Agora

The Central Business District is definitely a neighbourhood that has no lack of establishments serving up specialty coffee — this is not to mention how some offices do have cafes operating within the premises as well. That being said, there is still a number of establishments specialising in specialty coffee that are opening around the area; one of such new establishments that had recently opened its doors would be Agora. Located at the foot of Emerald Garden along Club Street facing Mohamed Ali Lane, Agora takes up a hole-in-the-wall space that was previously tenanted to Woodlands Sourdough; some would also recall the space being occupied by Parallel Coffee, as well as Maxi Coffee Bar (now situated at Ann Siang Hill) in recent years. With the shop unit being a tight little nook, Agora is positioned more towards being a spot for takeaway coffee though there are some chairs set up which patrons can sit around whilst waiting for their cuppa to be brewed. With this is mind, Agora’s menu is centred around their espresso-based specialty coffee offerings — it does turn out that these folks do also roast their own coffee beans considering how we noticed some bags of beans with their very own logo being set aside on a shelf by the wall, supposedly for retail. The coffee menu at Agora is split across categories such as Coffee, Latte and Coffee Indulgence — non-coffee options are being listed in the “Sparkling Refreshers” section of the menu; they also do offer tea as well. For those feeling peckish, Agora does offer patrons with a small variety of danishes that are displayed prominently at the counter.

Visiting Agora during its soft launch phase, we were being told by the folks behind the counter that they were only offering items that are listed on the “Coffee” section of the menu during the soft launch. Considering so, we found ourselves going straight for the usual order that we would go for whilst trying a new spot for specialty coffee — the Flat White (8 Oz). We found the Flat White (8 Oz) to be surprisingly well-pulled here; one that came smooth and creamy with a silky crema that showcases the barista’s knowledge and skill in the coffee here. The Flat White (8 Oz) here is quite a punchy cuppa — one that comes with a medium body with an roasty and earthy flavour profile whilst ending off with a fruity finish; quite an intriguing cuppa overall. Noted that the various espresso-based specialty coffee beverages on Agora’s menu are priced between $4 to $8, with the Flat White (8 Oz) being listed at $5.30 — the price being fairly wallet-friendly as compared to some other establishments serving up the same around the island. Agora also does serve Oat Milk with their espresso-based specialty coffee beverages — the Oat Milk being an option that comes with a $1 top-up above the standard prices for the beverage. Looking forward to giving their more quirky options a shot when they go into official launch — definitely intrigued by the offerings of Honey Milk Latte, Iced Banana Latte and Espresso Tonic that are being listed on the menu!