Any Sydneysider interested in a good meal has heard of Beppi’s, Berowra Waters Inn and the Hellenic Club. They’re restaurants so ancient it’s difficult not to know them. But what about Wilson’s Lebanese Restaurant – have you ever heard of that?
The little restaurant opened in Redfern in 1950 (or 1951, or 1955 depending where you look) and was among the first in Sydney ever to serve hummus, tabbouleh and shish kebabs. The only change in ownership happened in 1980, when John and Samia Perez took over the venue. Since then barely anything has changed, yet despite the 39 years of service few people outside the area seem to know that Wilson’s Lebanese Restaurant exists.
Maybe it’s the fact it never looks open. The front windows are routinely blocked by curtains that are likely older than the paving they look onto. The top third of the restaurant is shrouded by a similarly ancient faded emerald awning, and the restaurant itself is flanked by a residential home and a music studio that somehow manages to look even more inactive than Wilson’s itself.
Perhaps it’s the fact that they don’t try to sell their history. The walls aren’t covered in framed pictures of famous old guests, the menu has no lengthy about us page, and there’s certainly no dusty-charming wine cellar. Beyond a few faded paintings and ceiling covered in draping, crimson cloth (now only in the back room), there’s not much decoration. The only obvious sign the restaurant has witnessed the better half of a century is the presence of Samia and John.
John is in the kitchen preparing mostly the same things his friends Wilson and Marcelle Mrouh (the previous owners) did back in the day, though in the past five years John has added more home-style Lebanese stews. Things like tomato-stewed okra, stuffed eggplant and the also tomatoey green beans. But those are not the highlights; they share the same tomato-heavy base and, despite a good garlic kick, come off like food you might otherwise cook at home.
The solid options are most of what’s included in the bargain-priced banquet ($30 for eight dishes) – particularly the grilled meats (missing some of that smoky char, as this is a gas and not charcoal kitchen), and the mixed dips. While the hummus sits around high-end supermarket quality, the luxurious texture and smoke of the babaganoush is much more memorable. The falafels and kibbeh also tick boxes, both less dry than what you often find in other popular inner-city Lebanese venues.
But then this isn’t Beppi’s or Berowra Waters Inn, and it’s not trying to be. Wilson’s isn’t trading on its history. It’s just trying to be a solid neighbourhood restaurant, and the prices reflect that. While a night in Berowra or on Stanley Street comes with a fine-dining level financial commitment, one at Wilson’s will rarely cost more than $30 a head, and it will certainly never feel stuffy, fancy or anything but relaxed.