Arthur Hoopers: Sophistication with a side of bolshy bacchanalia at Borough Market

This Borough wine bar serves up sophistication with a side of bolshy bacchanalia
1/7
Ben Norum6 October 2017

The shop wedged between iconic Borough Market pubs The Wheatsheaf and The Market Porter, and Barrafina sister site Tacos El Pastor has been left shamefully derelict for some time, and before that was occupied by a rather nondescript café — all very un-Borough.

This hasn’t always been the case, though. Years back this unit was a pivotal part of market life when it was home to a friendly greengrocer called Arthur Hooper.

The new restaurant and wine bar which has opened in its place may be about small plates rather than selling veg, but is a homage in more than just name — it has market ethos in spades.

On a weekday night it heaves with post-work punters making the most of its large by-the-glass wine list, soaking it up with sourdough, focaccia, cheeses and cured meats — all impeccably sourced, most of it from within easy stumbling distance in the market itself.

Onglet steak, asparagus, rosemary new potatoes, salad

Small plates are simple but superb, making use of more market ingredients and employing a Brexit-unfriendly Mediterranean mindset. Think meaty clams with ‘nduja and courgettes; fresh and creamy burrata — almost soft enough to swim in — with samphire and almonds; homemade pappardelle with girolles and porcini; and a salad of ripe, juicy tomatoes with red onion and a freshening touch of mint.

There are beers on tap and some select spirits to balance out the vino, while each evening the team open a couple of pricier wine bottles and sell them by the glass at a low mark-up. It’s that egalitarian kind of a place.

The main dining area

It’s perfect for an evening unwinding, serving up style and sophistication with a side of bolshy bacchanalia — just the way London likes it.

All in all, we reckon Arthur would have approved. And he knows his onions.

Arthur Hoopers, 8 Stoney Street, SE1 9AA; arthurhoopers.co.uk

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in