Preston's Greek eatery is a worthy addition to city's restaurant scene

And the family-run Greekouzina is already proving itself to be a welcome addition to the city’s dining scene.

We visited for weekday lunch and found the tables inside pleasingly busy. There were even more customers coming in for a takeaway gyros - and much more besides...

In summary Greekouzina is a great destination for a relaxed, informal but quality meal, or a quick bite to eat on a night out.

The venue is new but the business is not - and it is quite a transformation from the previous address, a takeaway in Marsh Lane. It’s true it has inherited a casual edge from the takeaway, seen most clearly in the polystyrene and plastic boxes, but the clean and modern decor at Friargate gives this place an atmosphere of professionalism.

The food selection is impressively extensive and the excellent menu itself has pictures and detailed descriptions of all the dishes - very helpful.

We started off with salad, of which there is a good selection on the menu. My wife opted for the Veggie Dakos (£4.90), which with its olives and oregano was a taste of the Mediterranean.

I went for the Green salad (£4.90). The green leaves were crispy and the serving of tomatoes was generous. The salad was served with a balsamic dressing, which perhaps a bit overpowering for my taste.

It wasn’t long before the main course was brought to the table.

We both chose dishes from the Specialities section of the menu. My wife, an ardent fan of anything spicy, went for the Chicken Inferno (£10.50). This was a mixture of rice, meat from chicken skewers and hot sauce. The small morsel I was afforded was tasty and flavoursome. She finished it without complaint.

I’m not Greek and to be honest I wasn’t that hungry before we came out for lunch, so I’m not sure why I went for the Hungry Greek (£9.50) - and the name certainly didn’t disappoint.

The pitta sandwich filled with a mixture of pork and chicken was nicely constructed (not done full justice in its polystyrene box). It was delicious and very filling.

There are a range of delicious looking Greek desserts.

We went for a Kataifi (£3.50), a stringy looking blob that is a delicious mixture of crispy dough, honey, cinnamon and walnuts. Interesting.

We also ordered a Rizogalo (£3.60) - a Greek variation of rice pudding. Served cold, it was tasty although perhaps on the sweet side.

The bill came to just over £39 and on the whole this was a delicious and eye-opening meal of a cuisine which deserves deeper delving!

4 stars (out of five)