Where can you go for a decent lunch at a reasonable price in Oxford? I am sure I am not the only person to ask this on a regular basis and, too often, my treks around the city’s eating places result in one, or both, of these criteria not being matched.

Rarely do I become enthusiastic about a new find, but this month has proved to be the exception.

Nestled at the bottom of Cowley Road, the strangely named RJ@21 has appeared.

In fact, the name is not that strange as this is 21 Cowley Road, and RJ is simply the initials of owner Rod Jones.

Mr Jones previously ran the Oxford Arms at Kirtlington with brother Bryn, but decided to dip his toe in the notoriously choppy waters of the city restaurant scene last year.

The result is a smart, modern cafe/restaurant reflecting its urban surroundings and the type of crowd Mr Jones hopes to attract. There is also a vaguely Mediterranean feel, although more of that later.

And I would feel just as comfortable ordering a coffee (a takeaway service is available), a glass of wine, or a bacon sandwich — it is open for breakfast.

A friendly face at the front-of-house, Mr Jones quickly ushered us to a table by the window looking onto the busy street beyond.

For starters we opted to share the portabello mushrooms with walnut dressing.

This consisted of large field mushrooms stuffed with home-made pesto sauce and nut pieces. A particular fungi fan, I was not disappointed with this delicious combination.

It went particularly well with the bottle of pinot grigio which we had also ordered with our meal. An excellent start.

Gradually, tables around us started to fill but Mr Jones seemed to have plenty of time to make everyone feel comfortable and dispatch their orders quickly to and from the kitchen.

For the main course I had ordered a beef burger supplemented by extra bacon and cheese, and served with chips and salad, as well as an array of condiments.

This was just up my street. The burger was made from beef supplied by East Farm at Kirtlington and was moist, tender and full of flavour.

Across the table my slightly more ambitious companion had selected the Catalan chicken consisting of grilled chicken breast, tomato, courgettes and chick peas set on a dish of rice.

Again this was packed with flavour and represented an excellent antidote to the freezing weather outside.

It later emerged that Mr Jones is a fan of Spain, its cooking and cafe culture, and this is reflected in the menu, as well as the decor, which is brightly coloured and makes best use of the available light.

Despite these filling main courses, the desserts looked too good to turn down and I pushed the boat out with a hot caramelised apple ‘coca’ with cinnamon and vanilla ice cream.

The apple was delicately spiced, while the light puff pastry combined beautifully with the ice cream.

Meanwhile, my partner had chosen the poire belle helene — poached pear, vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce.

Sadly, this was the only disappointment of the meal as the pear, poached in red wine, did not taste as expected, while for some reason the chocolate sauce had turned hard.

Yet overall this had been a good experience and, as far as I am concerned, one that should be repeated soon.

RJ@21 is in a tough market surrounded by more established competitors, not least of which is Cafe Coco next door. But I hope it succeeds, because it is genuinely different in terms of service and ambience and, with a garden at the back, should come into its own in the summer.

Menu: Portabello mushrooms stuffed with walnuts and pesto: £4.50; Catalan chicken: £9.75; beef burger with cheese and bacon: £8.50; poire belle helene: £4.95; caramelised apple ‘coca’: £5.25 Bottle of pinot grigio: £13; coffees: £4.50 Total: £50.45

Contact: 01865 201120 Web: www.rj21.co.uk