Switched on and passionate, Andrew Wilks is dedicated to making his new restaurant, on Brierly Street, Weston, a smashing success, says dining reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.
Andrew Wilks has his finger on the pulse, and we watched him move about Andre’s Osteria as we dined on a delish lunch, making sure everything was “just so” and everyone was happy.
We certainly were.
Andre’s Osteria is a precious addition to the Weston dining scene. Housed in the space formerly home to My’s Vietnamese, the restaurant specialises in scrumptious food inspired by the Mediterranean.
We admired the interior, featuring warm and inviting olive green accents, comfy bench seating, individual wooden tables and colourful, funky wall art. The massive windows along the front of the restaurant ensure natural light floods in.
Challenged to choose, since so much sounded inviting, we decided to share so we could taste-test several dishes.
The opening act – carbonara arancini – was nothing short of excellent. The rice balls featured a thin slice of Italian cured meat on top, and they were soft and oozy on the inside ($8 each).
Our massive prawns ($12 each) were complemented by a punchy salsa verde. Chargrilled to perfection, these beauties were sweet and succulent.
Next, we shared a dish of delightful, lightly fried gnocchi ($21) with an exotic mushroom medley and smooth and sophisticated thyme cream. For presentation, taste and texture, was a piece of fried enoki.
Our main selection was Mafaldine with lamb shoulder ragu ($33). The long, ribbon-shaped pasta with wavy edges was cooked to perfection, and the ragu offered incredible depth of flavour. It was a generous serve and piping hot on arrival.
To cut through the carbs, we ordered the fresh, vibrant mixed leaf salad with a champagne vinaigrette ($12), applauding that a simple, but tasty salad was on the menu (so often, restaurant salads can be complex).
Sadly, there was zero room for dessert (all $14), although the pistachio crème brûlée was tough to pass up.
Service was attentive. The small mix-up with the order of the arrival of our prawns and gnocchi, was dealt with swiftly and confidently. Staff whipped the gnocchi away and checked in after we finished our prawns to ask if we were ready for the next dish. Andre also arrived at the table to apologise. This professional service has left a lasting impression.
Andre’s Osteria has a fixed-price menu for those who want to let the kitchen make the decisions ($69).
The wine list is great and reasonably priced. House wines start at $8, glasses of white at $12, rosé at $13 and red at $13. Lots of local and quality Australian labels feature, as do quality drops from Italy and France.
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