HAD GREEK CIVILISATION NEVER EXISTED WE WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME FULLY CONSCIOUS.

HAD GREEK CIVILISATION NEVER EXISTED WE WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME FULLY CONSCIOUS.

So said WH Auden - and now we can replace the word civilisation with food and wine.

There was a time way back when Borough Market was a foodie’s paradise. Then it became an over commercialised tourist trap and anyone with culinary credibility steered well clear.

But life is cyclical and today it is, once again, the hottest spot for anyone in the know.

Let’s be clear here though, this time around it’s not Borough Market itself that is attracting the masses but the amazing restaurants around it that seem to be openly weekly and getting rave reviews even from critics who are usually impossible to please.

There is Camille, sister restaurant to the wonderful Duck Soup in Soho that is French and so delicious that my mouth is drooling as I write.

Then there is Kolae - super spicy Thai in very chic surroundings.

Akara is the baby of Michelin starred Akoko and a much more affordable option so you can get your fix of the wonderful African treats on offer without breaking the bank.

Rambutan is Sri Lankan and is sharing food that you will be fork fighting with your companions over.

And then…… there are AGORA and OMA. You cannot help but notice that Greek is the new trend in cuisine this season and David Carter, the man with the Midas touch when it comes to opening restaurants (SMOKESTAK and manteca) has, as you would expect of this superstar, got both the location and theme right with this double launch.

But this is all about OMA today. In its first month of opening, I went four times and, honestly, I would take up residency if I could.

What was David’s philosophy in setting up this dualled gem?

“The site was completely unique in that the infrastructure completely warranted and demanded two concepts. While OMA holds the warmth and romance of the Greek

isles, AGORA balances it with the grit and bold flavours found in the lively streets and markets of Athens, with our 2 metre souvla rotisserie being the focal point.”

AGORA (mentioned for its Kiwi Sour in the interview with Joanna Hughes) is on the ground floor and is walk-ins only, no reservations.

Queues are round the block (one Instagram post said 250!) as people happily wait armed with their frozen margaritas that are sold from an open window adjacent to the restaurant - a clever touch.

But this is all about OMA today.

In its first month of opening, I went four times and, honestly, I would take up residency if I could.

OMA is on the upper floor of the site and is very, very chic. The interior is a piece of art in itself - a signature of Carter’s restaurants. Both industrial and warm - an almost impossible combination to perfect. As well as a spacious stylish dining room, it has a wonderful terrace that is both covered and heated. You can literally hear the trains from London Bridge - which may sound unattractive but is actually wonderfully atmospheric and somehow makes you feel you are in a far-flung, glamorous destination a million miles away from London.

The staff are stunningly friendly, and you walk out feeling you’ve made a whole bunch of new friends.

One of the senior team members is Andrew Michael - a Greek Cypriot - who on my first visit greeted me with a warm hug, having remembered me from when he was at Kol and I visited two years ago. Impressive.

As well as Kol, the impossible to get into Mexican gem, Andrew was also at Alex Dilling at the Cafe Royale. A pretty Michelin star-studded CV. Now, he lends his charm to OMA as their restaurant manager.

Andrew is warm and welcoming. He explains the menu to us as we sip a delicious glass of Greek sparkling wine, honestly every bit as delicious as the finest French champagne.

As a Greek Cypriot myself I must confess to being generally vastly underwhelmed by the quality of Greek cuisine in London (Daphnes in Camden totally excluded from that), so my expectations were set at a relatively low bar.

The menu tells us the food is ‘Greek inspired’ and the head chef is Jorge Paredes who was the executive chef at Sabor. It begins - as you would expect from any Greek place - with breads and dips. But please dismiss any thoughts of fluorescent pink taramasalata from your mind. These dips were refined, sophisticated, delicious. Think peppers and nuts (ajvar, mizithra, hazelnuts). Salt cod XO sauce with labneh. Hummus that was unlike

“The wine list is a beautifully written book; it talks about the wines being ‘inspired by the sea’ and divides them into three sections; influence of the sea, surrounded by the sea and further inland.”

any I have ever tasted. And the bread! Not a boring pita in sight. The wildfarmed laffa was like a cloud. The açma verde was a Turkish style bagel that would leave all those Brick Lane bakeries begging for the recipe. And the hot potato crisps…. I have no words. Is it dramatically sad to rave about bread? I think when you try them you will understand.

Next comes the crudo section. Or the omaas, in Greek, ‘oma’ means raw. There were four fish ceviche-style dishes to choose from and having tried all four now I would just say stick a pin in and enjoy. They are all divine. A gilt head bream, seabass, chalkstream trout and yellowfin tuna. All super fresh they were almost like palate cleansers for the next courses.

Small plates next. Honestly the lobster bisque borek was the closest thing to paradise I have experienced. Super thin flaky filo pastry encrusting, yes you read correctly, lobster bisque and all covered with scrumptious cheese. I did want to lick the plate and I did not want to share. My other small plate fave is the mussels saganaki. Spicy with that fab Greek cheese and, at the bottom of the pot, chunks of bread that have been soaking in the sauce.

The next course comprises skewers and grills. I can so recommend the octopus that is served with lamb sausage. Not a likely pairing but one definitely made in heaven. Add the asparagus which is in tonnato - again what a mindblowing combo. Add to those a Greek salad which has carob rusks and instead of feta, galomizithra and your mouth

will be in bliss. But don’t stop there. The clay pots are next. They are baked with orzo and both options offered were completely different but just yum. The wild red prawn giouvetsi was served with deepfried prawn butter and, the star of the entire show, the oxtail version came with bone marrow and beef fat pangrattato.

However full you are feeling at this stage, find room for dessert. My personal faves are the cold rice pudding with hot grilled strawberries and the olive oil ice cream which plays with your head but is nothing short of sublime.

Now let’s talk about the drinks. While downstairs at AGORA, freshly mixed cocktails are their thing, at OMA it is batched cocktails that are available. Try the clementine gimlet. Homemade (as is everything), it is addictively moreish. Cleverly served in a small as well as normal size, so you can indulge and still be able to sample the wines - and sample them you must.

The wine list is a beautifully written book; it talks about the wines being ‘inspired by the sea’ and divides them into three sections; influence of the sea, surrounded by the sea and further inland. Whilst there are wines from France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Portugal and South Africa, it is the ones from Greece that you should pay attention to.

Greece has moved beyond the days of fuel-like retsinas to now being considered a true player. The sparkling I mentioned was brut cuvée spéciale xinomavro, domaine karanika. OMA has four outstanding sommeliers, Luisa Fleur, Lars, Alessandra and Sam, and they really know their stuff, so be sure to pick their brains and choose some Greek wines you may not otherwise know. You will be more than pleasantly surprised; of that I have no doubt.

And before you leave make sure you do two things: firstly, have a glass of Greek dessert wine (move over Hungary, there is a new contender for your throne) and secondly book your next visit as this place is fast becoming the hottest ticket in town. 

OMA

2 - 4 Bedale Street, SE1 9AL, London [above AGORA] +44 2081296760 hello@oma.london

monday - sunday 1200 - 1500 / 1730 - 2300

OMA is available for private hires and group bookings in their wine annex or bakery dining room from 1 September onwards. Email hello@oma.london to arrange your bespoke event and view the sharing or feasting menu.