Sydney, Australia (September 2022) – Park Hyatt Sydney is getting ready to relaunch its signature restaurant offering under Dining by James Viles and high on culinary director James Viles' list was to recruit a new food and beverage team to elevate the harbourside hotel's food and drink experience work with him, and he's finally ticked it off.

Joining the hotel from across the across the water is Brian O'Flaherty, Head Chef. Formerly Senior Sous Chef at 3-hatted Quay Restaurant, Brian will work closely with James to bring their vision of thoughtful, sustainable dining to life. His proficiency in the kitchen and experience cooking for some of world's best restaurants will be integral to creating a refreshed culinary offering.   

Also working with James in the kitchen are chefs Fuji Taukatelata - Chef de Cuisine, Yolanda Tsai - Sous Chef, Shiyoon Lee - Pastry Chef and Charlie Hutton, Pastry Sous Chef.

To complement the culinary team, the hotel welcomes Ruaridh Macdonald, Restaurant Manager. With over 20 years of food & beverage experience managing fine dining establishments as well as luxury hotels, Ruaridh will work closely with James on building a team that provides exceptional service and introduce a dining concept that will bring the restaurant experience to new heights. Before his appointment, Ruaridh successfully managed Crown Sydney's Woodcut restaurant, Merivale's Mimi's and was General Manager at Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar and Grill.

Also a new addition to the food and beverage team is Erick Tuesta, Sommelier.  Formerly manager/sommelier at Quay restaurant, Ovolo Hotels Woolloomooloo, Azuma Japanese Restaurant and 360 Bar & Dining, Erick is responsible for managing the hotel's wine and beverage program. Together, James and Erick will put a stamp on the hotel's food and drink experiences.

Denis Francesco Pisan, Assistant Manager – The Bar will be joining the team at the end of September. Joining with a wealth of bartending experience, Italian national Denis was formerly Bar Manager at Palazzo Daniele – Luxury Boutique Hotel, Italy and has worked in established bars and luxury hotels in the United Kingdom, Italy and Sweden.

Led by James, whose menu inspiration stems from the finest regional and coastal ingredients of Australia and a vision and dedication to sustainability, Dining by James Viles will look to become one of Sydney's favourite food and drink destination for tourists and locals.

For interviews or media enquiries, please contact Maryam Awang Maryam.awang@hyatt.com.

About Dining by James Viles
Dining by James Viles is Park Hyatt Sydney's food and drink offering, encompassing the hotel's signature restaurant The Dining Room, The Living Room, The Bar, special events and guest experiences.

Follow @diningbyjamesviles on Instagram.

About James Viles
Celebrated for his imaginative modern food and commitment to sustainability, James is known for his two hatted restaurant Biota Dining in Bowral, NSW, which closed its doors in 2020 due to the combined impact of the bushfires and Covid pandemic.

Having received the accolade of being one of the youngest chefs ever awarded a Sydney Morning Herald Chef's Hat at 23 years old, James has worked in high profile luxury hotels in Sydney and overseas, before opening the award-winning Biota Dining. There, James supported both local farmers and growers and alongside the restaurant's on-site farm produce, incorporated native Australian ingredients and locally sourced produce into his modern Australian menu.

Most recently, James held consulting roles with Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley and Canberra-based Harvac group.

James was also a co-presenter on Channel Nine's cooking show Fresh and has appeared as Guest Chef and Judge on MASTERCHEF Australia.

About Park Hyatt Sydney
Park Hyatt Sydney perfectly personifies contemporary luxury with its coveted location between the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Reminiscent of an exclusive harbourside residence, the hotel offers intimate surrounds with architecture, art and design that reflect the Australian landscape. For more information, please visit www.parkhyattsydney.com

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About Park Hyatt
Park Hyatt hotels provide discerning, global travelers with a refined home-away-from-home. Guests of Park Hyatt hotels receive quietly confident and personalized service in an enriching environment. Located in several of the world's premier destinations, each Park Hyatt hotel is custom designed to combine sophistication with understated luxury. Park Hyatt hotels feature well-appointed guestrooms, world-renowned artwork and design, rare and immersive culinary experiences, and signature restaurants featuring award-winning chefs. There are currently 46 Park Hyatt hotels in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Auckland, Bangkok, Beaver Creek, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Busan, Canberra, Changbaishan, Carlsbad, Chennai, Chicago, Doha, Dubai, Guangzhou, Hamburg, Hangzhou, Hyderabad, Istanbul, Jeddah, Jakarta, Kyoto, Maldives, Melbourne, Mendoza, Milan, Moscow, New York, Ningbo, Niseko, Paris, Saigon, Sanya, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Siem Reap, St. Kitts, Suzhou, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Vienna, Washington, D.C., Zanzibar, and Zurich. For more information, please visit parkhyatt.com. For more information, please visit parkhyatt.com. Follow @ParkHyatt on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tag photos with #LuxuryIsPersonal.