Point Chev Bistro Wilko’s Is Redefining What Your Local Looks Like

The best kind of spaces fill a gap. Have you ever walked through your local shops and thought, hey, it would be really cool if there was somewhere here I’d like to go for dinner? Well, chef James Wilkinson did just that in Point Chev, and decided to open it himself.

That’s the exact ethos behind Wilko’s—yes, it’s named after the chef himself—the new evening bistro in the Auckland suburb. It came to life purely as a place that, as Wilkinson says, “I’d want to spend time myself.”

Image Credit: Wilko's | Supplied

Wilko’s isn’t a restaurant, it’s a ‘supper house’. Asking him what that means, Wilkinson explains it describes the feeling they want people to have when they dine there. “There’s something warm and familiar about being invited round for supper, and that’s how we want Wilko’s to feel,” he tells me. “We take the food seriously, but we want people to feel completely comfortable in how they use the place. You can pop in for a drink and a couple of plates, or make a full evening of it. You don’t need an occasion to come in.”

And the food is serious. Wilkinson’s experience starts in his home country of England (hence the term supper), where he cut his teeth in restaurants, including Michelin-starred Black Swan in Oldstead. He then moved to New Zealand, working in a number of kitchens and as executive chef at Collective Hospitality.

The former Corner Cafe has been stripped of its distinctive blue exterior. In its place sits a space that feels almost Mediterranean, a nod to some of the menu’s influence. The majority of the food, though, pulls on English and French influences—more of a reflection of the British obsession with cooking French food. There are pizzettes topped with everything from ras el hanout lamb to local cheese and bush honey, alongside cheddar gougeres made with Kāpiti cheddar, crispy lamb sweetbreads, bavette steak and more.

Image Credit: Wilko's | Supplied

Then, of course, there is the Sunday lunch, which Wilkinson hopes will become something of a destination in the city. “Being from Yorkshire, a proper Sunday lunch is something I’ve grown up with and love cooking,” he tells me. “At Wilko’s, we’ll be keeping those classic British roots, with all the trimmings and plenty of gravy, while adding our own touches.” Meat will be sourced from Neat Meat and dry-aged in-house, and will serve as the centrepiece of a sharing-style menu that encourages you to gather with friends and family and break bread.

Wilko’s isn’t just a place to come and eat though. Wilkinson, his partner Claire, and business partner Gareth all want to create a space where you can come for supper, yes, but also somewhere you can rock up at 5.00 and grab a crisp pint before heading home for the evening. The sort of spot where “your pint will be poured before you even reach the bar”. So, in many ways, a true local.

“Wilko’s is where you go when you have nowhere else to be,” Wilkinson says when I ask how he hopes the restaurant will fit into Auckland’s dining landscape. “Somewhere with really good food and drinks, a warm welcome and enough flexibility that you can come in for different reasons throughout the week.”