Agora

Greek-inspired street food joint

wildfarmed flatbread and chard borani

Agora's sister Greek restaurant Oma launched with a bang, it gathered some very warming, over the top positive reviews from the media. I personally enjoyed my Oma occasion, too, but when I visited Oma by having to walk past the busy and lively Agora on the ground floor, I was interested in giving it a go, thanks to its fire cooking and focus on meat. The only thing that put me off is a no-booking restaurant so I had to plan to arrive before 6pm to avoid the after-work crowds. At Agora, it is all about the fast pace and keeping things super casual, with a short menu of dips salad, flatbread, skewers and roasted meat.

slow grilled chicken thigh

lamb kebab and pork souvlaki with oregano

crispy chickpea, tomato, cucumber

The pork souvlaki skewer was fabulous, the pork shoulder was so tender and was seasoned just right with sea salt and oregano, along with an inviting smokey charred aroma. The middle white pork souvla sounded so tempting just from its name on the menu, but it was clearly overcooked as the skin was tough and the meat was a touch dry, it was simply just a poorly executed dish. The most 'Greek things' on the menu was a chickpea salad with hummus, which I found very average as it is not much different from any hummus you would get from your local Turkish takeaway.

confit lamb, spiced tomato flatbread

Middle white pork souvla

Spit roast heritage lamb

I understand I shouldn't compare Agora to Oma as the vibe and price point are hardly the same. But I just enjoyed Oma so much more with its more refined food offering and I was able to relax instead of feeling rushed at Agora as it was so busy. The food was a bit hit and miss as there were some good-tasting dishes, as well as some average ones. I personally am not sure why it is so in demand as people were willing to wait for over an hour to get a table before they would be rushed out within 90 minutes. Best to head to Oma instead.

Food 2.5/5


What I paid: 
£50 per head with a cocktail

Average cost without drinks and services:
£35


3 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL

https://www.agora.london/