Wilcox Cammeray

Wilcox Cammeray is located in the heart of the Cammeray shopping village. Restyled from an old butchery(where it inherited the name) to a new bar and dining venue, Wilcox has brought a fresh modern flair to an iconic local space.



As we entered the rustic and almost man-cave styled décor, we were greeted by charismatic and friendly waitstaff. The narrow restaurant yielded a surprisingly generous amount of space. However, the acoustics of the brick walls made for a noisy ambience. It was hard not to hear our neighbours’ dinner conversation.

As we were seated and handed the menu, I was gladly surprised to see that the menu had already changed from what I had seen on their website prior to our visit. I usually don’t make mention of the physical menu, but Wilcox’s beautifully presented menu needed mentioning. It was leather-bound and embossed and the pages were professionally styled. So far, a very polished start to the evening.

Zuccini Blossoms, Goats Cheese, Mustard Fruits, Walnuts, Red Onion Jam, Truffle Honey 

The Zuccini blossoms were filled with fragrant goats cheese that deliciously oozed out. They were crunchy and light, and the accompaniments of walnuts, onion jam and honey added a fragrant sweetness to the dish to balance the acidity of the goats cheese.

A great way to start our meal.

Pork & Veal Meatballs, Tomato, Taleggio, Pine Nut Pangrattato 

The pork and veal meatballs arrived hot and fragrant bringing the aroma of the herbs and the rich tomato.

The meatballs themselves had that 'homemade' feel to it but were a little under-seasoned and dry on the inside. The accompanying elements however were rich and full of flavour! The tomato was rich and slightly sour, the pine nut pangrattato added a little crunch of flavour to the dish. The taleggio cubes were melting nicely into the meatballs and were just absolutely delicious.

Pork Tenderloins wrapped in Prosciutto, Soft white polenta, Cavolo Nero, Caramelised Baby Leeks 

The combination of pork and prosciutto is a match made in heaven! The polenta and caramelised leeks brought balance to the saltiness of the proscuitto. The delicate stack of tenderloins is surprisingly filling.

The pork was cooked to perfection and was delightfully juicy with a crispy outer layer of prosciutto. The polenta was so creamy and smooth you could've mistaken it for potato puree and the jus was full flavoured, I was dying for more of it.

Slow cooked great southern lamb rump, Pumpkin Puree, Almond Milk Farro, Green Peas, Shiraz Jus

Before tucking into this dish, the element in question was the almond milk farro. Having never heard of it, it was the first thing I wanted to try.

The grain was similar to oats and cous cous. It was cooked till it was beautifully fluffy with a surprising depth of flavour. The pumpkin puree was silky smooth and deliciously buttery - a great base to be combined with the tender medium rare lamb. The lamb cut like butter and absorbed the jus throughout. The overall dish was delightful and consumed in its entirety with not a single faro grain or drop of jus left behind.

Chocolate Fondant, Banana Caramel, Nougat Semifreddo, Vanilla Tuille

The chocolate fondant was quintessential decadence! With the nougat semifreddo and banana caramel, the dish was certainly a guilty pleasure. The tuille was crispy and light with the perfect snap – I would have happily enjoyed a full plate of vanilla tuille with a coffee. The nougat semifredo was creamy but lacked the distinct nutty flavour of the nougat. The banana caramel on it's own was a nice sweetened addition however with all the elements, I felt like it was a little out of place with the rich dark chocolate. It was very tasty but the dish could have done without.

Apple Tartatine with Peanut brittle and Blueberry Semifreddo 

Wilcox also offered a dessert special which is not often seen in most restaurants. Tonight’s dessert special was an apple tartatine.

Apple and pastry is one of my favourite combinations so this special could not be missed.

The tartatine came out piping hot with the apples beautifully caramelised and aromatic. 

The praline, although a dentist’s nightmare, was wonderfully sticky and nutty.

The semifreddo was fresh and sweet sitting atop a blueberry reduction. The sweetness and acidity of the blueberries added freshness to the apple pastry. 

The apple tartatine itself had a gorgeously crumbly pastry holding the cinnamon apple mixture. It was just the right size that closed the meal nicely. 

Overall, Wilcox offers a reasonably priced fine dining experience. The option of a dessert special left a last impression for me. While the acoustics of the restaurant is my only complaint, the extremely professional and friendly staff still made for a very pleasant evening.  

You might have to hear your fellow diners’ conversations but for the overall experience, I would definitely recommend one and all to try Wilcox. It's well worth the visit.