A 136-year-old church on Dornoch Terrace is set to begin a new chapter, but not as a place of worship. In November, the heritage-listed site will become August, a restaurant helmed by chef Brad Cooper and partner Matilda Riek.

Originally located on Grey Street, the Methodist church was moved to Dornoch Terrace in 1914. Over the past 50 years, it has served as a music theatre and, most recently, a music school. When the couple took over, the space didn’t even have a working kitchen, so it’s safe to say, transforming the historic site has been a meticulous process for the duo.

“The listing came up online, we inspected it and thought ‘This is really nice’,” Riek tells Broadsheet. “But we didn’t really think about the structural issues at the time. It’s taken about six months to get everything lined up and approved.”

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Finally, the build is underway, with Riek’s parents lending a hand. When Broadsheet visits, Cooper is mapping out the kitchen. Strips of tape mark the timber floorboards with labels like “sink” and “oven” scribbled down, hinting at the transformation to come.

Many will recognise Cooper from his time as head chef at Bar Francine, where his creations like mushroom parfait toast and onion fritti helped establish it as one of the city’s best wine bars. Before that, he led the kitchen at Florence in Camp Hill. Riek is no stranger to the world of hospitality, either having worked front of house at both Bar Francine and Florence.

Cooper is drafting a European-style menu for August, influenced by Italian, French and Spanish cuisines. He’s drawing inspiration from a lot of classic sauces, like bois boudran (a spicy tomato-based sauce), and dishes like a mud crab omelette Arnold Bennett (an open omelette invented at London’s Savoy Hotel).

“What I’ve been into lately is finding classics you haven’t seen [for a while],” Cooper says. “There’s a few things on the menu, like Lyonnaise salad, that won’t change and other classics I might change a bit.”

The menu is poised to feature dishes such as witlof tarte tatin with black olive jam and gruyere, confit ocean trout with cocktail potato and caviar sauce, and stuffed chicken crown with Albufera sauce. Dessert options might include caramelised brioche with golden syrup and lemon cream, and a rum and raisin parfait.

Cooper and Riek are keeping the drinks offering straightforward, with around six cocktails – including European classics like pastis and Campari spritzes – and a tight wine list that highlights smaller producers from Australia and overseas.

August is expected to open at 19 Dornoch Terrace, West End in November.

@augustwestend