Tucked into a brick-lined railway arch, this Levantine inspired restaurant promises a sun-drenched menu full of the rich flavours of the Middle East.
Located in the heart of Borough Market, any restaurant opening here faces stiff competition from an area noted for its excellent eateries. There’s nothing quite like Arabica around though, and its modern approach to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking is sure to be popular. One thing that becomes immediately apparent in the pared-back dining room is that the focus here is on food, and their culinary output is superb.
We started off with a bottle of Spanish red wine (Mencia 2012, Valedorras) which was soft and comforting on the tongue, perfect to accompany strong rich food. Tackled first on the menu was Hummus with Spiced Lamb Fillet and Moutabel (a dip made from blended aubergine, tahini, and garlic), both were served with warm flat bread. Deliciously balanced in flavour, we couldn’t let them go when the main courses came and kept the dips to the side of our table for the rest of the meal.
The main events were Sticky Lamb Belly & Ribs, and Chicken and Pistachio Shish. The lamb came with a pomegranate, honey, and chilli glaze, and was nicely tender. The Chicken was a little less punchy in flavour, but would perfectly suit those tamer palates. It did however come with a generous pistachio coating that offered a pleasant textural pairing. On the side we had Spinach and Feta Boregi consisting of billowy pillows of filo pastry filled with melted feta and wilted spinach, and Batata Harra; triple cooked potato chunks dressed in garlic, chilli, onion, pepper, and coriander – these were a revelation and sinfully moreish.
Service was friendly and warm, plenty of recommendations were made and appreciated in helping us to navigate the very comprehensive menu. Pudding had to be a selection of Baklava (excellent in quality here), and pistachio and mastica ice cream. If you’ve never tried Mastic flavoured ice cream, do so, It’s an opportunity to discover a delicious and unique flavour. There was also a baked persimmon dish (my favourite fruit) on the menu which unfortunately had sold out, no doubt it was delicious.
Arabica’s interpretation of Middle Eastern food renders it very approachable to both those who are familiar with the cuisine and newcomers alike. It does this not through simplification or dumbing down of the region’s cooking, but rather by utilising obviously top quality fresh ingredients, and skilled chefs. The result is sunny, sumptuous food that was truly blissful on a cold January Tuesday.