The James on Kent Street

The James is the dining room of the Langham, on the corner of Kent Street at Millers Point, at the western edge of the city. It is a dark room, and a warm one, with the presence and personality of a restaurant in its own right rather than a hotel dining room. It is a big room — 114 seats when the whole floor is in use — and it is arranged so that a table of two is not lost in it.

The cooking is British at the root, and it is treated with respect: the classics, worked through with a contemporary Australian hand. European technique underpins the kitchen, though the produce and the pace belong to Sydney. The wine list is built along the same line, with international benchmarks on one side and Australian producers on the other. Dessert has a card of its own, which says something about how a meal here is meant to finish.

The floor divides more than once, which is why the room handles so many different occasions. A party can take the north half or the south half without the rest of the restaurant being shut out, and there is a separate room off to one side for 20, quiet enough for conversation. The rest of the time the whole floor runs as one, and the events team shapes the evening around the booking.

Lunch and dinner both matter here. The room fills at both ends of the day, and it is set up to let a long lunch run. Service is twice a day, seven days a week, and the same kitchen is behind both. A table of 10 to 25 is handled with a set menu, either the Classic or the Premium, so a birthday or a working lunch can be settled in advance.