Soho’s streets are bursting with cool little places to duck into for a bite – but until now we couldn’t name you a Greek restaurant we’d think to try our luck at. Formerly 21 Bateman Street, the restaurant that is now Suvlaki has always served Greek fare – but underwhelming reviews kept it well under the radar.

Whatever the economic climate, this country can do great food – and we were keen to remind ourselves of that.

Stepping into the refurbished space it’s clear real money has been spent on turning the place around. Italian fluted pillars line the wall on one side, Moroccan tiles add a pop of texture and marble table tops have been flown all the way from Greece.We might be here for posh kebabs, but it’s a grander setting than we imagined – and the wine’s far from something you’d blindly throw down your neck at 2am.

Meats are cooked over a robata-style grill, skewers (3 for £11) of glistening lamb mince alongside gamey wild boar sausage hailing from Mount Olympus itself.

You can have any 3 suvlaki wraps for £12, from chicken thighs with plum tomatoes to a vegetarian option of Chios island Mastelo cheese, vegetables and turmeric sauce.

Slightly overwhelmed, we opted for the ‘Suvlaki Exuberance’ sharing platter (£34) to share, offering a choice of two skewers, two mini wraps, four sides & a pita burger. Feta cheese salads were a little small, and for the price, one would expect some more chips – but the variety of meats won us over.

There are just two items on the dessert menu, but we’re guessing most people are well into the Greek wine list by that point – many are £22 a bottle, a great price for obvious quality.

Stumbling out into the night in search of somewhere to dance, (the obligatory shot of Ouzo might do that to you at just £2), we felt we’d done the night backwards – we just wish it was open until 2am so we could grab something to scoff on the night bus home.

Website: Suvlaki.co.uk

Address: 21 Bateman St, London, W1D 3AL