Oma

 Innovative Greek concept

salt cod xo, labneh

Since Chef David Carter opened Smokstak in Shoreditch back in 2016, I could tell he really understood the magic of fire cooking, his American-style BBQ meat was simple yet excellent. Since then, he went on to open the Italian concept Manteca in 2021; the meat dishes were again the star. Fast forward to 2024, he opened the Greek concept Oma, located inside Borough Market. What I learned from Manteca is that what he is good at is taking a cuisine's essence to enhance the flavours of his inauthentic take on the cuisine, and leverage top class ingredients and fire cooking. So I had high expectations of Oma.

gilt head bream ceviche, green tomato + apple aguachile

lobster bisque börek

charred lamb belly, hummus, shallot + mint salata

The menu spit from bread, raw, small, skewers to mains, most dishes are small size tapas style so best to come in pairs and share about 8-10 dishes together. The xo whipped cod was top class, I really enjoyed the dry shrimp elements which deliver a very rich umami taste and worked well with the garlicky profile of the bread. The charred lamb belly had lovely smoky and sweet burnt taste, yet the inside had an amazing melting texture, while the mint added a touch of freshness to offer a balance.  The lamb chop sadly was over seasoned. which was a shame as the quality of the Cornish-aged lamb was outstanding, but completely overpowered by the heavy drop of salt.  

octopus + sausage, lamb sauce

wild red prawn giouvetsi, deep-fried prawn butter

dry-aged lamb chop, green sauce

I tasted 10 dishes and I enjoyed all the dishes apart from the over-seasoned lamb chop, it would have been a 4/5 if it wasn't for the lamb. Oma is a really strong place despite it only just being opened. I enjoyed the innovative take on Greek cuisine, the powerful, yet fresh flavours with the usage of herbs and spices worked wonders and this is somewhere I would for sure I would head back, I can't think of anywhere in London that does anything similar and I am sure Oma would on course to be a very popular restaurant for Londoners and tourists.

Food 3.5/5


What I paid: 
£110 per head with  wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£60


3 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL

https://www.oma.london/