Stuck for a late night snack, Tim Hughes joins the nighthawks at Botley Kebab

The brightly lit interior of the Botley Kebab van projects a homely glow, like a late night bar in an Edward Hopper painting.

Except instead of 1940s New York, this is Oxford's Botley Road; to be precise, just before the railway station. And, like Hopper's best known painting, it is a magnet for nighthawks, which is why it is so beloved of nocturnal residents of west Oxford.

While the vans in town cater for lairy groups of lads and lasses, stumbling out of bars and clubs, this is a sober working man and woman's diner – folk finishing long antisocial shifts, including members of this newspaper, for which the van is a lifeline – albeit one partially blocked with cholesterol.

Despite predictions that kebab vans have had their day, reports of their demise have been greatly exaggerated – and they remain a mainstay of night owls in need of sustenance (if only because there's nothing else open). And some - Botley Kebabs included – are actually very good, serving excellent Turkish food at a decent price.

On my visit I went for a small lamb doner (chicken is also available) with all the salad (requesting extra tomato for health-guilt reasons, and extra pickled chilli for flavour purposes). It came in thick meaty slices, served with its accompanying greenery in a lightly toasted fluffy pitta - dowsed with my choice of sauce (lemon and two varieties of chilli of varying heat). And it was good.

Oxford Mail:

The meat was juicy without being greasy, and looked to be of relatively good quality. It had bite and was the right colour (which is not always the case at such establishments). The serving, despite being the smallest on offer, was huge and very satisfying, and was nicely washed down with a glass of rich Malbec back at the ranch.

For a meat fix and most of your five a day (maybe) in one cheap package, it's hard to beat. Reasonably recommended.

Botley Kebabs, Botley Road, Oxford. Open 'til late every day.