Festival Tower’s new restaurant, Station Road, with top chef Baine Stubbs, will launch in November

The team behind Festival Tower’s new restaurant has grand plans to bring a “world class” venue to the 115m-high building on Festival Plaza. Find out more.

The team behind Festival Tower’s new restaurant has grand plans to rival the building’s imposing 115m-peak.

Station Road, an “elevated yet casual” French-inspired diner with acclaimed chef Baine Stubbs at the helm, will open its doors on the ground floor of the CBD tower in November.

General manager and co-owner Mathieu Smeysters said the new venue will bring a “world class” dining experience to the Walker Corporation building on Festival Plaza.

“It’s going to be elevated, casual dining with a certain level of grandeur. Think champagne and dessert trolleys,” he said.

“Food wise it will emulate what you expect to see in the better restaurants in Paris and London.”

The commercial tower will officially launch on Tuesday night with a VIP opening event.

Originally from New Zealand, Mr Stubbs worked at Shannon Bennett’s fine diner Vue de monde in Melbourne before moving to Paris, where he was head chef of Elsworth, a restaurant located inside the Louvre museum.

New head chef Baine Stubbs and general manager & co-owner Mathieu Smeysters in front of Festival Tower where they’ll open new restaurant Station Road. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Render of the new Festival Tower restaurant, Station Road.

He was also head chef for four years at Clamato, a sister venue to Septime – currently ranked No. 11 on ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ list – before deciding to return to Australia.

Mr Stubbs described his cooking style as “unpretentious and clean”.

The menu, modern Australian cuisine with a French twist, will feature dishes including lobster cannelloni with Iberico ham and mornay sauce, and dry aged tuna with a red pepper reduction and cultured cream.

“Seasonality and locality will be front and centre at Station Road,” he said.

The expansive wine list will showcase some of the world’s best wines, both by the glass or by the bottle.

Mr Smeysters, who’s also behind East End Cellars, said he hopes the versatile Station Road will eventually become one of Adelaide’s flagship restaurants, perfect for a pre-match meal or a special occasion.

“We want to make it one of those spots, when people fly into Adelaide and they think where to go, people think Osteria Oggi and Botanic … we want them to look at us as one of those terrific restaurants,” he said.

Walker Corporation managing director and chief executive David Gallant said guests at Tuesday’s grand opening event would enjoy a “sneak peek” of Station Road’s new menu, which will celebrate the best of SA food and wine.

“Activating this plaza was a big part of Lang Walker’s vision and it’s terrific to see it all coming together,” he said.