About Wilko's
The Wilko's Journey.
Wilko’s started as a nickname. James Wilkinson has been Wilko to his mates since his rugby days in England, and once he started having friends round for dinner, it became “going to Wilko’s.” By the time we had a building, the name was already sorted.
If you’re wondering about the ‘supper house’, when James was growing up, supper meant heading round to a mate’s house, pulling up a chair and eating whatever was on. Nobody dressed up and nobody hurried home. We’ve kept that feeling and added a proper kitchen, a good wine list and a lot more chairs.
To properly introduce ourselves, we’re James and Gareth. Between us we’ve spent most of our working lives in hospitality, in England and here, from busy locals to restaurants where every detail counts. Along the way we worked out what makes a place feel like yours: being remembered, being made welcome, and never feeling rushed. Wilko’s is the first place that’s ours, and that’s the ethos we’ve built it on.
The room borrows from time we’ve spent around the Mediterranean: fresh air with doors open, carafes on the table, and conversation that carries on well after the plates are cleared.
Mostly, we wanted a place in this special part of Auckland that we all know called Point Chev; one you could walk to easily in the evening. Somewhere to bring the family on a Sunday, meet friends on a Thursday, or come in on your own and end up making friends with the neighbour next to you.
Come as you are. Stay as you will.
James Wilkinson, Chef Owner
Cooking since sixteen, first in North Yorkshire and now in Auckland. James runs the kitchen, wears his heart on his sleeve, and will happily talk about the food all night.
Gareth Weaver, Owner
Gareth has spent years running front of house in high-end restaurants, and has a knack for making first-timers feel like regulars. If you’re being well looked after at Wilko’s, chances are he’s behind it.