There’s always something special about visiting an old restaurant – not just ‘old looking’ but genuinely venerable, as is the Soho institution Kettner’s, one of London’s oldest. Opinions are divided, however, on its recent refurbishment and transformation from mid-range pizza parlour to swish French brasserie, which gave me much more to ruminate during my visit.

Upon arrival at the cosy street-corner spot heralded by a tall exterior neon sign, perhaps ominously with only three of the eight letters working, to spell “NER”, its interior quickly explains why so many passing local executives slow down or pause for a peer through the window and at the mounted menu, their next dinner jolly in mind.

It’s all very early-1900s retro elegance, with low lighting softly illuminating the white marbley tables and long ‘pudding bar’, the grand dining room’s latest centrepiece. A polished grand piano sits near the entrance lobby while an ornate spiral staircase leads to two sprawling upper floors housing a warren of secret spaces and private dining rooms, all furnished in their original Georgian splendour.

The new design purposely harks back to how Kettner’s would have looked not long after opening its doors in 1867, when patrons included local luminary Oscar Wilde and reigning King Edward VII. On looks alone, it remains a venue to impress.

The proof is always in the pudding though, so it was with added interest that I perused the menu and awaited the results of my order, which was a starter of sauteed chicken livers followed by a main of roast rump of lamb with black pudding and snails. What would founder August Kettner, chef to Napoleon III, have thought of the kitchen’s class of 2010?

Well, in all honesty, the starter was excellent, the livers cooked perfectly and the lamb main following suit, its only downfall perhaps being the choice of accompaniments – the snails and black pudding combination had me feeling a little queasy by the end of it. All was forgotten though upon presentation of the skillfully prepared chocolate pudding which wrapped things up nicely.

So, while not blazing any trails through London’s fine-dining scene, Kettner’s certainly succeeds in delivering honest and satisfying brasserie fare, not inordinately expensive, and served up by cordial and unintrusive waiting staff.

Any critics initially unimpressed with the restaurant’s lavish conversion would do well to return for a second opinion, as it’s still managing to attract the Soho business crowd and nearby theatregoers in their droves, as it has done since its late 19th century heyday.

Kettner’s Restaurant and Bar, 29 Romilly Street, London, W1D 5HP. www.kettners.com