The Latest

James is a European-looking, Japanese-leaning wine bar. The 40-seat space is a room of clean lines and earthy tones, filled with strategically placed spotlights and light wooden tables. The big interior standout is a blue-brick wall that owner Kirbie Tate and her team spent a whole day sandblasting to expose.

Wine here takes centre stage – mostly by up-and-coming producers, with a few more established names thrown in. There are eight Coravin options, where the wine is specially extracted without removing the cork, giving sommeliers license to offer more exclusive and expensive drops by the glass (such as a 2015 Matrot Meursault or red burgundy). The Japanese-leaning menu keeps things unfussy and playful.