Agenda will carry you through the day, from a quick lunch all the way to a sociable night of drinking and partying.

The Venue
Elegance and sophistication definitely belong to Agenda, a City venue located within Minster Court, an office complex with a central patio populated with restaurants. Agenda’s outdoor drinking patio, with its seating and umbrellas, is the first introduction to the bar. Stylish chairs and couches, streamlined in shape, are grouped around thin square tables. From here you can peak through large windows into the restaurant, which benefits from lots of natural light.

Inside, the venue is much larger than you would expect from the outside and it is split into different areas. These are not only different in name but they can be distinguished by the different types of furniture used - booths, couches, high tables with stools, shelves and more are cleverly used through the space in clusters. A mezzanine level near the windows seems to be the most popular spot with those having lunch and people progress gradually towards the bellows of the bar as the night starts, pulled, as if by magnet, by the dance floor at the back. A very long bar runs along one side, while the Ruby Bar is hidden towards the back, near the dance floor. The design is quite minimal and contemporary but in no way rough or unsophisticated. There’s a lot of thought evident in the colour scheme, where taupes, creams, beiges and chocolates blend together effortlessly, whilst also incorporating clever flashes of dark red and accents of yellow. A few large black and white photos of London City landmarks, grainy and atmospheric, add personality to the space.

The Atmosphere
Agenda is the type of venue that moves from a pub-style lunch venue to an after-work bar to Friday nightclub, as testified by a large mirror ball in the middle of the dance floor. At lunchtime, the crowd is made up of suited office workers and well dressed businessmen and women. Predictably their meal is often more work than pleasure and lunch meetings here are the norm rather than the exception. Once the five o’clock whistle is blown, it is time for the same young business types to drop by for a beer, which invariably becomes a few lasting through the long happy hour (5pm-8pm, everyday). Friday night seems the same suited crowd mingling with pretty young things, who come out to play to the sound of easy listening RnB, chart songs and pop favourites.

The Food
The food at Agenda isn’t exciting or remarkable. Sandwiches and mains are meant to complement the drinking rather than the other way around. Expect a predictable, concise selection of pub dishes and international favourites. Start with the light bites (£4-£4.50), salads (£6-£7) or sandwiches (£4-£6.50). The toasted pita bread with houmous, tzatziki and olives may not tantalise your taste buds but it won’t numb them either. The real highlight of the whole menu sits quietly within the salads, where you can’t but love the deliciously warm char-grilled halloumi salad with beef tomato, fresh rocket drizzled with basil and olive oil and crunchy crostini fashionably topped with a zig-zag of olive oil It comes beautifully presented as well.

Within the mains (£5-£10.50) you can pick from burgers, pork and herb sausages, Thai green curry, classic steak and stout pie and more. The char-grilled steak is very good, while the scampi are coated with more batter than you might like, burying the prawns too deep within. The chips are good if you like them chunky and rather soft, while you will dislike them instantly if you love them with a crisp skin.

The desserts (£3.50) are superior. The chocolate and hazelnut roulade is just heavenly. Rich and chocolatey (it comes served with dark continental chocolate sauce), it just melts in your mouth. The sticky toffee pudding, instead, is a burst of flirtatious flavours leaving a lasting impression on your previously unchallenged taste buds.

The Drink
The drink list fares better than the food menu strengthening, once again, the idea that Agenda’s aspiration is more to quench than to feed. There are over a dozen white and as many reds, with four rose thrown in for good measure. Prices are fair with small glasses priced at £3.95-£5 and large ones at £4.85-£6.60 with bottles at £14.50-£33. There are also over a dozen sparkling wines and Champagne, priced between the cheap Bach Platinum Cava and Barton and Guestier sparkling rose (£25-£26 with glasses at £4.50-£4.75) to the more expensive (but still relatively competitive) price of £145 for the Dom Perignon Brut. Cocktails (£6.60 each, £6.85 for Champagne cocktails, with selected jugs available at £16) are an obvious favourite. There are over twenty classics to pick from. The Mixxas Fuzzy Strawberry (peach Schnapps, melon and strawberry liqueurs, orange and strawberry purée) is fresh, well presented and very enjoyable in its thirst-quenching fruitiness. Shooters (£5-£6.60) are reserved for the late night partying. The Aniseed Ball (Sambuca, Teichenne raspberry and grenadine) will allow you to party for longer, or send you home in the nearest taxi.

The Last Word
Agenda’s unique selling point is the fact that it’s a multi-purpose venue just as adept for lunch as it is for after work drinks and late night partying. A good all-rounder located in a slick and elegant environment.

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