Borough Market seems to be having a Renaissance of late. From Rambutan and Kolae to Akara and Akub, its latest blockbuster openings have attracted much well-earned hype. Recently, all the critics and the entire social media world have been alive with Borough Market’s latest opening Oma and its downstairs bar Agora. This duo come from David Carter, the chef and restauranteur behind Smokestak and Italian-inspired Manteca. Here, though, they’re rooting themselves in Greek food albeit drawing influence from all over the Mediterranean.
The vibe inside at Agora – meaning “market” in Greek – is super buzzy, fun and wild, even for a Sunday evening. I’d anticipated a very long queue but the trick is to arrive on a Sunday evening when the Market is shut and the crowds quieter. We were seated within 10 minutes, better still at the buzzy counter stools. The walls are roughcast whitewashed cement and there are charcoal grills in an open kitchen. It is incredibly fun and lively, with a bar that feels a bit Shoreditch. If you’re looking for something more laid-back and smarter, though, and where you can book, head upstairs to Oma. During the summer months, the balcony area is open looking over the pebbled street beyond and surrounding the market.
Greek food is often typified in London: a well-practised litany of charcoal-grilled meaty skewers, uninspiring Greek salads, beige dips and flatbread. But there’s so much more within and beyond this mezze. Agora proudly boasts a menu of freshly-fired flatbreads, smokey spreads, next level Greek salatas and joyful braises. The Greek canon presented here is next level.
To start, came the hummus with masabacha (£6). This may be the best £5 you can spend in London. Especially for a multi-layered affair: the base is a velvety smooth and fluffy hummus; above is the “masabacha”, i.e. a crushed chickpea dip; and above sits crispy chickpeas coated in sumac. The finishing touch, though, is their signature spin– shards of spicy crisps, all broken up into different sizes, some absorbing the hummus, others remaining crunchy – it’s show-stopping. Smooth and creamy, chunky and crispy all at one.
Alongside came Agora’s heroic offering of hot, burnished, wildfarmed laffa flatbread (£3.50). This is doughy, cloud-like joy. Thanks to the 24-hour fermentation process – which means it has a low gluten content – it’s light and fluffy. Grill-scorched and puffily aerated, had a soft, unravelling flavour complexity that was pure heaven with the dips.
We also went for Agora’s take on the babaghanoush, here recast as “ezme” (paste) salata, chopped tomato, green chilli and pomegranate (£5). Seasoned with plenty of lemon juice, it’s zingy and spicy. A perfect dish to cut through the creamy hummus.
Given we were here for mezze, we also went for the hot potato crisps (£3.50). These classic potato “crisps” are seasoned with oegano, spiced with the house made konbu, paprika, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Salty, moreish, and XL, they’re ideal vehicles for the dips.
You could easily fill up on the breads, crisps and dips here. They’re spectacular. But recommended the skewers, I went for one with mushrooms and spring onions (£3.50) and another with shishito pepper (similar to the padron pepper) and pul biber (£3.50). Both were grilled to smokey perfection.
Debating between the salata and the braises, I went for what is apparently the most popular dish on the menu: slow cooked chickpeas finished with a green zhoug (£9). Cooked with onion, garlic, bay leaves and water, the chickpeas have a tiny bit of bite to them and come in a moreish broth that brings smiles. The green pesto-like zhoug above brightened the whole thing up and brought some herby freshness. Seasoned with coriander, green chilli and cardamom, this is seriously good.
Agora serves fantastic food that’s comfortingly familiar – so we can relax into it yet – thrilling all at once. It recaptures the easy hospitality and fun of a taverna in an unshowy way. The team here have taken Greek food up and away from its stereotypes and elevated it to new levels. It’s genuinely exciting stuff and at very reasonable prices.
Agora, 3 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
Website: https://www.agora.london/
Rating: *****
Yumtini 