The Wilde

Most restaurants try to fill one niche: the place you go for thin crust pizza, the late night dumpling restaurant or that fancy cocktail bar. The Wilde, a recenew restaurant, bar and gallery space, is trying to offer a little something to everyone.

Opened in early September, Rue de Fleurus sits on the corner where Claypots used to be on Gertrude Street. The space is named after the Parisian Street where another Gertrude, Gertrude Stein, set up her famous salon and entertained the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Alice B. Toklas. Like that salon, owners Wayne Markus, Aaron McKenzie and Claypots owner Renan Goskin want to make Rue a venue to enjoy the finer things in life: namely food, wine and art.

By day Rue has a laid-back, boho feel where you could easily spend a few hours over some Turkish coffees watching street life pass by. And if you’re feeling musical there’s a piano where punters are welcome to tinkle the ivory.

After dark the space turns into a more formal restaurant, with a menu that changes weekly. One night might feature the classic Claypots menu while another night will be vegetarian. To match the rotating menu Rue will also host a series of guest chefs in the kitchen, including ex Vue de Monde chef Andreas Papadakis (who cooked up a fabulous paella on opening night).

And if all that wasn’t enough, Rue will also be hosting film nights (they have a pull down movie screen) exhibitions, readings and other arty stuff.

Is it trying to pull off too much? Time will tell. But think of Rue de Fleurus as a blank canvas, every time you visit you’ll experience something different. Plus they also make a mean cocktail.