The Thousands

We need to talk about Wilbur. To be honest, we’re a little concerned he’s too nice for the mean streets of the Cross. At Wilbur’s Place the service is downright lovely. The prices are so friendly, they practically offer to collect your mail and water your plants for you while you’re on holidays. And while you mightn’t make friends with salad, you can be besties with a smooth chicken liver parfait and cornichons at $12. Or cosy up to a beef shin ragu with chunks of crispy polenta, while this winter-in-December thing is going on.

This is an offshoot from the Bourke Street Bakery folk, so old friends of BSB won’t be surprised that Wilbur’s knows its way around the sweet end of a meal, from a showy flourless chocolate sponge with passionfruit covered in licks of Italian meringue, to a tidy little slice of custard tart.

The concrete and brickwork cave is as suitable as a takeaway pitt stop as it is for an evening’s casual dining. Or have the best of both worlds: if you can’t finish your generous serve, the staff will pack it in to biodegradable take-away containers. If only you could pack away the staff to serve it up at home too.