August, West End – BT Good Food app listing
Eurocentric food in a converted church.
It opened in a former church on Dornoch Terrace in the West End in late August 2024. In the kitchen is Brad Cooper, widely regarded as one of the city’s best young chefs after his stint at the lauded Bar Francine just down the road; In front is his partner Matilda Riek. This is the first venue the couple has owned.
This place still looks like a church; There is a prefabricated kitchen where the altar is and a bar with a counter in the front right corner. The digs account for much of August’s appeal, but the kitchen and bar are carefully designed additions, and works by local artists hang on VJ board walls.
Cooper’s cooking is mostly based on European techniques and focuses on meat and seafood. The bulk of the menu is divided into snacks, smaller plates and three large dishes to share. Standout dishes include potato blini made with pork belly, Veneto-style trottole duck ragu, and grilled Spanish mackerel served with mussels, fennel, and vadouvan sauce. For drinks, there’s a clutch of aperitif-style cocktails and a relatively compact wine list, focusing on smaller Australian and European producers.
Would you like to visit this place? Save to Good Food app.
Restaurant reviews, news, and the latest openings delivered to your inbox.
become a member
Matt Shea is Food and Culture Editor at the Brisbane Times. He is a former editor and editor-in-chief at Broadsheet Brisbane and has written for Escape, Qantas Magazine, Guardian, Jetstar Magazine and SilverKris, among others.
