Adelaide chef Justin James is opening not one, but three new dining destinations in the 1868 church formerly occupied by Aptos Cruz Galleries in Stirling.

James, who catapulted Restaurant Botanic to national fame, revealed to delicious. that in addition to his ambitious tri-level Restaurant Aptos, there will be Bar Cruz – a more casual place to eat and drink – and whisky bar, Bar Mary.

“I’m just as excited for Bar Cruz as I am Aptos,” says US-born James, whose CV includes time at Eleven Madison Park in New York and Noma in Copenhagen.

The 14-seat Bar Cruz will follow the same philosophy as Aptos, he says, but offer a flexible alternative to the hours-long, premium-priced Aptos degustation.

“My original idea was always a two-zone restaurant where you come in and have 20 percent of your meal in the first zone, which would have been a lounge… then you move into the kitchen and have 60 percent of your meal there, then you go back to the lounge for the last 20 percent,” James says.

“When I came across the church in Stirling, I said, ‘holy s**t, this is my idea on steroids’. I realised I could take my lounge idea and just create another venue in there.

“Bar Cruz is still premium, creative, innovative; but you can pop in there and have a drink and a snack and leave, or you can… have a full meal and a bottle of wine.”

Bar Cruz – the “final piece of the puzzle” paying homage to the venue’s former life as Aptos Cruz – boasts four zones: a six-seat bar, a dining room, the Aptos Lounge (which, true to James’s original vision, will form part of the Restaurant Aptos experience) and a courtyard.

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Credit: Jon Wah

“Bar Cruz will be its own destination restaurant,” James says.

“The menu for Aptos is f*****g wild; it is outside the box, and I love that. But sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, I just want to serve a bowl of noodles’. Or, ‘I wish we could do a burger’ – and now we can do a burger. There are no real rules, other than staying true to what we believe.

“Aptos is very deep into rare, unique flavours to Australia; Bar Cruz is exactly the same, but in a more casual-comfort kind of way. There might be some dishes on the Aptos menu that you can come into Bar Cruz and get – for example, I’m working on a marron dish – [marron] is a crowd favourite.”

The same kitchen team, headed by French-Canadian chef Pierre Verret, will work across the restaurant offerings.

While drinks are yet to confirmed – the team is now searching for a beverage manager – cocktails will be a focus, as will Adelaide Hills wine.

“If there’s a couple in the middle of nowhere making only a couple hundred bottles [of wine] a year, that’s the stuff I want to showcase, and tell those stories,” James says.

Designed by Adelaide architects Williams Burton Leopardi, Bar Cruz features light timber panelling and natural colours, while the eight-set Bar Mary is “dark and moody”.

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Credit: Andre Castellucci

“I love grunge Japan and those little whisky bars that literally just serve whisky, neat or on the rocks,” James says. “Bar Mary will be one long table that you share with whoever is there… An ‘if you know, you know’ kind of vibe.”

Mary’s food will be inspired by otsumami – a Japanese word meaning snacks served with drinks. Think fried chicken, pickles, a sauce, a carb – all served in a bento-style box.

James also has ambition to offer the space for guest chef pop-ups and private dining.

“There are these three venues in this church, and you can enjoy them separately or you can enjoy them all in one go,” James says. “We’re literally trying to create a culinary beverage oasis.”

Restaurant Aptos, Bar Cruz and Bar Mary at 147 Mt Barker Rd, Stirling, is slated to open by October, restaurantaptos.com

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