Agora in Portsmouth

Went for a couple weeks ago with partner my very tasty food and lovely service would recommend to everyone.

The food was really good and the service was just as good. I didn't like the wine very much and it was very expensive. I don't remember the name because it's in Greek. For the rest, everything was excellent. Thank you.

Fantastic meal. Many vegetarian options, I opted for 3 starters. I felt the large vegetarian option of falafel and hummus etc was quite over priced, as it was the same price as meat options. Food was very quick, hot and fresh and great service. Will definitely be going back We parked on the seafront as it is free after 6pm.

Liked the restaurant inside and we were excited to experience the Greek/Turkish food. Sadly the food did not live up to expectations both in quality and taste. We did give feedback on the night. My starter and main course included minced lamb which lacked any spices and was pretty tastless. My wife’s chicken kebab was ruined with way too much red wine vinegar on the salad which affected the chicken. Staff said it was pomegranate juice on the salad which should not taste of vinegar. For the cost of about £45 per person we expected more.

Exceptional restaurant in Southsea. I've been eating at their restaurant for many years and the food is always first class. You're always served with a smile and made to feel extremely welcome. Highly recommended. I believe Sarah is the manager and she is extremely friendly.

A wonderful restaurant the food was amazing and we were lucky enough to sit right by where the chef was going the food in front of us on the barbecue staff were very friendly and welcoming we go to Turkey every year and the food tasted as if we were back there even my son who can be picky with his food tried different things and loved them

Excellent food and excellent service.

Perfectly cooked Mediterranean dishes... Staff need to have an understanding of customers' palettes.. I.e recommend dishes.. show interest! If too many options are available, the ambience is lost.

Thank you for kindly finding a table for my partner and myself this evening when you very busy. The service and food was exceptional and made the last evening of our holiday extremely enjoyable. Look forward to visiting you again in the future. Tim and Ally

We attended this restaurant as a group of 4. The inside is not big but the decor is upmarket and seating is well planned. The menu choice was extensive as were the drink options. I had meatballs which were delicious and a request from another in our group to mix a starter with a main was accommodated without fuss. The service was polite and helpful. It was expensive, but given the above I would both return as well as recommend to others.

Great Food and Atmosphere, see you again soon.

Always loved the experience at Agora. The food, ambience, and hospitality are exquisite 👌

We visited Agora for a booking that was booked over 6 weeks prior with a deposit paid for a family birthday in the function room. We all got there and for a start your there wasn't enough chairs for the booking so some of us waited for seats. The chairs came and, in the end, we sat down, the service was very slow and after some time a lady came and took our drinks and food order, She even read it back to us to check and it was all good. We waited and waited and waited then 30 minutes later after chasing our drinks come out. after asking where they had got to we were told sorry it's busy downstairs. I was like what are we second class citizens as in function room. Then the food come out where my nephews chicken Kabab was wrong and so had to be changed than even worse my meal had been totally forgotten, I sat there whilst everyone else were eating their meals. Some 15 – 20 minutes later my new meal came after everyone had finished, to make things even worse it was clearly rushed and the chicken was not cooked, it was red raw in the middle so I just eat the salad and the chips and left the rest as I did not want to make any more of a fuss as it was a family night out. If I had eaten that I could have contracted salmonella and campylobacter. This is wholly not acceptable! Some comments were made at this stage as clearly had enough and two of the other children’s meals where not cooked correctly and were left. At this stage, the lady stops serving us and a man took over to explain it was very busy downstairs and they could not cope! Again, why was there not enough staff instead of leaving us alone !! We order some more beers, and these do not come. We than order a few deserts and the man says there is only vanilla ice-cream even through your menu states otherwise, so we questioned this for the man to go and check and come back and say all ice-cream was now in stock! We had all had enough by this point and we asked for the bill. The Bill came and we spoke to the manager, the manager was rude and did not show any compassion for the terrible service, like it wasn't her fault. My meal and one of the kid’s meals then got removed off the bill but we felt this wasn't good enough. Everyone paid there share of the bill and asked to speak to the manager on the way out, She refused to give the owners name referring him as 'some Turkish guy’ owns the business I told her it was not acceptable behaviour and that we should not have had to pay for drinks we should not have had also that something should be done about the upset and very poor service. The manager took £20.00 out the till and gave it to me not really engaging at all, I went up and gave it to my sister in-law. After reaching out to the owner over emails as we all felt something needed to be done to restore our faith in the restaurant we were again told they had done 137 covers that night and no complaints. They are best in area and we took off two meals and refunded the 3 drinks that didn't show. Yet in my opinion for the whole disruption and terrible service I thought more should had been done. Not even a sorry. Just a rude manager and family run buisness that cannot cater for large groups. Imagine if it was 15 adults suppose to out 10 and 5 children. We will not be returning.

First time in this restaurant, food is nice, a little too salty for my taste. Portion is good. However, you will pay slightly more than other similar restaurants. Service is good. Starters tasty except the Greek salad, which was mainly onions with very little other vegetables and cheese My advice is to reduce salt, customers can add extra salt if they want, improve the salad, it doesnot cost a fortune to add a few more pieces of tomato and cucumber Overall, it was a nice experience

Absolutely love this place! Been here 4 times now and the food and service has always been amazing. Always busy but food out quickly and great portion sizes.

Food is simply amazing!. Fresh ingredients and big portions. The meats have a lovely char grilled taste to them and are very juicy. Will definitely be going back.

Our most favourite restaurant in Portsmouth- fantastic food, the environment is lovely and authentic, and the staff is very professional! 10/10

Amazing food and service Portion size was brilliant

Excellent grills and good service - really enjoyed our dinner here.

First time here for dinner. Booked via email quick reply to confirm time. Nice booth at front. Had the hummus and tzatziki with bread to start. Main portions and food were lush. Tiramisu and fudge cake with coffee for desert. Would go again. My kids loved the food. Really don’t need a starter with the main portion sizes. Priced a big higher than our normal family meals. But worth it.

Saw such rave reviews maybe our expectations were set too high. The place was packed 8pm and had a good atmosphere especially with the open grill and the staff were really lovely. Our table was very small and we were rather squished in which I don't find that relaxing given two in our party are tall lads. The mezze starters were good overall but think we were probably the last table to get served and at least two of the meat dishes seemed over cooked and slightly tough which was such a shame because we read the reviews praising the quality of the meat as being outstanding. We still had a good night out but it wasn't an inexpensive option given drink prices and service added. Just our honest opinion but would rather support a family business than an anonymous restaurant chain any day.

Last Friday we dined at a restaurant where the food was excellent and the waiters were incredibly kind. Unfortunately, we were seated near a table where some girls were extremely rude to the waiter. I want to commend all the waiters for their patience and professionalism in handling such difficult behavior. Despite this, our experience was fantastic!

You have to email to book at the moment but they responded super quickly to my emails. The food portions were huge especially the mixed grill. The food was soo yummmmm😋. I will be going back again as their menu is really good and affordable. We were a party of five and we were all happy with the service, the food and atmosphere. Music matched the Turkish theme. It was very clean and love the decor. 10 out of 10 on everything!!

Very tasty food and friendly service, would recommend!

We ate here on 04/05/2024 - as part of a birthday celebration. It was a very busy evening. Service was a little cold to start (it is fair to say); however, they seemed to warm up over the course of the evening. A good range of dishes on the menu. It was also nice to see the food cooked in view of the diners. The food (both starters and mains) was on the money - reasonable portion sizes and more importantly tasty. I can wholeheartedly recommend the Doner kebab. Nice atmosphere inside - even if it was very busy and loud at times. Not a cheap night by any means - indeed, some of the bottled beers were very expensive (Peroni £7 + for e.g.). But in terms of the food, it was money well spent. Will return again in the future.

Lots of good choices of starters and mains. Authentic Turkish and Greek dishes on offer. You can have several starters to make a meze instead of a mains if desired. Plenty of seating. It was quite busy for a Wednesday evening. I would definitely return when next in Portsmouth.

Everything is so well done here. Very well presented eating area, super staff, you can watch the food being grilled over the hot coals and the food is delicious.

The restaurant was buzzing with a great vibe. We ordered a Greek beer and a glass of house both were very good. For the main we ordered the yoghurt kebab it was absolutely delicious. This is a gem of a restaurant and we are so looking forward to coming back.

Beautiful Turkish / Greek restaurant in Southsea. We opted for a chicken kebab and lamb dish, both very tasty. Staff were exceptional. Would definitely recommend.

Superb food and a highly personable service thoroughly recommend.

Food amazing, service & staff really good. We visited for the first time one Saturday & the evening was so good that we booked again for the next Saturday. Well done everyone. See you again soon

Simply delicious! We chose our favourite meze dishes for the 5 sharing option and all were excellent. It was good to see the food being cooked and the staff were very attentive.

There is a nice range of vegetarian food but unfortunately only one dessert for vegetarians. The service was ok and friendly. Our table was situated by the door, every time someone opened the door, cold air came in. One customer waiting outside kept opening the door to talk to the waitress, he did this several times, very annoying when trying to keep food warm.

It's the best place in Southsea Delicious

Wow, that was a great meal! Super delicious Turkish food, very attentive staff, great ambience, there is nothing to complain about here, everything is just right here. Charcoal grill. If you're in the area and like delicious food, this is the place for you. Reservations !!

Must say, the first time my self and friends visited this restaurant, as a Persian my self I know a good kebab and meat when I see one..this restaurant did not disappoint!! The service was great as well. I will definitely recommend and return.

This was our first time visiting this restaurant and the food was amazing and will be going back

Absolutely disgusting service and behaviour from staff and head waiter, booked a table for 4 people for over a week in advance..got there on time standing room only..got seated. Then got moved.. rushed for an order..got starter and a bottle of wine before you know it without any table checks or are you ready for your main meals type conversation...here it is ..we are still eating our starters and they are taking the plates away and reorganising the table to fit the mains on. This was the start of it..emptied the old bread bowl into the new one. I told them I was not ready..my wife was still trying to eat her starter as he was pulling the plate away. My friends felt they were forced into starting their mains as they are not wanting to upset anyone. I asked them to take the mains away as we were not ready. They took mine as I had not touched it but refused my friend's as they had literally had a mouthful They had a further 2-3 mouthfuls and could not and did not want to eat anymore. I told them I no longer wanted my mains as they had made the experience an unpleasant one they came back with the bill and said they had deducted the starter and told me to shush..I said this was not good enough and I will not shush..so now they clear the table including the 2 glasses of virtually untouched wine and the bottle they struggled to lift the 3 plates of virtually untouched food and told us to leave..my friend went and paid the bill in which they graciously excepted payment for EVERYTHING including the wine but except the starters....RUDE ...AND NEVER AGAIN

My family and I have lived in Cyprus, and travelled extensively in Greece, Turkey and the wider Mediterranean. Somehow, this little restaurant in Portsmouth is possibly the best Med food we’ve ever had. Restaurant was packed from opening time so the local community clearly recognise how good it is too. We had a mixed meze to start and a mix of kebab / Pirzola / vegetarian / yoghurt mains. All were delicious.

I really don't know where to start ? My wife and I was invited to join friends for dinner at this fabulous food place Anyway we met up , gradually made our way to the restaurant for 8 o'clock, a table for 4 people that we had booked over a week previous. We moved in from sherlock ( good choice) Met by the main waiter..tables being cleaned and trying to sort out who sits where as it was very busy Anyway..we order starters..get them ...very nice too Then we have with no notification ..our mains.. sorry...not ready...his response ...sorry we are busy..we had no table checks and no one asked if we were ready for our mains.. .we were still eating our starter I sent my main back to the kitchen as i needed a break our company had started to eat the mains and the waiter refused to take theres back as they had started to eat...they left a good 2 thirds on each plate the head waiter was now being rude and insisting they had eaten most of it.. he then came back with our bill reducing our bill by taking off the price of the starters ..NOOO....RUDE.. OUT AND OUR RUDE....you came and cleared the table took the glasses and bottle of wine and made everything very uncomfortable. Asking me not to raise my voice when you was trying to make it our fault Our friends still insisted on paying and you graciously took the money.

Consistently the best food in Portsmouth. Well done Agora.

My friend booked this and when he showed me the website I was really unsure. When we got there it looked far better than on the website. If I had gone with the photos on the website I would not have booked but my friend recommended it. I am glad he did and saw past the poor website. The food was really really good. Huge portions. Service was also great. Would definitely recommend.

I have lived two lives. One life before I tried the baba ganoush, and the life I live now.

We came here last night for a birthday meal and couldn’t fault a single thing. Friendly service, tasty food and a great atmosphere. We will definitely return.

Nice Turkish cuisine Great option

Nice place the food was great the portions were large and the staff were friendly and helpful ,first time there will go again very extensive menu

Good authentic turkish food, with large portion sizes and good desserts I ordered lamb beyti, mint tea and their semolina dessert with ice cream Honestly so worth it and food is halal which is excellent as I was visiting portsmouth and was concerned about where to eat where I can sit in and have a decent atmosphere Decor is a bit outdated but nevertheless I enjoyed the food :)

First time here, but we will be back. The chicken was really tasty and so tender, with great quality. Starters were good, too. We had the liver, and it was enough for two. The portion size is excellent. In fact, I had to take some home to enjoy again today!

Had an excellent meal with friends. Great atmosphere, and fun to see the expertise of the chef at the grill! Tasty food and generous portions.

The food itself is good- at a little higher price point than other comparable places in Southsea. However, we found ourselves wishing we had gone to one of those other places after being rushed off our chairs at the end of the meal. Booked a table for 7.30 and had starters and mains within an hour. We were asked if we wanted to see desserts which we didn't, but then quickly given the bill and told we needed to leave immediately as they needed the table for an 8.30 booking. Good thing we didn't order a dessert or a bottle of wine! Of course this was after we had paid the bill which included a service charge that I would not have paid had I known I was about to be thrown off the table! We could see the next couple waiting by the door and felt awkward sitting there while we finished our drinks. Strikes me as a mistake in organisation which they did not take responsibility for, happy to churn through as many customers as possible. In no world is 1 hour a reasonable timeslot for an evening meal on a Saturday. Won't be coming back.

Great restaurant, and the food was excellent with a real home cooked taste.

Love the mixed grill, friendly staff too.

Incredible little place. The food portions were perfect and the service was spot on - not too much or too little, they could really read each table to determine how much attention diners needed. We had starters and mains and not a single negative comment could be found, the food was tasty, not overly seasoned (which is good), it was brought out by a happy member of the serving team at a temperature where you could tell it was fresh from the kitchen and not from being sat under a hot plate. The wine list was great too. All in brilliant - cannot wait to go back.

Nice place 👌 Nice food 👌 Good Chef👨‍🍳

Great night out. Lovely atmosphere, great selection of food and at a very reasonable price.

Amazing Middle Eastern food. Everything is cooked in the wood fire which is visible from the seating area which adds to the atmosphere. We ordered loads of starters (baba ganoush, hummus, tatziki) and everything was amazing, it’s hard not to get full from the starters because you don’t want to stop eating! Mains were amazing and went down well. Good for vegetarians and meat eaters alike!

This was our second visit to Agora, the first time I ordered the chicken and it was an extremely tough texture, it couldn't really be eaten, we decided to give it another go thinking it was possibly a bad batch of meat but the second time was an even worse texture. We notified the lady who was serving us that we were unable to eat the main due to the almost crunchy texture, she told us "yes its probably just full of nerves" 😳(major ick) then she pretty much rolled her eyes before giving us the bill, no offer to remove the uneaten main from the bill or even address what we had said. She was EXTREMELY rude. I will say though that every other dish we had was unbelievably good, so so delicious, we had a lovely little spot over by the grill to which was super cosy. The one main wouldn't be enough to stop us returning but the lady who served us would be. She very reluctantly deducted the chicken kebab off the bill but not without making it known just how peed off she was, major eye rolls and death stares, my husband actually looked up and asked her "what her issue was" because she was very obviously trying to get a reaction and she just walked away, didn't see us off out the restaurant or anything.

Great food with very good service. Busy restaurant so it’s best to book. A very varied menu, staff will explain what the dishes are.

This was a casual visit and so pleased we chose the Agora. The food was exceptional I had the Chicken Sach Kavurma and my friend had the Lamb ribs for our mains. The portions were more that generous. Also the service was exellent Very attentive waitress and the food was served in a resonable time.i would throughly recommend this restraunt and will be returning soon.

Great food, quick and friendly service and a lovely atmosphere. Would recommend to anyone

Beautiful food along with excellent service, spoilt for choice with the menu, so many mouth watering dishes on offer, we’ll have to come back! Thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Perfect for a pre theatre meal if you’re going to The Kings

Absolutely beautiful amazing food along with excellent service, staff very efficient and friendly, so much to choose from on the menu, so that’s another excuse to come back! Perfect for a meal before going to The Kings Theatre. What a find!

A little gem of a restaurant! Food was incredible and the staff were lovely and attentive. I highly recommend a visit

Family run business & they run it 10/10 a young & handsome man who I believe is only in his 20s & goes by the name of baran looked after us & his 2 sisters I would recommend this place. You will come away being stuffed. Food great.

Amazing food and lovely service will defo come back! Thank you guys

We shared a number of starters and mains. The way to go

Really lovely meal and the staff are brilliant, will definitely go again. Lamb shank to die for.

Really nice well cooked food would definitely recommend it

Fantastic food, brilliant service, managed to fit us in last minute. Thank you Agora. 5 🌟

We had to wait for the booked table, but was amply compensated and well looked after.

We had such a lovely meal here last night. Amazing food and brilliant service. Looking forward to visiting again.

Great restaurant, every time we have been has been amazing

Update 2: Still the best restaurant in Portsmouth. Update: Nearly 18 years after I first came here it's still great. The decor has been updated a few times, but the menu is the same: hard to improve on perfection. I don't come as often as I used to (children get in the way) but still get greeted like an old friend. Our favourite Greek Restaurant outside of Greece. Friendly staff and good food reasonably priced.

Dropped on this restaurant by chance It was full on a rainy Monday evening but managed to squeeze us in The food was delicious best moussaka I’ve had outside of Greece 🇬🇷 The staff were really nice Would highly recommend

Food tasted over salty. Might be as we do not use salt much at home. Overall the food was excellent as before, good quantities also.

Excellent food had a mixture of starters incl seafood, babaganoush, liver, sausages and pastries as a meze mix. Iced coffee was great too! Could do with a touch of air con on hot but busy Monday nite. Always a good sign. Warm and friendly service. I will be back.

Visited with work colleagues whilst working on the Portsmouth University graduations. Warm welcome, fantastic food and atmosphere. Only wish we worked in Portsmouth more often. Highly recommend.

If I could I would give them 0 stars. Booked on the 6th of May for my graduation dinner with my family who had travelled down for the event. Turned up at my booking time and told the place was closed for a party and that the I had received a call and a voice message to let me know that day or the day before (great notice!). My family and I were rushed out with no empathy/apology/ or remorse just simply that I was wrong about not having a phone call and nothing could be done. No follow up has been received either. I had one missed call 6 hours prior to my booking while I was graduating. (still unsure if it was even the place due to no message!) I had no voice message, no text, no email no attempt at another phone call. Everywhere else was fully booked obviously as it was graduation and I was left getting a takeaway while my family had to drive home. So an awful end to what’s supposed to be a great day. Booking over 2 months in advance in order to secure a place for my graduation was not good enough.

My sister booked Agora for her graduation meal. We turned up for our 8pm reservation after her graduation to be told it’s closed for a party. We were told by the women there that she had called and left voicemails for everyone who had made a reservation. My sister had no call, no voicemail, no text, no email. Extremely disappointed as she has been looking forward to taking us here.

We went for an early evening meal on a Saturday in July. Great service and food.

Definitely a place the locals know and love, though definitely in need of an extension as there is so many people that want to go here! As a result it does take a while to get the food(we waited around 45 minutes to and hour) and the food was extremely hot. The portions are very good, however, and I could barely finish my moussaka. I feel in terms of it being a Turkish/Greek restaurant it definitely leans more towards its Greek side in its dishes though does have some Turkish dishes as well. The byrek was okay, though I may be biased as I was expecting more of a pie like how it is made in Albania rather than the rolls served here, as is in greece. I enjoyed the moussaka and cannot fault it other than it being extremely hot. The food was a little out of our price range at around £20 per main course, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and this is definitely a place you should be visiting if you are ever in Southsea.

Been here several times and visited again , food is brilliant and customer service is amazing , they gave me the wrong order and rectified the issue very quickly! Their yogurt lamb kebabs are lovely, my family had the lamb shank, and the kasarli and chicken lofte. More bread can be requested to have with the meals. Lovely Greek and Turkish place to visit in Portsmouth I will be coming again :)

An absolutely great Greek restaurant. Brilliant food and attentive/friendly service pitched just right to make it an even better meal than the food alone would have made it. Really decent prices with loads of variety on the menu. Well decorated inside and out. Spotlessly clean inside. This place really does put some effort in to give you the best eating experience that they could manage.

An absolutely great Greek restaurant. Brilliant food and attentive/friendly service pitched just right to make it an even better meal than the food alone would have made it. Really decent prices with loads of variety on the menu. Well decorated inside and out. Spotlessly clean inside. This place really does put some effort in to give you the best eating experience that they could manage.

Looking at all the other good reviews .......the chef must have been on holiday when we visited. Staff were friendly but food was very underwhelming and expensive for what it was. Portions were massive but I would rather have a small portion of nice well cooked food than a massive portion of rubbish. Liver was overcooked, dry and unseasoned the rest of the food was salty .... so salty and £8.50 for a house white wine what a joke , I won't be back.

The restaurants atmosphere was amazing and the owners daughter Berfin was ever so welcoming and such a great host. The service was impeccable, the food came so quick and very fresh. The food was delicious. As a fellow turkish person i enjoyed it so much as i believe its hard to come across good turkish food in UK! Overall 10/10 service, to top it off during a conversation i briefly mentioned that we were in the restaurant celebrating my birthday and they went above and beyond by bringing out a surprise slice of cake for me. Thank you again

Great food, great service. Overall wonderful experience.

Accommodating and warm staff, lovely atmosphere and the food is outstanding. Definitely one of my favourite places to eat and, considering the choice we have on our doorstep, this is an achievement.

Food,service and atmosphere were amazing,we had mixed grills and chicken Kebab.Will definitely be returning when visiting Southsea again.

Way overpriced for the poor quality of food. The chef might have been watching but it was clear that he had only a basic idea of what Turkish cuisine is. Credit to them that they didn’t charge us for the two mains we returned. However not going back as the standards are below minimum.

We booked dinner with family to celebrate our anniversary, it was one of the best experiences I’ve had. The ambience, the service and most if all the food! Just amazing! If you’re visiting Southsea or the surrounding area - this is most definitely the place to eat! Superb!!

Outstanding restaurant. The service tonight was fantastic and prompt. The variety between Greek and Turkish cuisine was great, and the food was outstanding. Would highly recommend and will most definitely be joining the regular haunt list.

We were 6 people eating at Agora this evening for my parents 25th wedding anniversary. The best experience I’ve had in Portsmouth, the food was so delicious, the service was outstanding, such a wonderful evening. We will all be back again. Thank you so much to the Team.

Cannot fault this restaurant. Meals were high quality with an extensive choice, and the service was friendly and efficient. One of the best Turkish meals I have had in the UK.

All round fab and would go back.

Absolute gem of a restaurant. Lovely relaxed friendly service with amazing food, lots for a veggie Coeliac to eat and well signed on the menu. Will be returning soon!

Samo mogu preporučiti, predivan ambijent i super hrana. Doručak je nešto najfinije i najvažnije u mom životu.

Enjoyed a lovely meal on a Sunday evening. The food was excellent and cooked within full view of the restaurant. I would recommend:

Excellent food. Good portions. We were sat on first floor and a cramped table. Ground floor tables were good. Will visit again.

Food is amazing and the bread is addictive