I had been registering the steady - seemingly rather slow - progress on creating the new Sahara bar and restaurant on my evening bike rides through the city centre. "Opening in September" was the legend on a large banner outside the premises at the bottom of the Wheatsheaf Yard, behind Oxford Town Hall. But September came and went with no sign that it was ready for business. Most of October too. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the door was open. As I slowed to take a peek, a young man stepped forward and handed me a leaflet promoting the place. It offered 20 per cent off food, or a first round of drinks in the bar, during November. When I decided to make use of it a week later, I could find it nowhere - but what the hell, we'd go anyway.

I'm glad we did, for our visit last Thursday night gave an enjoyable first glimpse of a place that looks set to make a significant contribution to the nightlife of the city. The company's one other branch in Reading appears, from what I read on the Internet, to be the epitome of cool there (OK, I know it can't have many rivals). If it finds favour with our trendies, who rather need something this end of town, Oxford's Sahara could follow suit.

One big thing going for it is an elegant, if slightly out-of-the-way, building. I have known it in various guises down the years, from wine bar and real ale 'boozer' to its more recent incarnations as Michel Sadones's Ma Belle and most recently, Je t'aime, a French restaurant which had a rather shorter life. Sizeable sums would appear to have been lavished on it during the refit, producing a stylish feel both upstairs in the restaurant and below - where our evening began - in the cocktail bar.

Chatting to various members of staff there, I discovered they offer about a hundred drinks, many of them to recipes of their own devising. I think it likely that the two cocktails we tried came into that category. Mine was called a Kiwi Kiss II, a longish drink - utterly delicious - served over crushed ice and consisting of measures of Bombay Sapphire gin, Wyborowa vodka, raspberry puree and apple schnapps. It was garnished with a big slice of kiwi fruit, which political has-been Stephen Byers tells us we shouldn't be eating because of the food miles involved in getting it here. In fact, it comes by ship - so no global warming implication there. I didn't eat my bit anyway, since it fell to the floor as I raised the drink to my lips.

Rosemarie chose a Wibble, partly, I think, because she wanted me to look an ass as I ordered it at the bar and partly because it contained her favourite Plymouth gin, in company with sloe gin, grapefruit and lemon juices, and blackberry liqueur. Another big hit.

After these fine appetite sharpeners, we were ready for our dinner, to which we were escorted by the pleasant young greeter who had met us earlier at the front door. Above, there was no shortage of tables. The only other one occupied contained half a dozen people with connections, I suspected, to the management. Could they have been the owners? They appeared, at any rate, to be thoroughly spoiling themselves with what was on offer - as we very soon were too.

The menu is not large, consisting in the evening of half a dozen starters, 11 main courses and six puddings. Some of the mains come with potatoes or vegetables, but most customers, I think will probably resort to the various side dishes - as I did - to contribute to their '5 a Day'.

My meal began with three little home-made fishcakes, which featured smoked salmon, haddock, spring onions and potato - perhaps a little too much potato. But they were pleasant enough, and prettily presented with a rocket salad and so-so tartare sauce. Rosemarie had the freshly made soup, a combination of mushroom and Stilton that would have been perfect but for a slight excess of pepper.

She continued with 'Navirin' of lamb, as it was called on the menu. She was pleased to find the dish constructed on classic lines, even if the spelling differed from the traditional. The vegetables in the rich red-wine and tomato based stew even included turnip (navet in French), which is believed to have supplied its name.

My main course was seared tuna steak, on a bed of chargrilled aubergine - a new favourite of mine after years of eschewing the vegetable - with apricot sauce and a "crunchy coleslaw" of red onions, carrots and red peppers.

There was twice as much fish as I expected, which would have been fine had I been thoroughly enjoying the dish. As it was I found the very strong flavour of the tuna ill matched with the sweet apricot sauce. That the fish was served almost raw, and therefore barely warm, did not add to its appeal. I finished it, but only just, and I was glad of the variety offered by the aubergine, and the side dishes of al dente green beans with olive oil and Parmesan shavings, and spinach with oil and garlic.

After that, I had no room for pudding, but was pleased to see Rosemarie enjoying her meringue, with fresh strawberries and sweetened cream.

Sahara is at 11 Wheatsheaf Yard, telephone 01865 724433.