Transporting the serenity and elegance of the Greek isles to the heart of London for a Greek-inspired restaurant.

OMA, a Greek-inspired restaurant for the DCCO Restaurant Collective, is perched above London’s Borough Market on the first floor of a sprawling site. We created a light-filled, softly hued space to cushion diners from the hustle of the market below and transport them directly to the island landscapes that the restaurant is inspired by. Simultaneously, the iconic location needed to be acknowledged with an invitation for guests to observe the beat of Borough Market from within the textural OMA sanctuary.

To achieve this, we cut vast structural openings in sheer concrete walls and then carved out plaster and stone. These new openings add breadth to an otherwise narrow space and allow the volume to literally and metaphorically breathe.

The design gently conjures the romance of a sun-washed Greek island, with dusty eucalyptus and muted olives, punctuated by smoky oak tones to root the space in its urban setting. Inspired by bold Greek architectural shapes, we sculpted softly cocooning banquettes, carved out an intricate screen of oak wine shelves, and chiselled a 2.5-meter-long raw bar.

After experimenting with various earthy textures that conjure the Greek islands’ rugged landscapes, we landed upon swathes of creamy Clayworks + Mortex in contrasting textured and smooth stone-like finishes — “seemingly taken off the Acropolis,” says Carter — accentuated by deep, dark bronze metalwork.

With every restaurant we create for David and his incredibly skilled kitchen team, we intentionally merge the boundaries between chef and guest. The stone hearth is the very heart of this space, inspired by traditional Greek kitchens but made relevant to London with contemporary, sharp steel detailing. The fire is framed as you ascend the stairs through the new picture frame window, where the solid stair wall once blocked the view entirely.

The kitchen performance can be seen from every seat, layered between the terrace, the dining bars, the tables, and views of the buildings beyond.

David Carter says: “There is such serenity and such calm there, so the interior feels washed and weathered too, like you’re driving up the coastline at sunset in Sifnos.”