Concrete Playground

From the creators of the renowned Bourke Street Bakery comes Wilbur's Place: an intriguing experiment in casual dining. However, after ownership, the similarities end. Wilbur's is an intimate, affordable and seasonal fully-blown restaurant.

The food itself, thankfully, holds up to closer inspection. For breakfast and lunch, a good selection of not-over-thought dishes are on offer. Recently inclusions in the menu were a Brioche Bun with Rhubarb Custard ($4) and a Croque Monsieur ($8) for breakfast, with a Brisket Roll ($10) and Duck Liver Parfait ($12) for lunch. Gravlax has also been a familiar fixture on all menus throughout summer.

Wanting an excuse to work through as many courses as possible, I decide to turn up for dinner. We arrive just after two other groups, so unfortunately ours is the longest wait of the night - around half an hour. Since at this stage Wilbur's is still BYO, it's only a casual wander for drinks before our time is up. Soon we find ourselves tucked in next to another couple at the shared benches inside.

Already hungry, we don't take long to order. Despite my resolve to work through all the courses, the dishes look generous so we opt for mains and dessert only. There's only five options for each which should make this an easy choice, but all look amazing. The Duck Leg, Roasted Plums, Crispy Polenta, Plum Chutney, Witlof and Vino Cotto ($19) turns out to be a winning decision, incredibly tender and bursting with flavour. Though I should admit that I was still eyeing the Skirt Steak, Salsa Verde, Dried Tomatoes, Cabbage and Potato Rosti ($18), which by all reports was equally excellent.

Were the mains not so darn tasty, the desserts would have stolen the show. My vote goes to the Toasted Brioche Ice Cream Sandwich with Caramel ($10), which somehow feels like reinvented deep fried ice cream times a billion. While a more traditional choice, the Apple Pie with Ice Cream ($10) didn't go down badly either.

While this experiment does demand a bit of waiting time, the results are worth it. And, unlike most places covering new ground, Wilbur's comes up well within budget. Fingers crossed they'll have an alcohol license soon too. Whether you come down early or opt for takeaway, I can assure you this food is worth rearranging your schedule for.