Wilbur's Place

"Eat and run'' dining can have multiple interpretations, depending on your viewpoint. A quick and convenient meal would be the more commonly held meaning. But for those on the lam it could mean hot-footing it up the lane without paying the bill as a police siren sounds around the corner.

At Wilbur's Place, the focus is clearly on the former, but without the plastic cutlery and fast-food fare often associated with this style of dining.

Opened by Bourke Street Bakery founders David McGuinness and Paul Allam, it is pitched as a casual eatery for locals wanting an alternative to takeaway. The dinner menu changes weekly and food can be ordered to eat-in or to go.

The restaurant is a 20-seater on a pedestrian-only street. Seating is communal, and a matter of sitting wherever you can. Two young women sit inside, facing each other on bench seating, sharing two of the lighter meals. They're in and out in 45 minutes. A couple arrive with a bottle of red three-quarters full and jump on the end of a part-populated table outside. A family group take their time over three courses, passing around an adorable baby so mum and dad have a chance to eat.

We arrive during a busy period and are seated, perching on high seats on either side of a bench table. It is close quarters but not so close that we're fighting for elbow space.

Entrees arrive within 10 minutes of ordering. This is an ''eat and run'' restaurant after all. The gravlax with radicchio leaves, cucumber ribbons, dill and preserved lemon is bitter, delicate and acidic, all in one mouthful. It is especially good with the toast served with the buttery duck liver parfait. This is accompanied by tart pickled fennel, which cuts through the richness of the duck.

A good dose of dish envy comes next, courtesy of one set of neighbours who are tucking in to eggplant and pork arancini with a massive piece of pork crackling. It is the kind of crackling you dream of producing at least once in a lifetime, let alone multiple times an evening.

When our mains arrive, the dish envy seems pointed back at us. The beef ragu receives rave reviews as melt-in-the-mouth rather than over-the-top rich. The meat is cooked in a light but flavoursome broth and served with triangles of polenta that are so delicious they could be eaten on their own.

Ocean trout fingers are a nod to comfort food and a reworking of that old childhood favourite, fish fingers. They are a bit heavy on the breadcrumbs but the cornichons in the accompanying potato salad are a nice touch.

To finish, we share cinnamon doughnuts served with chocolate sauce and chocolate ice-cream. ''It's sugar overload,'' we cry on the first mouthful but mysteriously manage to eat the lot.

The floor staff are friendly and quick to crack a joke but so busy they neglect some little things - requests for water and wine top-ups.

''Eat and run'' is not how we like to deal with a bill but if a restaurant such as Wilbur's Place opened closer to home it could well become our preferred style of dining.

Menu

Home-style modern Australian with an emphasis on fresh, local produce.

Value

Reasonable. Entrees/light meals, $12-$14; mains, $12-$19; sides, $3-$5; desserts, $10-$12.

Recommended dishes

Gravlax, radicchio, cucumber and preserved lemon salad; beef shin ragu with crispy corn polenta; cinnamon doughnuts with chocolate sauce and ice-cream.

WILBUR'S PLACE

36 Llankelly Place, Kings Cross

9332 2999

Tue-Sat, 8am-9.30pm; Sun, 8am-4pm, no bookings

BYO ($8 corkage per bottle)