Real Greek - Clerkenwell, The

The Real Greek first opened its doors to the people of Hoxton in 1999. The restaurant now has five more outlets and has plans to add more, ample proof that customers love chef Theodore Kyriakou's creations.

The restaurant offers the delights of Greek street food in the comfort of quiet, charming and sophisticated interiors with chandeliers, wooden flooring and cocktail style seating, where Hoxton and Clerkenwell blend with the neon lights of Bankside.

Freshly cooked Mediterranean food, like so many other forms of cuisine, is all about outstanding ingredients, unique textures and honest flavours. The Real Greek demonstrates this through their mezedes, small savoury appetisers that are best had with hot flatbread, before going on to enjoy the souvlaki or the Greek grilled kebab. The spiced hummus of chickpeas with tahini, dolmades, vine leaf wrapped parcels of rice, herbs, nuts and Corinthian sultanas or popular taramasalata are served cold. Hot meze include choices like lightly spiced beef sausages called loukaniko, grilled octopus, dressed in olive oil, lemon, garlic and mountain-dried oregano and mixed Greek cheese.

The charcoal grilled kebabs or souvlaki come wrapped in flatbread and can be shared or had individually. The restaurant's specials comprise of dishes that have an assorted mix. The meat sharer comes with lamb skewer, tahini chicken wings, a Greek beef burger, melitzanosalata of smoked aubergines, htipiti made of puree of roasted red peppers, feta cheese and roasted red onions with flatbread.

Diners can also relax over Greek wines among other popular red, white, and rosé wines along with a selection of champagne, cocktails and beer.

Those conscious of healthy eating will be most satisfied with salads made using fresh vegetables, olive oil and roasted tomatoes. Trust the baklava, a Greek sweet consisting of thin pastry layered with nuts, pistachio, almonds and walnuts mixed with sugar and baked, then steeped in honey, lemon juice and rose water, to help you end a Real Greek meal.