Weekly Review: Oma
Buzzy spot in Borough Market comes through with a great take on Greek food and a lovely vibe.
Quick hit: Delightful modern Greek cuisine. Gobs of options, great breads, and a stellar wine list.
Details: Booking essential. Borough Market. £££.
Restaurant website. More on Instagram.
Find it on Google Maps. 3 Bedale St, SE1 9AL.
If you made a list of the top restaurant openings in London since the start of the year, no fewer than four spots in Borough Market would make the cut.
There’s Camille, French countryside cuisine perfected. Akara, spotlighting West Africa. Kolae, with its fiery take on Thai.
And finally, Oma, along with its sister spot Agora downstairs.
That’s an absurd strike rate for a 200 yard square of land in the middle of one of the world’s biggest cities.
Huge volumes of metaphorical ink have been spilled about Oma, and its fresh take on Greek food. It seems like every major critic has visited and no one has said a bad word. So, what can I add?
So I decided to focus on our exam question: “Is it good for a Professional Lunch?”
And the answer is yes. Very much so. But there are some things you need to know.
The vibe at Oma is very chic, modern, and cool. If London were sunnier, you would find people dining indoors in their sunglasses. There’s a great view overlooking the market. You feel the bustle, but are literally above it.
The food is to share. The menu is long, and there are lots of options. But for two-person lunch, our waiter recommended we order about 8 or 9 plates. Which we did.
My highlights included the Greek salad, which improved on perfect with a huge dollop of homemade cheese and absurd croutons crafted from the most incredible tasting bread.
Then there was the “Spanakopita Gratin,” which I suspect might earn condemnation from some Greeks, but earned only adoration from me. It was like the world’s most sublime spinach dip.
Crudo and lamb dishes were fantastic as well. And the breads were, I’m sure, crafted by Demeter on Olympus. Everything oozed with oil and garlic. Every flavour was elevated with an extra burst of herb or a blast of spice.
I am genuinely amazed at how good the cooking was.
The wine service was also excellent. In a modern greek place, I was hoping to tour modern Greek wine. The list offers a range of by-the-glass Greek selections that pair well with the food, and the Oma wine team was happy — indeed, eager — to help you on your tour. Dionysus would have been proud.
The only downside to Oma was that we definitely over-ordered. I left unpleasantly full, but the food was so good, it was easy to lose yourself.
For a Professional Lunch, Oma would be great for a group of 4-6 colleagues who don’t mind sharing everything. And who know each well enough that garlic — a lot of garlic — won’t get in the way of a good time. It’s probably not the right choice for a colleague or client you just met or whose tastes you don’t know.
Bottom line: Oma was wonderful. The food was great. The vibe was fun. It wasn’t catastrophically expensive.
It’s just another fantastic choice in London’s most interesting piece of culinary real estate.
One last thing: If you are out with a group for an evening, Agora on the ground floor is a stunner. All of the great wines of Oma plus stellar cocktails and Greek nibbles. It’s perfect for a professional night out.
Thanks for reading. Let me know if you’ve been to Oma and what you think of it. Please subscribe if you haven’t already and share Professional Lunch with friends and colleagues.