Lagana is the latest restaurant from the Pachamama Group, the brains behind Bottarga in Chelsea and Zephyr in Notting Hill, among others. That may not mean much to you if you’re just looking for a nice place to eat dinner, but crucially, it means that this is a restaurant which knows how to deliver. It’s just opened when we visit, but honestly, there’d be no complaints if we’d visited several years into their tenure – nothing seemed rough around the edges or in need of ironing out.

The restaurant is just off Old Street, which means it is, of course, a little bit quirky. Think exposed concrete and faux-childish pictures on the menu and mirrors. You even get given a couple of pens to draw on the tablecloth, if that’s your kind of thing. Sound twee? Fear not, it’s all quite light touch, and if you want a standard dining experience, nobody is going to strong-arm you into doodling on a napkin or taking a unique mirror selfie.

Away from the art and onto the food. The playful window-dressing disguises a Greek-inspired menu which is up there with the best of them. Charred pittas and puffy flatbreads are almost as tasty on their own as they are when dipped in an almost impossibly creamy tarama dip, while blistered padron peppers are as good as any you’d find on the Med. It’s a small/sharing plates affair, but the server’s suggestion to pick one from each section of the menu is more than enough food for two, circumventing the usual small plates issue of drastically under or over-ordering.

As for what to order? Go Greek, go grilled, and go unusual. The chargrilled chicken thigh is an absolute highlight, crispy and lemon-flecked to perfection. The prawn flatbread is a hybrid of a pizza and pitta bread, with a liquid centre of tomato juice which we’re still dreaming of now. Away from the meat and bread, the monk’s beard is a surprising standout, served with Tsalafouti (an incredibly mild and creamy cheese) and given room to rest on its own merits. Special mention also has to be given to the Greek salad, which is elevated by some of the best feta we’ve ever eaten. We have seen the light and our days of buying own-brand supermarket sheep’s cheese are over. 

Where Lagana doesn’t quite hit the spot is when it deviates from its Greek and Mediterranean roots. The Yellowtail is serviceable, but pales in comparison to the other dishes on offer. Having said that, a fan of the fish won’t be left disappointed at what they’re given, they might just wish they’d opted for a pillowy flatbread or a charcoal-anointed chicken instead.

Topping off an excellent meal is a dessert menu which absolutely knocks it out of the park. The caramel cheesecake is so good we considered getting another one to take away, and the soft serve – so often an afterthought on restaurant menus – comes as a huge bowl of homemade chocolate heaven.

Lagana may have just opened, but it’s already a well-oiled machine pumping out great food and an ambience which sits just the right side of achingly cool. It’s no wonder it was absolutely rammed when we visited on a Tuesday evening. Impress your partner on your next date night by booking a table here, then impress them even more by brushing up on your art skills before you go.

73 Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3HU

For more information on Lagana, see here