Margaret, Ursula and Manon are already part of the Sydney restaurant name game. As of Monday, December 4, Penelope has joined the party. Located at the new Quay Quarter Tower development, Penelope’s is in good hospo company, with Pearl next door and Lana and Apollonia across the street.

In case you haven’t noticed, Sydney is knee-deep in restaurants with traditional female names. Penelope’s might be on-trend with its moniker, but it’s deliciously off-piste with its colour palette.

But is the colour of the giant banquette, menu folders and staff aprons purple or pink? “It’s lilac,” says general manager Lee Potter Cavanagh. “Designer Kathryn Ashley just went for it, we leant into it.” Look closer (and up) and earthy tones inspired by Gadigal country sweep the dining room.

The design is intended to reflect the way the restaurant celebrates diversity and explores the melting pot of local food. The restaurant is mining the cultural journeys of its team, including owner Cuong Nguyen’s Vietnamese heritage (Hello Auntie); head chef Bremmy Setiyoko’s Indonesian background interlaced with experience at some of Sydney’s best restaurants, including Sepia; and Potter Cavanagh’s British and Irish lineage.

“Our aim is to challenge stereotypes and defy preconceived notions of what ‘Australian cuisine’ should be – we thrive on diversity and have an abundance of cultural hubs throughout the city,” Nguyen says.

“Don’t call us ‘fusion’ at Penelope’s. We’re simply passionate about sharing our authentic Sydney experience.”

Potter Cavanagh points to the prawn cocktail, an inclusion he was initially hesitant about. But the addition of bush tomato and a Vietnamese dipping sauce transformed the dish and won him over.

And there the “Lakemba” spiced shoulder, inspired by Setiyoko’s first exposure to Middle Eastern food in Sydney’s west. At Penelope’s, it’s matched with a Sydney signature, smashed avocado, which is used in the yoghurt sauce, along with hints of fermented chilli and black vinegar.

Setiyoko, a finalist this year in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide’s Smeg Young Chef of the Year Award, has included Indonesian grilled bakar chicken as an example of their approach. He’ll match it with garlic sauce inspired by toum, the condiment served with the charcoal chicken he’s been introduced to since moving to Australia.

Potter Cavanagh has curated a list of 100 wines and promises a cocktail list that features a Bogan Old Fashioned, mixing aged rum, macadamia, wattleseed, and Vegemite caramel. Penelope’s will also feature live music and DJs.

Open Mon-Fri noon-11pm; Sat 5pm-11pm.

Quay Quarter Tower, level 1, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney, penelopes.com.au