Sharing a home with some of Brisbane’s finest eateries, The Lobby Bar at Brisbane’s much talked-about The Calile Hotel and its new Executive Chef Kitak Lee will usher in a new wave of contemporary dining to the James Street precinct.

Previously at the helm of The Table at Kuro Kisumé in Melbourne, Lee will be bringing his creativity to new urban resort, The Calile Hotel. A combination of classical European training and South Korean upbringing informs the talented chef’s sophisticated culinary flare – and we’re eager to sample the results.

Like the airy, contemporary resort, with its poolside restaurant, day spa and on-site boutiques, Lee’s menu is set to reflect its sunlit surrounds in its breakfast and dinner offerings.

Lee’s dishes will be matched with both local and international wines, and be complemented by cocktails that feature house-made sodas made from locally sourced tropical fruits.

Before running The Table at Kuro Kisume, Lee was sous chef at some of Sydney’s most iconic locales, including Momofuku Seiobo, Cho Cho San and Bilson’s. Lee is also the passionate foodie behind Seoul of Sydney, made up by a collective of chefs determined to bring Korean flavours to the fore.

Of his new Lobby Bar menu plans, Lee says, “In a sense we are finding a new take on classic hotel menus for the modern era. They will reflect the Queensland lifestyle, with light, fresh, local ingredients, including Queensland fruits and excellent Australian wines presented exceptionally well.”

Those dining at The Lobby Bar may be swayed by the call of The Calile Hotel’s luxe rooms, for a little slice of inner-city resort life. The hotel will house 175 guest rooms, each with a balcony, bluetooth sound bar and those all-important, sleep-inducing motorised blackout blinds.

The urban resort’s Lobby Bar will open in its sleek, new sub-tropical setting in September.