Agora, Borough Market, London Greek restaurant review

Despite Agora and Oma both being Greek restaurants, and one being upstairs from the other on the edge of Borough Market, they're both quite different.

Whilst Oma is light and airy, Agora is dark, moody and intense.

Whilst Oma riffs on its high-end Greek cuisine, Agora more closely follows tradition with its rustic Greek cooking.

Whilst Oma is owned by David Carter (the restaurant supremo behind Manteca and SmokeStak), Agora is also owned by David Carter.

And whilst Oma is great value for a Michelin-starred restaurant in Central London, Agora is ridiculous value for a London restaurant with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Okay, I guess they’re not really that different, but you catch my drift.

Billed as souvlaki bar, Agora’s menu is divided into spreads, skewers + grill, salata, braises, wood-oven flatbreads, and wood-burning rotisserie.

On a dreary Tuesday lunchtime during the middle of a tube strike, Agora’s industrial dining space still filled up swiftly when they opened at midday. It’s a good indicator that it’s still one of London’s hottest tables even after being open for a couple of years. Most of Agora is given over to walk-ins, and we perched at one of their many counters that surround the bars, windows and kitchen.

As we'd been boozing a lot lately, we stuck to the soft drinks - a fresh and fragrant rhubarb lemonade (£3.50) and an even better sinus tickling ginger soda (£4).

Hummus and crisps (£5) is a picky bit classic and here a silky version of the dip was topped with crunched up paprika spiked crisps. It was a lovely idea and meant the whole thing could be gobbled up with a spoon rather than needing hands.

Oma's take on tirokafteri (£5) saw tangy feta mixed with sweet roasted peppers and the gentle fieriness of pickled chilli. It was another excellent dip.

Freshly baked breads were ideal dipping implements - an airy and slightly elastic Wildfarmed flatbread (£3.50) was the pick of the two.

A sesame seed dotted koulouri pita (£3.50) was in more familiar soft bread roll territory.

Onto the skewers, and a pair of pork souvlaki (£5 each) were beautifully crisped around the edges with blushing pink interiors and well dusted with oregano.

Even better were a pair of gorgeously juicy and crisp-skinned slow cooked chicken thighs (£6 each), scattered with herbs and squeezed with lemon.

The Greek summer holiday vibes kept coming with a salata (£10.50) made with nutty and crisp carob rusks and a big dollop of thick and creamy galomizthra cheese.

Finally soft and tender chickpeas (£9) bobbed in a light vegetable broth which was zhushed up with the addition of verdant green zhoug.

All in, our bill came to £75 with ample food for two, a drink each, and 12.5% service. I’d say this is good value anywhere, let alone the middle of London. We had a delicious lunch of summery Greek flame cooking at Agora. I already had a lot of love for Oma and its more casual sibling downstairs is another big winner of a restaurant.

The Details:

Address - Agora, 4 Bedale Street, Borough Market, London SE1 9AL

Web - https://www.agora.london/

Oma, Borough Market, London, Michelin-starred restaurant review

Someone has taken a chill pill at the Michelin Guide.

I like to think I know the types of restaurants that are generally awarded a star by the tyre people. 

And Oma isn't it.

It's a brilliant restaurant that serves flavour-packed and fairly priced modern Greek cooking. And it's a lively and informal place with down to earth service and delicious house wines that cost just over a fiver a glass.

In summary, it's everything that so many Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK aren't. 

I’m sure there's a certain breed of restaurant snob who’ll visit Oma and be disappointed by the lack of a library-like atmosphere or the absence of dishes that have been tweezered to within an inch of their lives. 

But I digress. Oma has been top of my London list of places to visit for a while, ever since a good friend said it would be right up mine and Mrs G's street. Furthermore, it's owned by the immensely talented, David Carter, the man behind the brilliant Smokestak and Manteca.

Located upstairs from its sibling restaurant, Agora, on the edge of Borough Market, Oma was buzzing on the Sunday lunchtime we visited. The menu, whilst Greek-centred, is unlike those at any of the tavernas we visit whilst on holiday. Head chef Jorge Paredes has elevated classic Greek flavour combinations and thrown in a few global influences too with dishes like tuna ceviche with citrus ponzu (£16) and salt cod XO with labneh (£6). 

Despite having a sizeable 400 bin wine list, Oma’s house wines cost a mere £5.50 a glass.  Both their white and their red from Kokos Estate were excellent, a light yet aromatic Savatiano-Roditis blend and a berry laden blend of unnamed grapes.

Having bickered over what to pick from Oma’s extensive dip selection, we compromised and ordered two. They were both as delightful as each other. 

Silkily potent taramasalata (£6) was studded with cubes of pickled cucumber and nuggets of crisp and roasty carob biscuit.

Creamy labneh (£6) was pepped up with sweet and throat warming hot honey and crispy chickpeas.

Dipping tools were just as well-considered. A super light and squidgy bagel-shaped açma verde (£3.50) was lightly soaked in garlic butter. 

Wildfarmed laffa bread (£3.50) was pleasingly soft with a slight stretchiness.

Onto the small plates, and impeccably fresh and meaty seabass crudo (£13) was dressed with ladolemono, a punchy mix of lemon juice and olive oil, as well as crispy fronds of deep-fried leek.

Oma's signature dish is their spanakopita gratin (£15) and it's a properly naughty bit of comfort food. They've taken a classic dish and turned all the dials up to artery clogging levels. A tongue scorchingly hot pot of creamed spinach, studded with nuggets of salty feta, was delicious spooned over flaky and fatty paratha-esque malawach flatbreads. The effect was unmistakeably spanakopita like. 

We ordered two of Oma’s larger plates. A whopper of a squid skewer (£28) had a lovely lick of char and vibrancy from a green herb, za’atar and confit garlic dressing. Most of the bits of squid were commendably tender but a couple were verging slightly towards the chewy side.

We followed it up with their oxtail giouvetsi (£29), another big flavoured and indulgent bit of comfort food. A clay pot of meaty orzo oozed with melted cheese and was topped with stupidly tender bits of oxtail and a crisp bone marrow crumb. 

A fragrant and fresh fennel and herb salad (£6) was an essential order to balance the giouvetsi’s richness. The crisp and citrusy dressed vegetable was tumbled with handfuls of mint, parsley, basil and dill.

We had a superb lunch at Oma and it's another fabulous Borough Market restaurant alongside two of our other recent favourites, Rambutan and Kolae. As long as the Michelin Guide are feeling chillaxed, I reckon they should crack on and hand them a star each too. 

The Details:

Address - Oma, 3 Bedale Street, London SE1 9AL
Web - https://www.oma.london/
Telephone - 020 8129 6760

Sofia's Greek Corner, Adamsdown takeaway review

We were all set for a weekday lunch out at Sofia’s Greek Corner in Adamsdown when we stepped through their doors and realised that they don’t have any seats.

We should have known better as they’re located on the former site of Broadway Fish Bar, so magicking a seating area in such a small space was never going to be likely. Still, as we live just a five-minute walk from Sofia’s we decided to crack on.

As well as the usual selection of gyros, dips and salads, Sofia’s offers a range of pies, pastries, desserts and mains, including moussaka, stifado, and meatballs. Many of the dishes are available in family-sized portions so there’s even better value to be had than their already keen prices if you order in bulk.

 After a short wait for our order, we were back at home guzzling lunch in no time at all.

To start, Sofia’s feta (£3.80) was every bit as naughty as I hoped it would be. A brick of melted feta was sandwiched between layers of crisp filo pastry and drizzled with sweet honey and nutty sesame seeds.

Thick hummus (£3) had a really good chickpea flavour and a compelling extra dimension of spice, perhaps paprika. It was served with wedges of soft griddled pitta bread.

Dakos (£5), aka Cretan salad, was an excellent example of one our favourite Greek dishes. Crisp nuggets of nutty barley rusk were drizzled with olive oil and scattered with briny olives, white onion, tangy feta and fragrant oregano. It was a corking combination of textures and flavours.

A whopping pork and chicken gyros plate (£9.90) was the weakest dish of the line-up, but it was still very enjoyable. Golden-edged shavings of meat and standard issue chips were both well-flavoured but lacking in crispness. Fresh salad, more of that excellent griddled pitta bread, and a pot of potently garlicky tzatziki, were all lovely accompaniments.

We had a really tasty and cracking value lunch from Sofia’s Greek Corner - we were both absolutely stuffed for £21.70. If you're in the area, then it’s well worth a look.

The Details:

Address - Sofia's Greek Corner, 168 Broadway, Cardiff CF24 1QJ

Telephone - 029 2280 8836

Saraztro, Roath, Cardiff Greek restaurant review

More than any other cuisine, Greek food has the power to transport me to sunnier climates.

One dip of a bowl of pitta and tzatziki and I’m sat in a seaside taverna in Crete.

One munch of a gyros and I’m taken back to Faliraki and the memory of my brand new white Polo Ralph Lauren shirt, which I soiled with kebab grease on day one of a reluctant lads holiday when I was 18.

On a sunny autumnal day, the window seats at Wellfield Road’s Saraztro are a lovely spot to watch the world go by.

With a menu focused on well-priced Greek cooking, dishes include grilled whole calamari (£11.95), vegetarian moussaka (£12.95), and grilled halloumi (£10.95). There’s also a few wildcard options in there including a handmade cheeseburger (£8.95) and a chicken salad (£11.95).

Bottles of crisp Mythos (£3.80) and Efes (£3.80) sent us on our way to sunnier shores.

Out of our two small plates, a trio of meatballs (£5.95) were the star. Gloriously tender, light-textured and well-seasoned, they were coated in a thick, fruity tomato sauce and served with crisp and soft griddled pitta bread.

Thick taramasalata (£4.50) was good too, nicely balancing salty fish roe, olive oil and a balancing zip of lemon juice.

Onto mains, and a pair of chicken souvlaki (£11.95) skewers were nicely golden and delicately charred yet still commendably juicy. Served alongside thick and creamy fragrant dill-twanged tzatziki, super crisp paprika dusted chips and a half moon of olive oil fried pitta bread, which was pleasingly reminiscent of fried bread, it was a very enjoyable dish.

A good Greek salad (£7.95) was well-loaded with cubes of tangy feta, fresh tomato, cucumber, yellow pepper, kalamata olives, and red onion that was dressed with olive oil and oregano.

We had a very tasty lunch at Saraztro. Their Greek food hits the spot when you’re looking for a spot of summery cooking on Wellfield Road.

The Details:

Address - Saraztro, 57 Wellfield Rd, Cardiff CF24 3PA

Web - https://twitter.com/saraztro

Telephone - 029 2049 0600

The Athenian Tree, Canton, Cardiff Greek restaurant and takeaway review

Did I tell you about the time I went on a lads holiday to Faliraki when I was 18 years old?

To cut a long story short, I couldn’t wait for the end of each night so I could get to the kebab shop and guzzle a gyro wrap stuffed with crisp spit-roast pork, fries, salad and tzatziki. Such was my enthusiasm that I dripped kebab fat all the way down the front of my brand new white Ralph Lauren shirt on the very first day of the holiday. 

So, it’s fair to say I’ve got a heck of a lot of time for Greek kebabs.

This leads me onto the Athenian Tree, a sister restaurant to Cathays’ much-loved Hellenic Eatery, located downstairs from the Purple Poppadom in Canton.

Much like the Hellenic, the Athenian Tree’s good value menu focuses on Greek dips, salads, grills, wraps and bakes. It’s the kind of no-nonsense comfort food which leaves very little room to hide.

A couple of on the go lunches were a very good introduction to their food.

A pork skewer wrap (£4.70) saw crisp and juicy pieces of oregano seasoned meat stuffed into a soft-griddled pizza alongside crunchy fries, fresh salad and a good dollop of garlicky tzatziki.

A chicken gyros (£4.70) substituted the pork for slices of crisp and tender meat shavings and the tzatziki for golden mustard twanged yoghurt. 

On a separate occasion we ordered a home delivery which was more of a mixed bag.

Athenian feta (£6), a must order at the Hellenic Eatery, saw thin sheets of rustling filo filled with a creamy and tangy ooze of melted feta. This decadent treat was liberally drenched with sweet honey and scattered with sesame seeds.

Cretan salad (£6) comprised of a crisp, grassy olive oil-soaked rusk topped with sweet fresh tomatoes, crumbled feta and fragrant oregano.

An Athenian meat platter (£26) was generous in portion but didn’t travel that successfully - coarse textured country sausage and tender pork souvlaki were the standouts. Golden hand cut fries were on the soft-side, shavings of pork and chicken gyro and herby beef patties were fairly decent, whilst a chicken souvlaki was pretty dry.

A soft griddled pitta did the job…

whilst dips were all great - complimentary mustardy yoghurt and garlicky tzatziki, and an additional pot of spicy and feta laced tyrokafteri (£1).

I really liked the Athenian Tree and can heartily recommend their takeaway wraps and starters. A few of their takeaways will certainly save me another trip back to Faliraki.

The Details:

Address - The Athenian Tree, 185 Cowbridge Rd E, Cardiff CF11 9AJ

Web - https://www.theatheniantree.co.uk/

Telephone - 029 2022 8976

Greek Village, Cardiff city centre restaurant review

On a sunny bank holiday weekend, Mrs G and I spent the day pounding the pavements of Cardiff.

Having worked up a good appetite we fancied an impromptu bite to eat for lunch. Almost ready to chew my arm off following a table availability wild goose chase, we ended up at Caroline Street’s Greek Village. 

A sister restaurant to City Road’s SouvLike, Greek Village serves an almost identical menu of charcoal grill meat plates, wraps, salads and dips. 

With an outside seating area and bifold doors, it’s the kind of airy spot I’m well into at the moment.

A pair of crisp Mythos lager (£3.50) tasted of Greek sunshine holidays. 

A deceptively hefty Greek salad (£6.50) was loaded with fresh cucumber, tomatoes, black olives and red onion and topped with a good hunk of tangy feta, olive oil and a dusting of oregano. 

Coarse hummus (£4) was big on chickpea flavour and served with slices of hot and squidgy griddled pitta. 

A groaning board of mixed gyros (£9.90) hit the spot big time. Golden, crisp and tender fat-flecked shavings of chicken and pork were well-seasoned with rosemary and heaped onto crisp chips and soft pitta. Fresh mixed salad and and garlic honking tzatziki completed the very tasty dish. 

We had a lovely and good value lunch at Greek Village. It’s a laid back city centre spot which fits the bill for a quick takeaway, light lunch or heftier feast.

The Details:

Address - Greek Village, 21 Caroline St, Cardiff CF10 1FG

Web - http://greekvillage.co.uk/

Telephone - 029 2023 0720