You’d swear the owners of One Penny Red opened a restaurant just so they could put a wine list together. Ask a question about an organic or biodynamic bottle on their 16-page list and an owner will sprint out and convince you to spend double what you’d planned to drop in a restaurant that was once a post office. There’s genuine warmth to be found in the wood and brushed-metal fit-out, in the smoked-chilli mayo with the salt-cod fritters and especially in the service, where the friendliness of the waitstaff will make you feel like a returning local. That bottle of Pheasant’s Tears goes great with grilled squid stuffed with pork and mushrooms, or with a lamb shoulder so tender you could eat it with a straw. Serves are generous, so much so that by the time you finish the light dessert option – a vanilla panna cotta with young coconut jelly and pineapple sorbet – you may still find yourself unable to move for an hour or so. Totally worth it.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★ ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
