The Greeks have given us great food, wonderful wines, and the concept of democracy.
But judging by a meal at AGORA… we know exactly which ones would win the popular vote.
This is the more casual cousin to OMA, which opened recently in a little corner of Borough Market (and was fantastic). But make no mistake, ‘more casual’ does not in any way translate to ‘less tasty’. The goods on offer here are from David Carter, a man with two Bib Gourmands under his belt – as founder of SMOKESTAK and co-founder of manteca – which means that his specialist subject is creating fine-dining experiences at not-fine-dining prices.
You’ll find it nestled underneath OMA, in a space that spills out into Borough Market itself (agora actually means ‘market’ in Greek) thanks to a retractable fronting. Passersby are mercilessly teased by the scent of rotisserie chicken & lamb, which they can watch twirling away through the large windows that clad the place. Inside, it’s like stepping into some kind of vibey, stripped-back, urban food monastery, with simple stone walls, brushed concrete countertops, and timber-hewn seats. It’s one of those places that makes you feel slightly cooler just for being inside it.

Honestly, you could just pop in for this combo of dips, breads & frozen margs
The food is all flavourful and well-balanced. You’ll want to start with the dips, which include a fresh & zingy ezme salata, and the deliciously creamy labneh topped with an electric green chermoula – and you’ll want to mop them all up with a puff of oven-warm flatbread, sprinkled with a little Maldon salt. You can follow with a couple of whole sardines marinated in za’atar, or the thick, meaty mushroom skewers which are partnered up with chargrilled leeks & marinated in a sweet soy. But the real standout is the confit lamb flatbread with spiced tomato & garlic yoghurt, which is frankly unreal – it’s another pillow-soft flatbread, topped with a puddle or rich tomato sauce, big chunks of lamb and a dollop of yoghurt to cut through the richness of the meat.

This flatbread is, as you can see, anything but flat
And that’s all before the big, bold main event: the goods skewered on that rotisserie. There’s meltingly good middle white pork souvla with ultra-crispy crackling, or some tender heritage lamb belly rolled in herbs, and both are delicious.
There’s a bar too, with plenty of natural wines that can go mano-a-mano with the robust flavours, and some bright & refreshing cocktails – whatever you do though, start it all off with one of their simple frozen margaritas…
…it’s perfect, if you’re in the Market for something refreshing this summer.
NOTE: AGORA is open now, for lunch & dinner, seven days a week. There are no bookings. You can find out more at the website right here.
AGORA | 2-4 Bedale St, SE1 9AL
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