Best Restaurants in Borough Market 2025

A selection of plates at AGORA restaurant including anchovy flatbread and hummus

Best places to eat and drink in Borough Market

Oma – for Michelin-starred Greek small plates

Restaurateur David Carter — who already claims an impressive portfolio that includes acclaimed restaurants Smokestak and Manteca — has furthered his London restaurant empire and opened the doors to Oma and its more casual sibling Agora. The restaurant, split across two floors (Oma upstairs and Agora downstairs), draws inspiration from the lively street markets and restaurants of Athens and the wider Mediterranean, with décor and food and drink offerings that evoke its relaxed yet refined energy. In 2025, Oma won it's first Michelin-star.

We sent our pro reviewer KS Tong to check it out, here are his thoughts: "Oma's menu begins with a sneaky hero in the form of the wood-fired laffa flatbreads and açma verde (akin to a wild garlic-twisted bagel). These are made on-site in the basement bakery using wild-farmed British grains to go with a selection of house spreads, such as a salt cod XO labneh that was pure heaven. I could’ve easily just stopped here, via a few samples from the 23-page-strong wine list featuring 450-plus predominantly Greek producers, and left content. But to miss the crudo menu would be criminal (the name Oma is derived from the Greek word for ‘raw’ after all) – and yellowfin tuna with zesty clementine ponzu and crispy garlic certainly delivered. Small plates of skewers of dry-aged Cornish lamb chop (from renowned high-quality, high-welfare supplier The Cornwall Project), and lobster bisque börek and spanakopita gratin were a sensory slam dunk, each purposefully executed and thoughtfully curated. The real centrepieces however are the bigger clay pots, and the oxtail giouvetsi served with bone marrow and beef fat pangrattato was a worthy dish – rich, heavy and a striking contrast to the rest of the menu, which is a great deal fresher and lighter. It’s the perfect plate to set you up for dessert, where the sticky date pudding is not to be missed and pairs pleasingly with an Oma negroni." oma.london

Applebee's, Borough Market – for seafood

Applebee’s, a family-run Borough Market institution for 25 years, has recently relaunched with a new design and menu showcasing seasonal, sustainable British seafood. In summer, bag a table in the outside area at the front for watching the bustle of the market go by, while, inside, the open kitchen and bar all down one side of the winding room add to the buzzy atmosphere. Take a look at the fridge holding that day’s catch and watch chefs cooking over the tall barbecue grills.

Kick off with cocktails – a delicate rhubarb sour had an almost creamy texture. The drinks list includes a good range of wines by the glass, including interesting English bottles. If you can resist the opening snacks (crab croquettes, oysters, taramasalata), head straight to starters. Scallops are served in the shells with three different butters to tour through – lemony garlic, spicy sobrassada and salmon roe. A wedge of brown crab rarebit is cheesy and filling, topped with samphire and shrimp.

The mains showcase classic fish cookery paired with a range of culinary influences – grilled monkfish tail with chorizo jam, hake with beurre blanc, whole stuffed sea bream with spiced potatoes and curry sauce. A skillet of fish pie is soft and comforting. While Applebee’s may be predominantly all about the fish, make sure you save room for dessert – the sticky toffee pavlova with warm toffee sauce served tableside is not to be missed. applebeesfish.com

Rambutan – for Sri Lankan cuisine

Flames leap from clay pots, woks clatter over white-hot embers and the deeply satisfying aroma of coals and spice perfumes the air. This is mesmerising theatre from a counter seat at Rambutan where you watch the brigade of chefs turn out dishes that balance heat, sweetness and sharp aromatics with clockwork precision.

Set over two floors, the buzzing restaurant on Stoney Street is the creation of Cynthia Shanmugalingam, a British-born daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants from Jaffna who left before the civil war. Her menu is simply structured but the dishes are surprising and thrilling. Start with citrus wedges sprinkled with a lip-tingling, salty-sour punch of achuru, before moving on to gundu dosas, fluffy crisp balls for soaking up fresh, bright coriander sambol. Hotel Nippon beef and bone marrow rolls, crunchy with panko breadcrumbs encasing unctuous meat are essential.

The charcoal grill delivers smoky sensations (go for leeks and mango chutney) but the curries and clay stove dishes steal the show – saffron chicken pongal rice, like a smoky chicken risotto; not-for-the-faint-hearted red pineapple and mustard seed curry; and unmissable lamb kottu roti with spring greens and wild garlic. Butter rotis, delicate and flaky, puff before your eyes, ready to mop up every morsel of intensely flavoured sauce. Cool your tongue with tart, creamy blood orange curd ice cream. There’s a lot to love, so box up the rest and come back for more. rambutanlondon.com

Brindisa – for tapas

Brindisa sits in a prime corner spot with a wraparound terrace and open windows that are perfect for grabbing a sunny post-work drink or weekend bite after exploring the market. Channel a classic taste of Spain with a glass (or jug) of sangria or seasonal spritz. The Green Garden Cooler with Seedlip, elderflower cordial and apple and cardamom syrup is an excellent alcohol-free option.

Traditional tapas favourites are all found here: crisp jamón croquettes are the perfect sangria partner, while chorizo on toast has a crisp char and tangy chimichurri dressing. Seasonal and house specials join the menu, too. The monte enebro – creamy fried goat’s cheese with orange blossom honey – will be a welcome addition to your table. Patatas bravas are crispy but the aïoli is surprisingly light on garlic. Chargrilled vegetables come served whole with a refreshing green gazpacho. Skip the large plates but save room for creamy burnt cheesecake.

If you don't have time for a whole meal, head to the Brindisa market stall to pick up a chorizo roll stuffed with plenty of crispy chorizo, piquillo peppers and rocket. brindisatapas.com

Agora – for a taste of a Greek taverna

Agora means 'market' in Greek, which reflects the buzzy, casual style of David Carter's ground-floor restaurant below his Michelin-starred Oma. Punters can soak up the buzz of Borough Market at window perches or sit inside the modern space that provides a layer of Greek taverna warmth thanks to the handmade rotisserie’s open flames.

Make a beeline for the frozen margarita or paloma pepped up with lemongrass syrup while perusing the Mediterranean food menu. Flame-grilled bread, slicked with garlic butter, is perfect dipping material for fermented chilli erzu-topped tahini and silky hummus laden with hot crisp shards. The spanakopita with a flatbread twist is a must-order, it's graviera cheese combined with buttery, dill-flecked spinach and finished with paprika crisps and grated parmesan. Sardines are served simply with za'atar and a squeeze of lemon, while mushrooms skewers are given an umami makeover with spring onion, soy and mirin. Turkish chilli and crispy capers brings texture to braised fava beans and a crunchy cucumber and radish salad is livened with sumac and lemon vinaigrette. Rotisserie highlights include chicharron-style pork belly served with vibrant green herb, cornichon and pickled chilli sauce. There's only one dessert – a tiramisu that holds its own served with a plum and mezcal margarita. agora.london

Bao – for bao buns

There's almost always a line outside take-away kiosk Bao in Borough Market – and for good reason! The entire takeaway menu is astonishingly tasty, and a bargain price at that. The Fried Chicken Bao with golden kimchi and hot sauce – served in a playful sesame ‘burger bao’ – is a delightful combination of tender, crunchy, tangy, pillowy, and spicy tastes. Or order the ‘Fried Horlick Ice-Cream’ for a deliciously nostalgic treat. You can also click and collect if you want to beat the queues. baolondon.com

Elliot’s – for a gourmet wine bar

Elliot’s has focussed on working with small-scale producers for both its drinks and produce since opening in 2011, and much of it is sourced from the market itself. The bar incorporated an all-natural or low-intervention wine list early on and has worked with Master of Wine Isabelle Legeron on its wine list.

All the producers share the same mindful approach to wine-making as chef-owner Brett Redman does to cooking simple dishes including cauliflower caponata and flaked almonds, or grilled sweet and sour squash with chicory and Tunworth cheese. Elliot’s also makes its own seasonal infused spirits and soft drinks. elliots.london/borough-market

A wine shop has blue and white tarpaulin outside. There are small wooden stools and tables dotted on the pavement outside

Porteña Empanadas – for hot empanadas

There’s something eternally appealing about this Borough Market institution's hot empanada counter (traditional Argentinian pasties), partly thanks to the way the word ‘Porteña’ is stamped into the crimped crust of the freshly baked pastry. Try the ‘Chorizo Empanada’, which is their most delicious – with a heavenly slick of spicy porky oil that drips onto your hands. Their ‘provolone and onion’ is also very good - almost jammy sweet and extremely cheesy. Order extra chimichurri sauce to smother on top for an extra flavour kick. portena.co.uk

Padella – for pasta

Padella’s short menu features handmade, fresh pasta dishes that have become cult classics across London. With a laidback atmosphere and reasonable prices, Padella is the perfect place to escape the tourists at Borough Market (although word has got out about the excellent pasta here, so expect to queue).

Showcasing classic Italian techniques, the simple menu is built around slow-cooked sauces and ragus from the owners’ travels around Italy. Traditional pici cacio e pepe, a simple, yet brilliantly executed dish of parmesan, lemon and black pepper is an example of how confident the team are in their products. Padella’s signature dish though, is pappardelle with eight-hour Dexter shin beef ragu, and it’s easy to see why. The succulent flavour of the slow cooked, fall-apart beef combined with the fresh tomatoes and just the right amount of garlic makes the sauce the real hero here. With traditional Italian flavours at the heart of the menu, from Dexter beef carpaccio to bruschetta with baked borlotti beans, there’s plenty to please. Finish off with an espresso, the only coffee Padella serve, or add a shot of grappa or sambuca for a caffe corretto, in true Italian style. padella.co/