How a tiny taverna in Athens inspired London's hottest new restaurant, Agora

On the corner of two faceless Athens streets, behind parked cars and parades of mopeds, and beneath an old building covered in reams of fading graffiti, is an unmarked basement safe from the hot Greek sun. Inside is, quite possibly, the best restaurant in the world.

Diporto is a special place. A romantic one. Each lunch time, Varvakeios Central Market comes alive with fish, meat, goods and local produce, as if all the freneticism of Athens has entwined, and nearby is a small, tranquil space with, on each side of the corner, two sets of exacting stairs that lead guests down to paradise. 

In charge is a man called Mitsos. He is stocky and carries a perfectly kept grey moustache, and wears a white butcher’s jacket and apron that hangs just below the knee. A former waiter, he inherited Diporto from his old late boss, Michaelis, in 1991, and since then has continued a tradition that began in 1875. There is a photograph of Mitsos with Francis Cappola somewhere in the restaurant.

On the menu, which doesn’t exist? Soft chickpeas braised quietly in chicken stock; butter beans with tomatoes and thick courgettes; cooked sardines spritzed by Greek lemon, oregano; sticks of rough-cut white bread; copper jugs, running clean with condensation, of retsina, to be poured into dainty glass tumblers that make drinking all the more hasty. These dishes, among others — whatever Mitsos decides to cook on any given day — arrive unannounced on the table soon after sitting down. The wood smells faintly of Aleppo pine and tables sit under crisp sheets of white paper. There is magic at play and understated genius in the cooking.

All around, in a room painted white and with the odd accent of garden green, are spare pots, clocks, paper cuttings, great 600kg wine barrels and red flowers. Garlic hangs behind the open kitchen. Sometimes there is a cat.

People like to call Diporto a “secret” or a “hidden gem”. Let us not become reductive — the working people of Athens have been visiting for more than 140 years. They have long been fed without pretence. But you do have to know about it, and this is mostly achieved by word of mouth. I was taken there by someone far more enlightened and explorative than me, who was told by a Greek chef from the north of the country, who was introduced to the place by someone else, and so on.

Happily, London has recently welcomed a pastiche. Agora, in Borough Market, is the work of the restaurateur David Carter, who co-founded the fine Shoreditch restaurant Manteca not so long ago. From Italy, to Greece, Agora is not Diporto — neither is it subterranean nor old — but it is inspired by it, alongside countless of Athenian tavernas that specialise in the best sort of cooking: simple, affordable, roundly delicious. 

Agora, Carter told me, is also fairly vegetarian. There are bowls of chickpeas and beans, stewed vegetables laden with herbs, warm breads and Greek wines. Being London, and not a direct remodelling, there are also skewers of pork, mushroom and lamb, minty salads and more complex flatbreads. The menu is centred on Greece but draws on western Turkish and northern African food too. Such styles are fiercely en vogue.

“It’s not Diporto, because that cannot be recaptured, but the inspiration is there,” Carter said. “These Greek tavernas are so special — they’re about comforting home-cooking, with lots of vegetarian dishes that are affordable.

“I love the humility and sincerity of Athens. But also the pride. People will take a day off work at the drop of a hat to show you around. That always means a lot of food. So we’ve got that simplicity at Agora. And the prices are as accessible as possible — skewers are around £4, hummus is £5, braises are all under £10. It’s about sharing.

“I love the ease of it all. Diporto is very special. A place for memories and that’s what hospitality is supposed to be about.” 

I have heard, though cannot wholly qualify, that developers are circling Diporto. That the building, basement up, has been sold to investors, and the establishment is in line to be sacrificed. This would not be surprising. The world is changing and so often the best of it is replaced by something clinical, measured and soulless. I would have hoped to see Diporto thrive for decades to come. These working class restaurants aren’t immune to change when there’s money to be made. 

I would urge you to find Diporto, hurriedly. Walk down the stairs, pull up a chair, drink the wine and eat the beans and part with 20 euros. That’s all it ever seems to cost. Taking photos is fine but not exactly the done thing. Locals don’t bother, obviously, but tourists do. I don’t think Mitsos would allow TikTok content to be produced or the filming for some sort of online food channel. Which is good.

Until Greece, you have Agora. Go there, then book a flight. Please don’t stress about the location; don’t plan too much. Just wander around and you’ll get there eventually. It appears you ought to do so before it’s too late.