- Where? Borough Market, 4 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
- How much? £-££
- Book ahead? Some bookings during the day, but mostly walk-ins
- Cuisine? Modern Greek
- Vegetarian options? Yes
- Vegan options? Limited
- Gluten free options? Yes, but limited
- Dog friendly? Yes
Visiting Agora the same week the latest Bridget Jones film premiered felt perfectly fitting. This charming eatery sits on the very street where Mr. Darcy and Daniel Cleaver famously brawled in that unforgettable restaurant scene. While I can’t guarantee a Colin Firth sighting (sigh), you can dine in peace without the risk of an unexpected scuffle, well, hopefully.
If I’m being completely honest about why it took me so long to visit Borough’s trendy new spot, it’s because, during the warmer months, an unappealing queue snakes its way through the market. So, we waited until the weather was on our side (aka miserable) and headed over straight after work for a 5:30 weekday visit. The verdict? It was still absolutely packed, but at least the wait was shorter. Agora, please start taking more bookings!
The Experience
The wait, however, was totally worth it. The buzzy warmth and cavernous intimacy inside perfectly captured what I love about the London foodie scene. It’s cool, it’s fresh, and just being there makes you feel effortlessly trendy. There’s truly nothing like it.
To my delight, we were seated at the counter, the perfect vantage point to watch plate after plate of delicious food make its way out, subtly influencing our own order. The smoky haze from the charcoal barbecue, where sizzling skewers of meat cooked to perfection, was a warming if slightly blinding compromise. But honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to sit anywhere else.
The Service
The food is mostly small plates, and if you’re anything like us and want to get your order just right, be sure to ask your server. Ours was incredibly helpful, guiding us through the crowd favourites and his own personal picks, which made our decisions much easier.
Dishes arrive one by one at a rapid pace, so while the queue to get in might seem daunting, it moves fairly quickly. This has its perks, but it also makes the dining experience feel a bit rushed, which isn’t my favourite way to eat. But c’est la vie, it’s all part of the charm at London’s latest hotspots.
The Food
So let’s cut to the chase. What’s the food like? Agora has been praised for its casual small plate style of dining and is renowned for its souvla, a Cypriot dish of tender barbecued meats. But the real buzz is all about the succulent pork belly and sausage flatbread. Naturally, we had to see what the fuss was about.
But did it live up to expectations or is there another dish you should be adding to your order? Let’s find out!
Wildfarmed flatbread with dips
£3.50 per flatbread / £5 per dip
This is the perfect starter to your meal, but I warn you, limiting yourself to just one or two dips will be near impossible. With so many delicious flavours to choose from, you may find yourself in a bit of a pickle, but fret not. Our server guided us well and we hit the nail on the head.
The chard borani with crispy garlic came highly recommended. Similar to tzatziki, it was creamy, fresh and beautifully palate cleansing. Absolutely delicious. If you’re after a crowd pleaser, be sure to order a dollop of hummus, blanketed in crunchy crisps. This was my favourite. I must admit it’s not the best hummus I’ve ever had (that title still belongs to Berenjak) but it came pretty darn close.
We chose wisely and had no regrets. I have no doubt the other flavours are just as good and I’ll be slathering my warm flatbread in them on my next visit!
Skewers
£4-6 per dish. Serves two people.
We couldn’t visit a souvla bar without trying a meat skewer, so naturally we ordered two, the lamb and the chicken thigh. I have genuinely not stopped thinking about the melt in your mouth, succulent chicken, which now lives in my head rent free. The flavours are simple and subtle but the tender meat does all the talking. This was my favourite dish of the night!
The lamb skewer was also very tasty but a little on the dry side in comparison. The flavours were more pronounced in this one but I wouldn’t be fussed about ordering it again.
Salad
£7-10 per salad. Serves two.
We opted for a salad to freshen up our palates and see how the vegetarian dishes compared to the meat that Agora is so well known for. The Greek salad was an easy choice, a simple crowd pleaser. And if I had to sum it up, it was exactly that, a nice, predictable people pleaser. If you’re looking to break up your meal with some different flavour profiles it’s a great choice. If you’re after a dish that will blow you away this isn’t the one.
Wood Oven Flatbread
£8-12 per flatbread. Serves two people.
These are great sharing dishes if you are trying lots of different plates. We went for the recommended option, and apparently the most popular choice, the spicy pork sausage and pineapple. As a lover of Hawaiian pizza (and if you are too, I highly recommend heading to Gordon’s Street Pizza, which serves the best Hawaiian I have had in London), I really wanted to love this.
It was nice, don’t get me wrong, but it was doing way too much. The rich cream sauce beneath the thick heap of parmesan wasn’t really necessary. I am a big believer in less is more, and this slightly overdid it. I would be keen to go back and try the basic tomato and anchovy option or the spanakopita, which both sound more classic.
The Rotisserie
£15 per dish. Serves two people.
Now for the dish I have seen people rave about online, the pork belly. But did it live up to expectations? Honestly, I do not think so, and I know this might split the room.
Out of everything we tried, this was my least favourite, and I usually love pork belly. It just was not as tender as I had hoped, and while the crackling was nice and crunchy, the meat was a bit dry overall. Maybe I am a tough critic because I have had some really good pork belly before, but funnily enough, it was the dishes I was not expecting to love that stood out the most. The chicken thigh was the clear winner, and the hummus with bread was also surprisingly good.
But overall, I would return, though next time I would take other people’s opinions with a pinch of salt! It is so easy to be influenced by online reviews, and in my experience, they can be pretty hit and miss. That said, here I am giving you my own feedback, so after all that, maybe do not listen to me ha!
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