ZEUS is the father of Gods and men and is also the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. It’s a name that takes some living up to.

Zeus run by the Charalambous family opened around six months ago at the bottom of town in the triangular piece of land that gave me my first job. That was as a glass collector at the Boy and Barrel in the days when Irene was at the piano for a good old fashioned sing song, and then after 10.30pm I moved through to Johnnys nightclub and did a stint there until 3am or so.

In more recent times people will remember where Zeus now is as The Palace Bar. And it does have something of that feel still with its marble floors and wooden bar. There are a lot of tables in there with some that can be seen by passersby and the rest tucked around the corner behind an internal wall.

The website promises that on busy nights things can take a somewhat lively turn in the Greek Cypriot way. But not on our night as it was quiet and it would have seemed so wrong to smash a plate on the floor. We’ll save that for another time, maybe along with the Greek dancing and live music.

The menu is traditionally Greek. It offers a three course meal for £18 that is, whichever way you look at it, good value for money.

We thought there would be a lot to eat. The amount that arrived did a disservice to the word ‘lot’. About as much as we ate ended up in sealed containers and taken home. It’s a two meal jobbie which makes it even better value for money.

The Greek for lamb is Arni – but Arnie Schwarzenegger would have struggled to shift this lot. ŠIt begins with olives in oil with jalapeno peppers – the kind that can be eaten without a jug of water – and warm pitta bread. Each of us had enough olives for two – big juicy fellows that kind of set the scene for what was to follow. The olives are marinated in chilli, garlic and olive oil and the dips were hummus and tzatziki.

There was no sense of hurry – a great relaxed feel to the place. The food comes down a special culinary lift from above – perhaps the chefs are up there with the Gods – and there’s a telltale sign to let the waiter know when it’s on its way.

Second course was keftedes (meatballs), dolmades (mince and rice in vine leaves) and grilled halloumi. The two super-size meatballs were in a thick, creamy tomato sauce while the grilled halloumi cheese has a strange texture somewhere between rubber and chicken, and yet the taste is unique in a very good way. Pour a few drops of the balsamic vinegar on the dolmades to bring out its full flavour.