The Real deal

Souvlaki has got to be one of the original fast foods. Grilled marinated meat, wrapped in spongy bread, it's the granddaddy of all 'wraps'. Theodore Kyriakou, who challenged Londoners' perceptions of Greek food by opening the splendid Real Greek in Hoxton, has now invited us to join him in The Real Greek Souvlaki and Bar for his version of the snacking and drinking destination.

It's much more contemporary looking than the taverna I'd expected: a central bar of a kitchen bustling with activity, and lots of shiny surfaces. The place is already buzzing; the evening we visited, every table - including communal high ones, where you perch on stools - was taken by a loud, good-looking urban bunch chowing down on grub from the short menu.

Apart from the souvlaki, there are a number of small mezzedes. We ordered several of these, with the eponymous hero as main courses. The flat bread is excellent: torture to those of us trying to follow poor, dead Dr Atkins. We used it to mop up the sweetish tomato sauce from some magnificently tender octopus and to curl round some excellent Greek 'prosciutto' - cured ham. We also had htipiti, a savoury sludge of salty cheese and silky roasted peppers, good dipping food; and pastourma, a too-intense-for-my-tastes cured beef sirloin with pungent Middle Eastern spicing.

The souvlaki were fine: unsophisticated, satisfying, lots of nicely charred bits of meat in more of the bread, perfect fodder for absorbing rather too much Greek Golden Wine. (Greek wine, for those who know only Retsina, is a very pleasant surprise.)

Prices are aimed squarely at a boozing crowd - none of the dishes is much more than a fiver - who'll find the food a definite step up from the usual drinking den fare.

The Real Greek Souvlaki and Bar
140-142 St John Street, EC1V 4UB