This hole in the wall on Oxford Street elevates the humble chicken shop, doing rotisserie hormone-free, air-chilled Bannockburn birds with dark caramelised skin and salads to chirp about. There are giant wedges of roast pumpkin with skin on, glazed with honey. Rotating sides span roast cauliflower with Indian spices and raisins, roast beetroot with feta, walnut and orange, potato gratin or green beans with koji dressing. Different rotisserie meats make appearances on the menu and have included ocean trout, pork belly, lamb rump and even glazed ham. Meals here – lead by chef Ben Greeno (Momofuku) – have a homemade vibe. It’s a Paddington neighbourhood gem we’d all like in our own backyard. 382 Oxford St, Paddington; merivale.com.

Through the week and all weekend this Granville shop is pumping, turning out quarter chickens and chips orders with extra garlic sauce to a hungry, loyal crowd. El Jannah takes the concept of the chicken shop up a notch, or a few. The chicken is butterflied and cooked over charcoal, imparting a distinctive barbecue, smokey char that secures El Jannah’s cult status. The only drawback is the wait, which can be up to an hour on weekends. Always get pickles and flatbread with your order, and try the tabouli, a holy grail of sides. Newcomers need the heads up to order the garlic sauce; a soft, pillowy, addictive substance. 4/8 South St, Granville; eljannah.com.au.

Portuguese chicken won the hearts of Sydneysiders in the 1990s, and the affair has continued since. Here the chook is butterflied, the skin scored with criss-crosses, then it is marinated in secret things and cooked over charcoal until caramelised and almost charred. The bird’s provenance isn’t highlighted here, but the flavours keep the crowds coming back. There’s Greek salad and seasoned fries, a decent burger menu. But the real focus is on the chicken, which flies out the door. It’s a no-fuss and cheery place, with outposts in Bella Vista, Concord, Penrith and a few other locations. 98 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham; frangos.com.au.

This long-running chicken shop – which has outposts in Annandale, Beecroft, Dee Why, Rose Bay, Wahroonga and an expanding list of other Sydney suburbs – is famous for many things, not least its place on the Sydney scene since 1989. It’s known for its vast array of excellent sides. It has also hosted both Chris Hemsworth and Justin Beiber at various times. But more noteworthy are the hormone- and chemical-free chooks, cooked on a rotisserie and used to form the basis of make-your-own packs. Large chunks of avocado and cucumber, feta salads, potato gratin and coleslaws, roasted potatoes and generous portions of gravy come together in a symphony of fresh, vibrant flavours and textures. The chicken roll with gravy is swoonworthy, and quite possibly the best in Sydney. Various locations; chargrillcharlies.com.

Sydney has a thing for pickles and chips at the best of times, but never more so when a charcoal chicken and Turkish bread is involved. At this casual, fun eatery, bar and takeaway shop by restaurateur Ibby Moubbadder (Nour), the advice is to tear open Turkish bread, slather garlic sauce (toum) inside, load up the charcoal chicken – slightly blackened, the flavours intensified over fire – and chips, and eat. The design-led fit out here, with concrete and neon lights, cocktail slushies at the bar, the skewered meats also on the menu, make this a chicken shop with an edge. Shop 1/500 Crown St, Surry Hills; henriettechicken.com.au.