One Penny Red in Sydney’s inner west is an enduring success that ticks all the boxes of a stand-up neighbourhood restaurant. Welcoming, genuine and relaxed, the place has heart and a menu with an obvious dedication to provenance, the universal deliciousness of comfort food and feel-good conviviality of shared plates.

And then it goes beyond the boxes with a wine list from co-owner and sommelier David Murphy that’s so diverse he’ll gladly hold your hand and guide you to the perfect drop for your mood. The same goes for the food, with co-owner and chef RJ Lines’ invitation to “trust the chef” with a five-course sharing menu ($75 per head) that changes weekly and can be upsized ($125 per head) with wine matches from Murphy.

The menu opens with agrodolce giardiniera pickles and finishes with a show-stopping wood-roasted Thirlmere free-range chook, but, in the same way that Italians judge the quality of the milk used by a gelateria by ordering a scoop of unflavoured fior di latte, the simple sides, or ‘extras’ as they are so listed here, are a fantastic barometer to judge the finesse of the kitchen. Lines’ crispy spiced salt potatoes are impeccably golden and crisp (so crunchy you’ll be thankful for the boisterous hum of the dining room) and laced with a hint of fennel, caraway and Sichuan pepper. The roasted Brussels sprouts with smoked beef dripping and garlic have a similarly subtle Chinese bent – star anise or five spice, perhaps? – and the portions of both are so incredibly generous, you’ll be boxing up the leftovers to eat later.

Spuds and sprouts packed up, a nightcap at upstairs Vernon’s bar is a sure way to end on a high. There is a cocktail list (and a serious roll call of great wines by the glass), but for lovers of the classics, mixologist Manuel Prior’s version of the fortifying, yet refreshing, prohibition cocktail The Last Word – made with chartreuse, gin, Luxardo and lime juice – is perhaps the only thing better than those roast potatoes.