As welcome as the new wave of contemporary dining has been in recent years, there’s been some monotonous similarities about the fit-out of many. I’ve typed ‘exposed brick’ and ‘polished concrete floor’ more often than I care to remember. But Ron’s Upstairs is different. In fact, faced with the unassuming door which opens to a red-carpeted staircase, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had been a dodgy gambling den since the ’80s.

Ascend to Christmas at Grandma’s circa 1970. With wood panelling, floral wallpaper, quirky paintings and architraves festooned with plastic grapes and fairy lights, it’s kitsch, fun and pleasingly nostalgic.

This is the third venue from Brett Pritchard and David Jank, Kim Fasher and Susie Pritchard (of Arcadia Liquors and Redfern Continental), who took over the site from the the Pron Prohm Thai Restaurant – the letters retained on the outside of the building spell ‘Ron a Restaurant’.

Chef Damir Mujanic has created a Mediterranean-inspired menu of share plates with the char-grill and rôtisserie getting a heavy workout. A large octopus tentacle charred crisp on the outside and tender on the inside arrives atop a bed of caperberries, kipfler potatoes, garlic and lemon. Borlotti beans and a rich tomato sauce spiked with ’nduja partner juicy grilled king prawns, while fennel, lemon and mint oil add grassy freshness to stracciatella.

The relish might be a touch sweet for the toothsome pork belly, but justpink chunks of charred lamb with tahini yoghurt, skhug (Middle Eastern hot sauce) and flatbread are spot on.

The tight wine list nicely balances affordability with value, while the welcome and all-round service is a mix of sincerity and efficiency. It leans laid-back, but the staff know their stuff.

Ron’s has an air of Twin Peaks kookiness, but in steering clear of conformity it dishes up its own brand of comfort that’s well worth the visit.