writers of his generation.
Neil Perry awards and recognition
- 1989: Opens Rockpool The Rocks Sydney at age 32
- 1990s: Rockpool earns three Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide
- 2003: Begins Qantas First Class catering consulting role
- 2009: Opens Spice Temple Sydney and Melbourne
- 2016: Order of Australia for services to gastronomy
- 2020: Exits Rockpool Dining Group
- 2021: Opens Margaret Double Bay as family-run wood-fired steakhouse
- 2025: Margaret No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in the World, No. 1 in Australia
- 2026: Margaret reaffirms No. 2 World and No. 1 Australia rankings
Neil Perry impact on modern Sydney fine-dining
Perry’s most concrete contribution is the founding of Rockpool in 1989 and the subsequent achievement of three Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide across more than three decades. Rockpool became one of the defining Sydney three-Chef-Hat restaurants of the 1990s and 2000s and established Perry as one of the most-influential Australian chefs of his generation.
The second contribution is the Rockpool Dining Group multi-format restaurant operation across Sydney and Melbourne. The group combining fine-dining, modern Chinese, steakhouse and fast-casual formats represented one of the largest Australian chef-led restaurant groups of the 2010s and demonstrated the international portability of the modern Australian dining approach.
The third contribution is the 2021 family-run Margaret reset and the 2025-2026 World No. 2 steakhouse ranking. Within the Australian three-Chef-Hat cohort Perry sits alongside peers including Peter Gilmore and Ben Shewry as one of the defining figures in modern Sydney fine-dining.
Neil Perry FAQ
What is Margaret?
Margaret is the family-run wood-fired produce-driven steakhouse Perry opened in Double Bay, Sydney in 2021. The restaurant focuses on premium beef from Blackmore Wagyu and CopperTree Farms, with strong seafood programming. Margaret has been named the No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in the World and No. 1 in Australia in 2025 and again in 2026 by the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list.
Did Perry leave Rockpool?
Yes. Perry exited the Rockpool Dining Group in 2020 after over three decades, beginning with the founding of Rockpool in 1989. The exit allowed Perry to launch the family-run Margaret in 2021, which has subsequently become the World No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant.
What was Rockpool?
Rockpool was Perry’s career-defining 31-year three-Chef-Hat restaurant in The Rocks district of Sydney, opened in 1989 and run by Perry until his 2020 exit from the Rockpool Dining Group. The restaurant became one of the defining Sydney three-Chef-Hat restaurants of the 1990s and 2000s and one of the most-iconic Australian fine-dining venues of the period.
Does Perry still consult for Qantas?
Yes. Perry has been the consulting chef for Qantas First Class and Business Class catering since 2003, one of the longest-running Australian chef-airline partnerships. The Qantas role has continued through Perry’s transition from Rockpool to Margaret.
Where does Perry source beef for Margaret?
Margaret sources premium beef from suppliers including Blackmore Wagyu and CopperTree Farms, two of the leading Australian premium beef producers. The wood-fired cooking approach combined with high-quality beef and seafood has anchored Margaret’s reputation as the No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant in the World in 2025 and 2026.
What is next for Neil Perry
Margaret continues as flagship through 2026 with the World No. 2 Best Steak Restaurant ranking. The Margaret Group continues to expand additional Double Bay venues. The Qantas First Class consulting role continues. His public Instagram (@neilperryam) is the best source for current updates.
