If Agora's front window's open, you'll be able to see all this grilling action from the street, which should make you want to head straight in the door.
What can you tell us about Agora and Oma?
For one, this is actually a pair of restaurants, albeit under the same roof. Coming from David Carter, who brought us Smokestak and Manteca, these are both Greek-inspired but very different in execution. Downstairs is Agora - modelled after more casual Greek tavernas, this is a busy walk-in-only affair. Upstairs is Oma, the slightly more laid-back and refined restaurant.
Where are they?
They've opened a couple of doors down from Berenjak, taking over what used to be Hotel Chocolat's Rabot 1745 bar and restaurant. As with everything in the Market, London Bridge is the closest station.
Where should we go for a drink first?
If you're heading to Agora and there's a bit of a queue, forget anywhere else and get in line for your table there. It's part bar, part restaurant anyway so it's a great space for drinks and snacks. If you've a little more time, Bedales is a good option for wine, many of the pubs nearby are worth a look, and a little further afield Bar Daskal (from the people behind Barrafina) is a super little bar.
Downstairs at Agora - there's also a bar with more counter seating (it's hidden, to the left of this pic).
But otherwise, it's straight to Agora?
Absolutely. Judging by our visit, Agora is bringing something a little new to Borough Market, that's possibly only seen in nearby El Pastor. It's an incredibly fun, lively bar that feels as if a little bit of Shoreditch has been dropped into the market. If you happen to be walking past and there isn't a queue to get in the door, this is the perfect place to stop by for a few drinks and snacks.
Where should we sit?
You'll be sitting wherever they put you, although in addition to the communal areas you see above, there are a few larger booths at the back and some smaller tables if you just don't do the communal dining thing. In Agora, a seat by the bar or kitchen counters is a great option, as is the front window, with a few highly covetable spaces outside there too.
So what's the food like down in Agora?
Our main meal was upstairs at Oma, so we just stopped by for a quick snack here. At first glance, the menus are a little similar. There are skewers on both, as well as bread and dips/spreads like hummus and masabacha. But upon a closer look, while some of the sections on the menu are similar, each individual dish is unique to either Oma or Agora. So you could come to either and have a completely different meal. One notable difference is that Agora has wood-oven flatbreads that you won't find upstairs.
Here's a look at our snacks when we visited:
Wild garlic butter flatbread, metsovone (£7.5) - perfect, snack-sized flatbread (which also demonstrates how these are seasonally inspired).
Slow-grilled chicken thigh (£6) and lamb kebab, sumac onions (£4) - glorious skewers. Stopping by for a few of these and a glass or two of wine would be a perfect way to escape the market.
And then Oma is upstairs?
Yes, there's a separate entrance round the side or you can just head through Agora and up the stairs.
If Agora is loud and frenetic (in a good way), then Oma is a much more laid-back affair, and one you can book in advance. Up here, there's much more traditional seating as well as some larger tables for groups. That said, there are some counter dining seats if you like being closer to the action. Either the tables by the window or a space on the counter are your best bets.
Part of the upstairs dining room at Oma.
What about the food up here?
Again, it's Greek-inspired with a particular focus on the country's islands and coastal regions. You'll find more refined dips and spreads, and a crudo section (with a prominent raw bar by the open kitchen) alongside larger sharing dishes. Owner David Carter's assembled a pretty impressive team up here as well. In the kitchen, you'll find Jorge Paredes, previously executive chef of Sabor, and he also brought in ex-Kiln head chef Nick Molyviatis to help develop the menu.
We worked our way through a fair chunk of what's on offer, so here's a flavour of what to expect:
Get things started with some dips and their in-house baked wildfarmed laffa and açma verde (£3.50 each and amazing). We paired this with hummus, masabacha, green zhoug (£6) and a must-try salt cod xo, labneh (£6).
Above, you'll also note the mini-sized cocktails. These are pre-mix (poured at your table) and are a negroni and clementine gimlet (£5 each or £10 if you fancy a larger version).
Spanakopita gratin, malawach (£12) - a deconstructed version of the classic spinach pie.
Yellowfin tuna, clementine ponzu, crispy garlic (£14) - the crudo section is well worth a look, based on this excellent offering.
And then we have what will almost certainly become their signature dish:
Lobster bisque börek (£12) - their take on the borek has already changed since opening (it was once a crab borek). it's absolutely fantastic and a must-order
New season asparagus, tonnato (£12) - like downstairs, there is a skewers menu in Oma, but as exemplified with this very seasonal offering, they're a little more elevated. Other options included octopus with smoked sausage or charred squid.
Oxtail giouvetsi, bone marrow, beef fat pangrattato (£24) - one of the larger dishes on offer, take the beef off the bone to mix into the rice for a gloriously rich dish.
And after all that, dessert too?
Yes, you'll definitely need to hold back with dessert in mind. There is a sticky date pudding you could try, but we'd say that both of these should be ahead of that:
Risogalo rice pudding, blood orange (£7) - a truly great rice pudding, it's worth sharing this if you can only manage one dessert.
Olive oil gelato, fennel pollen and "more olive oil" (£7) - we love an olive oil ice cream generally, and the flavour ran deeply through this offering. Again, a nice light end to the meal, if you've over-ordered by this point.
What about drinks?
We'll start with downstairs which, in keeping with the vibe down there, has a much larger cocktail list, which is populated by their own takes on classics like a lemongrass paloma or a basil daquiri.
From Agora, this is an excellent plum and mezcal margarita (£10.50). They also do frozen margaritas down there.
There's also a short wine list downstairs, with plenty available by the glass and carafe (glasses start at £6, bottles at £29). Upstairs at Oma, the focus is much more on wine. Alongside the same by-the-glass list as Agora, a much larger selection is available. Like the main menu, the list is inspired by the sea and there's a big focus on Greek and coastal Mediterranean wines (wines are organised by their proximity to the coast).
Your best bet is to ask for some guidance up here and it's also worth heading to the back of the list for their "spotlight on" selection which zeroes on different grapes (xinomavro on our visit) and producers.
Anything else to mention?
Not quite ready when we visited is Oma's substantial terrace on the first floor overlooking the market. Fully covered but still "outside", this will be the place to be in the coming months.
A preview of Oma's upper-floor terrace - this opens on 21 May
Overall thoughts
Borough Market has had a great run recently, with the recent opening of restaurants like Kolae and Akara. The double-team of Agora and Oma continues this success, bringing something genuinely new and exciting to the market. Downstairs, there's a lively, infectious vibe while upstairs is like heading to Greece for an excellent Med-inspired feast. Both are an easy recommendation for your next visit to the market.
More about Agora and Oma
Where is it? 2-4 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
How to book: Agora is walk-in only, for Oma you can book online.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @oma.london and @agora.ldn.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Oma, prices are correct at the time of writing.
Subscribe to be the first to get the news from Hot Dinners
