Get a taste of Athens right here in London
AGORA is one of two new restaurants in Borough from David Carter, the mastermind behind Smokestak and Manteca. We already reviewed OMA, which is the slightly more refined restaurant upstairs, and we were soon back for AGORA, the bustling, walk-in only spot downstairs which is modelled on a classic Athens taverna.
Eat this
The menu is split into spreads, skewers and salads, which you could roughly think of as snacks and starters, and then braises, flatbreads, and rotisserie meats, which are cooked on an incredible open-fire rotisserie at one end of the room.
We loved the two spreads we had: the creamy hummus topped with crushed hot crisps, and the amazing ezme salata, a perfectly pitched fine blend of tomatoes, green chilli, parsley, and pomegranate doused in olive oil. Get a warm mini flatbread to soak it all up.
The slow grilled chicken thigh from the skewers section might sound pretty ordinary but it was a superlative bit of chicken, with crisp skin and a nice spray of lemon juice. The mushroom skewer is an excellent non-meaty option, as is the Greek salad topped with fresh galomizithra cheese.
From the flatbreads section, go for the spicy pork sausage with spit roast pineapple and hot honey, and the lamb adana with spiced tomato and garlic yoghurt. Honestly we could have had them all – the spanokopita and wild garlic butter options looked great too, as did the rotisserie spit roast lamb.
Drink this
There’s great wines from all over Europe on the list, but especially interesting are the ones from Greece. We stuck with these all the way through, trying some great whites, reds and even an orange by the glass.
Why go
AGORA is great fun, with some real standout dishes on the menu. We love the casual taverna vibe and the no-bookings policy means it’s a great shout for an impromptu dinner after a few drinks around Borough Market.
Key Information
Address | 2-4 Bedale St, London, SE1 9AL
For more information | agora.london