Executive Chef Tyson Gee takes over the reins
Breakfast with Sydney Opera House and harbour views
As we have previously commented, the Park Hyatt does the best breakfast in the world along with the best view. This does create difficulties when someone asks how you would like your eggs, because you are too busy staring through the window and wondering whether it would be socially acceptable to move permanently into The Dining Room.
James Viles farewells the Park Hyatt Sydney
Now the restaurant is entering a new chapter. James Viles will conclude his tenure as Creative Director on 21 August 2026, after four years of bringing his thoughtful, produce-led approach to one of Sydney’s most spectacular dining rooms. The good news is that this is not a dramatic culinary abandonment involving overturned saucepans and someone fleeing down Hickson Road with a lobster under one arm. Viles is leaving to concentrate on his expanding ventures across Australia, New Zealand and the United States, while the hotel’s kitchen remains in very capable hands.
Executive Chef Tyson Gee, who has led Park Hyatt Sydney’s broader culinary direction since October 2024, will continue to guide the hotel’s food offering alongside Chef de Cuisine Dan Parkes. Gee’s career has taken him through Canada, Australia and Southeast Asia, giving him the sort of international experience that sounds glamorous but presumably also involves an heroic number of early mornings and onions.
His cooking is grounded in seasonality, careful sourcing and strong relationships with Australian farmers and growers. Since arriving at the hotel, he has overseen progress in reducing food waste and strengthening partnerships with producers who share the same environmental priorities. This is excellent news for diners, producers and the planet, which has had rather a lot on lately.
Executive Chef Tyson Gee and Dan Parkes remain
Parkes, meanwhile, has played an important role in the daily success of The Dining Room and will continue working closely with Gee as the restaurant evolves. Together, they intend to preserve the qualities people already love while allowing the menu to keep moving forward. In other words, the view will remain magnificent, breakfast will remain a serious event and nobody is proposing to replace the sourdough with a lecture.
Before Viles departs, diners will have the chance to revisit some of his most memorable dishes through The Best of James Viles, running from 18 to 21 August. The limited series will celebrate his particular style of modern Australian cooking: elegant, produce-focused and deeply respectful of where ingredients come from.
General Manager Samuel Dabinett has thanked Viles for the passion and creativity he brought to The Dining Room, while expressing confidence in Gee, Parkes and the broader culinary team.
And really, confidence seems justified. James Viles may be leaving, but breakfast was never under his command, so the croissants, eggs and general morning competence will continue untroubled. Chefs may change and chapters may close, but Park Hyatt Sydney retains one formidable advantage: it is almost impossible for breakfast to disappoint when the Opera House is sitting directly opposite, looking as though it has dressed especially for the occasion.
