One of the best Italian restaurants in Ireland! I have been in Agora in a number of occasions with my wife. The last time I went with 10 people to celebrate my son's christening. Their serve and speed was put through the test. All meals arrived on time, good wine and decent service. The drawback of Agora is the atmosphere. It is very cold, very modern and minimalistic, like walking into a high end Scandinavian house, words like "sleek" and "contemporary" comes to mind, but I'm sorry, this supposed to be an Italian restaurant, I should feel like in Tuscanny, Rome or Sicily. But I felt like having a meal in an empty cold an modern celebrity house... The staff is OK, not the best, not the worse, the music background could be more Italian, feels like the type of gourmet music the put in Chinese Restaurants. Now the food... Oh my god! You will have to pay 2-3 times more in the best Restaurant in Dublin to taste what I have tasted in Agora. It taste like Italian food from Italy, you will tele transport yourself to a little Tuscan restaurant eating Agora's food. It is Epic, delicious, carefully presented, no compromises. You will not find this taste at standard restaurant prices anywhere in Ireland. If you are within 1 hour travel from Portlaoise, I advice you to eat at Agora's and taste real italian food, it will be worth the travel. My bill for 10 persons, with wine, starters, main courses and dessert was about €250 more less. A bargain! No complementary coffee or drinks where offered... That part was not Italian