Euro-centric dining in a converted church.
August opened in late 2024 in an old church on Dornoch Terrace in West End. In the kitchen is Brad Cooper, regarded as one of the city’s best young chefs after his stint at the lauded Bar Francine just down the road; out front is his partner, Matilda Riek. It’s the couple’s first venue as owners.
This still very much feels like a church – just with a pre-fabricated kitchen where the altar would have been, and a bar with counter seating in the front right-hand corner. The digs themselves account for much of August’s charm, but the kitchen and bar are neatly designed additions, and works from local artists hang from the VJ-board walls.
Cooper’s food is anchored mostly in European techniques and focuses on meat and seafood. The bulk of the menu is split into snacks, smaller plates and three larger dishes to share. Standout dishes include potato blini with confit pork belly, Veneto-style trottole duck ragu, and a 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 that focuses on smaller Australian and European makers.
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Matt Shea is Food and Culture Editor at Brisbane Times. He is a former editor and editor-at-large at Broadsheet Brisbane, and has written for Escape, Qantas Magazine, the Guardian, Jetstar Magazine and SilverKris, among many others.
