What says a traditional British Sunday lunch more than heading down to a village pub and having, er, a Mediterranean meze.

Two brothers have invested around £300,000 to renovate The Kings Arms, in Meopham, near Gravesend, into a chic and inviting restaurant.

Minel Meze and Grill was opened last month by Mehmet and Muzo Celik, who also own one of my favourite restaurants Sultan Sofrasi, in Gravesend.

They signed a 20-year lease with the Wellington Pub Company earlier this year and completely refurbished the 17th century building in Wrotham Road.

And after hearing many positive reviews and being intrigued to see if it was as good as the Sultan, I booked a table for my family.

We pulled into the small car park at the back on Sunday evening and it was full. Not the best start but we were able to get a spot in a side street only a short walk away.

The former Kings Arms branding at the front of the restaurant has been replaced with a brightly lit sign. There's another one in the car park against an artificial forest wall.

From the entrance you walk into the bar area which is full of brightly coloured sofas and chairs. We did not stay here, our table was ready, but it looked like a good place to hang out after your meal to enjoy some more drinks.

The whole place had a chic and stylish feel to it as we were led to our table. It was seemed like £300,000 well spent to me.

The menu had a wide range of Mediterranean-inspired dishes including steaks, pasta, shish kebab and vegetarian options, as well as an extensive list of starters.

I opted for a vegetarian musakka of aubergine, potatoes, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, courgette, tomatoes and onions, which came with rice and salad for £16.

The rest of my party went for any choice of two from the mains section for £19.50. It included lamb shish, chicken shish and kofte and came with rice and salad.

And one of us ordered one of the signature dishes, a coban kavurma, for £18, which was pan fried lamb pieces with red wine, onions and mixed peppers served with rice.

We also ordered two sides of chips to share.

The food all arrived quickly and was presented beautifully on the plate although I did not spend too much time admiring it as it looked and smelled delicious.

The musakka was creamy and had a good variety and proportion of vegetables. As the rice came separately it was a little dry but after I mixed it in with some sauce it was fine.

I was told the shish options were good as was the coban kavurma although it could have come with salad or the portion size a little bigger.

We decided to also order some desserts – red velvet cake, chocolate fudge cake, creme brulee and a lemon cheesecake – but were told they may be running low on portions.

They came out quickly but as the desserts arrived we were told they did not have any cheesecake. It was not a problem but would have been nice to have been told before the others arrived.

The red velvet cake was nice but nothing special and I was told similar for the other desserts. I think next time I would choose a starter instead.

It may not have been a traditional Sunday meal but it was a nice change and was clearly a popular option as almost every table was full when we arrived.

As a regular diner at their other restaurant, Sultan Sofrasi, I was not disappointed and think this new place would be better for those looking for a more chilled atmosphere.

Out of five:

Food: The mains were presented beautifully and everyone cleared their plates so I don't think we can complain. The desserts did let them down slightly. ****

Drink: We only had soft drinks but there was a wide range on offer including wine, beer and cocktails. *****

Decor: I loved the look of the restaurant. It has clearly been invested in and gave off an inviting atmosphere. *****

Staff: All the staff were lovely and chatted through the menu with us when were were asking for recommendations. ****

Price: Most of the mains were under £20 and seemed a reasonable price for the quality of food. ****