A Summer in Italy at Wilmer's, Potts Point

Every few years or so the restaurants at Llankelly place do a bit of musical chairs with some closing and other ones taking their place, such is the fickleness of the Sydney restaurant scene. And then I get to sit and reminisce about the apartment building that I used to live in on Llankelly Place. The newest place however will be here for a mere three months. Wilmer's which takes the place of Wilbur's Place is a 3 month "Summer pop up" that finishes at the end of February by the Full Circle group.

There are signs that it is a temporary venture. The hand drawn sign stuck to the wall with duct tape, the mobile only contact number and the cash only detail. Yet the food is by chef Daniel Johnston of Vini and Restaurant Hubert and Harry Levy from Bar Brosé. They make their own pasta using an extruder machine and also make their own cheeses and breads.

The Italian menu at Wilmer's changes every week and features a few antipasto, two pastas, a meat main, cheese and dessert. Prices are actually very reasonable which makes it an ideal neighbourhood restaurant-like the sort of place for quick weeknight meals after work.

It's a very muggy Friday evening and rains threatens to spill from the grey clouds above. We are sitting outside with Mochi and we order an Aperol Spritz. It's just what we need for a warm summer's night. The other cocktail is a half negroni.

Our antipasto arrive and the first is my favourite item: pane fritto with tomato and anchovy. The deep fried bread is puffy and hot and in the centre there is a strip of tomato based sauce and a whole anchovy which is a pretty damn perfect combination.

The salami is from South Australia and it is a number strong in fennel and it is paired with house made fresh bread that comes out soft and warm as well as pickled beans and breadsticks.

We decided to forego the lamb rump dish as it was just too hot and we decide instead to get the two pastas. The shell pasta is house made using an extruder and comes with a creamy broccoli sauce and a spoonful of house made ricotta and pangratatta or crispy breadcrumbs. I love the simplicity of this dish and it reminds me to make something similar at home.

The spiral pasta is a pork and veal ragu. It's also good and comforting and one thing I really like the texture of the pasta. It's perfectly al dente.

The only dish that I wasn't in love with was the cabbage.s It does say charred so it does have that bitter quality but the walnuts and vinegar seem to emphasise that quality rather than balance it.

This is a version of Peach Melba. I love this with white peaches and here they use yellow peaches. The texture is lovely though and perfectly cooked with a thick tangy raspberry sauce on a bed of creamy mascarpone.

With the bill comes two welcome slices of cooling watermelon. And just like a neighbourhood local Italian we're in and out quickly! And counting down the time, there's just 4 weeks to go before this disappears.

So tell me Dear Reader, do you ever revisit a place where you lived? What do you think about pop ups? Do you have a place that you go to for a quick weeknight meal?

This meal was independently paid for.

Wilmer's

Monday - Saturday, dinner from 5.30pm 36 Llankelly Place, Kings Cross Bookings 0401829216

Small dog friendly area outside