Intuition Wine & Kitchen review: Mathieu Wyatt brings French flair and taverna chic to Subiaco’s Rokeby Road

It takes no time at all to catch on to the thoughtful and sophisticated ambience happening at Intuition Wine & Kitchen. A balmy and still evening in Subiaco, fairy lights, and a sweet French playlist sets the tone for a late-night dinner nestled away at the leafiest end of Rokeby Road. Sage green furnishings, white stone-cladded walls, light woods and rattan are a charming combination — there’s a Mediterranean feel to the place. Even the corner taverna wine bar set-up inside is like something you’d find at a restaurant in Corfu. The Med must be on the brain for Intuition owner Mathieu Wyatt, who spent years alongside Michelin-decorated chefs in his mother country of ‘la republique’ and was most recently head chef at Nedlands fine-dining haunt Chez Pierre. But there’s no doubt Intuition is its own show. A peruse through the diverse menu reveals a solid range of Spanish and Italian plates pinching a little inspo from their French neighbours and vice versa. The unique and stacked Euro-centric wine list is a whole other story. The idea for food is to share, and it’s always a treat choosing when everything sounds delicious. Eggplant caviar is first. Scooped up with a fine rustic baguette, the flesh is sweet; caramelised almost, and singing through is a delicate heat from the French espelette chilli. It’s a standout quality about this dish; not all chilli needs to shout to be heard. Pine nuts are a moreish, savoury pop and complementary addition to the sweet and spicy hums, and little crispy strips of the eggplant sit atop for a textural pick-me-up. Just a slice or two more of that bread to mop up the rest of the dish, priced at $18, would have been just the ticket. Speaking of textures, the aptly-named crispy ravioli is next, and delivers without question as outlined. A fresh and crunchy crumb encases three generous individual pasta parcels filled with the classic spinach and ricotta combo. They weren’t stuffed to the brim and the pasta may have been a touch al dente for some folk – I happened to think it was well-structured and great fun to eat. To my next bites, I’m sure to add lashings of the provençale sauce. It’s bright both visually and to taste. Plenty of depth and herbs make it more complex than a simple tomato sauce and a total game changer on the pasta. Yummy stuff at $19 for three. Dinner gets a bit more serious when the beef marrow bones arrive. Two thick ivory shells come out sizzling hot with a gentle crackle and land with an uber-umami waft. The pair accompanied by a single brioche bun with beautiful concentric, thin layers. The bread tears almost like a croissant (sans the flake), and the softly-congealed marrow spreads on easily. It’s a startingly powerful pairing; rich and ultra decadent with the marrow off the dial deep in flavour, and the gentle sweetness of the bread, with a touch of rosemary, confidently tying it together. A plate of this is $21 but goes further than you think for two. An aside here to call out the service at Intuition which has been friendly and genuine, with courses flowing nicely. I’m still coming down from the marrow highs when the two mains of flathead roll and Stirling Range eye fillet arrive. The mousseline accompanying the flathead roll, $46, is a first-time try for me — and sheesh, what a sauce. It’s light and velvety, ultra-luxe, buttery richness, championing the delicate and subtle flathead flesh, and a confident reminder of the refined skill at play behind chef Mathieu’s cooking. There’s no gratuitous char or undercooked stem on the broccolini, just a fresh and simply seasoned green to let the sauce have its moment. And the beef fillet; a solid cut and thickness, cooked medium rare as requested, and as it should be, virtually zero fat to be hacking through. It’s $59 and I am happy with the portion and quality, though I have already made my way through a fair bit of food. Still can’t help but long for a confit duck fat potato or two. The fillet is sat in a puddle of a well-rounded Italian truffle jus and adorned with various incarnations of mushrooms. I found the enoki just a touch overpowering after a few rich dishes on the trot. A heavyweight main of serious calibre. By now the promise of a zippy and airy berries choux pastry, $18, is a tonic. My dining partner has spotted the mulled red wine creme brulee, $18. Or we could have both of the aforementioned and a section of the Baileys entremet for $26, which seems like a obvious decision. The creme brulee cracks pleasingly with the back of a spoon, encasing a smooth, boozy red wine custard. A lover of the grape will relish this dessert. The paired ice-cream is beautiful and creamy with no dreaded crystals. The Baileys entrement is utterly lush; hazelnutty and smooth, and buttressed by a thin wafer layer at the bottom. As I’d hoped, it’s the berries and choux pastry that has my heart. Gently crisp on the outside and feather-light dough on the inner, creamy marscapone, a zip of aromatic basil and tart berries. Tick, tick and tick. The verdict: 17/20 Taverna-chic interiors and a high-end indulgent Med-French menu enjoyed a la Subiaco terrace at one’s own leisure is very hard to resist. Intuition Wine & Kitchen 279 Rokeby Rd, Subiaco Open: Tuesday to Saturday, 4pm – late Contact: 6150 8405, intuitionkitchen.com.au Bookings: Yes