"Literally across the road from our hotel, Agonera looked like the kind of establishment that would appeal to us. In that it looked very 'chic ' and had some very complimentary reviews, (from Italians , on TA. So as we were looking for a place to take our first lunch of this trip, we popped in to give it a try. We were also lucky, in that it seems to only open for lunch on Sunday. The wonderful maitre 'd, (praised in reviews , recommended a strategy. Start with a selection of the chef 's specialities, then move on to a light vegetable soup with a slice of lightly steamed sea bass. Didn 't sound much, so I asked about possidly adding another course but I was advised to try this first and if we were up to it, then order some more. Order some more? When we left, we could hardly walk, never mind eat anything else! Before the first course, the maitre 'd produced an amuse bouche . You know the usual drill, a tiny egg cup full of soup, a cracker topped with something but not here. A simply outstanding, large crusty roll, (the bread in here is too die for , was sliced, then generously filled with a savoury spread, top quality Mortadella and delicious sliced cheese. This was then cut in two and presented to us. It was exceptionally good and we could have simply eaten that and left happy but then the “starters” arrived. Course after course was brought to the table, all of which looked absolutely delicious. We sampled all of them but there was simply too much to finish every single one. Also, (and this will sound very strange , they weren’t very “Italian”. There was just too much “going on”. The concept of getting the finest ingredients and simply letting them shine, was abandoned to a degree, in favour of a more complex presentation. At the end of this course, we were both fit to burst where were we going to put the next course? Luckily there was quite a gap between finishing the starters and the arrival of the next course. To balance the myriad flavours of the first courses, was a simple vegetable soup, topped with a slice of steamed Sea Bass. To be honest, the thick(ish vegetable soup was a trifle under seasoned and the fish fillet had been overcooked, so was a little chewy. After another interlude, we managed to squeeze in a dessert. I had a vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips and a hint of cherry. My wife had an excellent water melon and ginger sorbet. Both desserts were very good but my wife felt a little disappointed by not being presented with a dessert menu. She had no complaints, (in that the sorbet was very good , but would a peek at the dessert menu have been such a chore? With the meal we had an excellent white wine, a Falanghina from Sannino and with coffee, I had a totally superb barrel aged grappa. The nibbles that were brought with the coffee provided a deliciously fitting end to a very good meal. As well as tiny, delicious biscuits, (almond, coconut and a light, lemon flavoured meringue(ish delight, the name of which escapes me , there were pieces of an in house nut brittle which were absolutely, mind blowingly, good. Service was impeccable, (if a little bossy , the ambience was a trifle muted as we were one of only two couples in for Sunday lunch and that should be a worry. We would not have noticed Agonera, had it not been across the road from our excellent hotel. Obviously, Agonera will not receive the same number of casual walk ins , that the waterfront establishments enjoy, so they need to get noticed. I’d like to say that Agonera supplied the best eating experience we had in Brindisi but it didn’t. That honour went to a very low key establishment, that we plucked from our Italian food guide. There are many that will like the culinary “fireworks” of Agonera, over the more laid back, traditional approach the choice is up to you. Both places were terrific value for money by the way, with the total cost of our huge lunch in Agonera, (including a fabulous bottle of wine, water and expensive grappa €120 for the lot. An absolute bargain. Have no doubt that Agonera is a serious establishment, with serious aspirations, serving serious, (if perhaps a little too serious , food."
