When chef Justin James first stepped inside Stirling’s historic former church more than two years ago, he could immediately see how guests would move through it.
There would be an ambitious tasting-menu restaurant, an intimate bar where people could stop in for cocktails and intricate snacks, and a dark, secluded whisky room hidden upstairs.
Restaurant Aptos brought the first part of that vision to life in May. Now, the opening of Bar Cruz and Bar Mary on Thursday, September 10, completes the three-part venue Justin mapped out during his first inspection.
While the two new bars could not be more different, both have been designed to offer an experience independent of Restaurant Aptos, whether that means dropping in for a burger and cocktail at Bar Cruz or escaping upstairs for a whisky at Bar Mary.
“My idea from day one, after I decided I was going to open my own restaurant, was to do a 14-seat restaurant with two spaces,” Justin says.
“I had an idea, this was about two-and-a-half or three years ago, that maybe I would also have a little bar where around 10 guests could walk in.”
That vision expanded when he discovered the 1868 church at 147 Mount Barker Road, which at the time was home to Aptos Cruz Galleries.
“I fell in love with it the moment I pulled up,” he says.
“Then I walked inside. At the time it was Aptos Cruz Galleries, and I thought the setup was really cool. I walked through and had a look, and I was quite giddy.
“By the time I got to the end, I thought, ‘This is the idea.’”
Justin could already picture the flow of the venue, from the restaurant to the bar and eventually up to the secluded room that would become Bar Mary.
More than two years later, that original vision remains largely unchanged.
On the ground floor, Bar Cruz is the lively counterpart to Restaurant Aptos, spanning two rooms alongside the venue’s lounge, courtyard and teepee.
Guests can sit at the bar or in the dining room, order from a curated drinks list or access the full Aptos beverage menu, and settle in for a selection of snack-sized dishes.
But Justin is quick to point out that Bar Cruz is not intended to be a casual or cheaper version of Aptos.
“It’s not a lower-end version of Aptos,” he says.
“It’s still the same team. We can offer the same hospitality and an aspirational dining experience, but it can happen in a bar.”
The menu includes dishes created specifically for Cruz, including a fermented mushroom cookie and fried chicken served on a chicken foot, alongside marron, sea urchin, smoked kangaroo and scallop with lemon aspen.
And then there is the burger. Only 10 are made each day, with house-made buns, pickles and sauces and freshly minced meat.
“Aptos is a place where I would really want to eat,” Justin says.
For Justin, the appeal of Cruz is being able to bring the same level of care he puts into his tasting menu to something much more familiar.
“There’s nothing better than a freshly baked chocolate-chip cookie that hasn’t set yet,” he says. “It’s falling apart, it’s gooey and you’re getting chocolate all over yourself.”
Hidden upstairs, Bar Mary offers a different experience.
The intimate whisky room is almost entirely black, with old candleholders, Icelandic sheepskins draped over chairs, antlers and crocodile skulls creating what Justin describes as having a Game of Thrones feel.
It is also home to around 75 bottles of whisky.
“When you have a restaurant like Aptos, people can sometimes think the restaurant experience is the only way to visit,” Justin says.
“With Bar Mary, I wanted to create a place where you could come and have a whisky without needing to go anywhere else in the venue.”
The full beverage menu is available in the room, while Bar Mary can also operate as a private dining room, overflow space for Bar Cruz or a separate destination for guests finishing their Aptos experience.
Guests can even book the room for a private celebration and choose between the full Aptos tasting menu or a set menu featuring dishes from Bar Cruz.
Across all three spaces, the team has deliberately retained the character of the historic church rather than trying to make it feel brand new.
“We never wanted to take away from the history of the church,” Justin says. “We wanted to highlight the natural beauty of something built in 1868.”
Original windows, stonework and walls remain, with cracks created by the building moving with the weather and time left visible rather than concealed.
The venue is also increasingly filled with Australian art, with around 35 pieces now on display, including works by artist Kate Just carrying cheeky messages such as “Switch off your phone”, and “Get therapy”.
For Justin, the details are all part of the experience.
“When you come to Restaurant Aptos and Bar Cruz now, you still explore all these nooks and crannies,” he says.
“You’re exploring the menu, but you’re also exploring the rooms.”
The two bars also represent a significant milestone for the chef. After 24 years in the industry, Aptos is Justin’s first restaurant, something he deliberately waited for until he felt ready.
Now, with all three parts of the original vision finally open, Justin is focused on letting the business grow at its own pace.
Bar Mary and Bar Cruz inside Restaurant Aptos
Where: 147 Mount Barker Road, Stirling
When: Opening on Thursday, September 10
To find out more, click here.
