Thessaloniki’s best coffee and brunch spots (according to me): Ergon Agora

Brunch is a love language. This one features a spot where they serve an effortless V60 and a brunch that keeps you full (and happy) all day

I never even try to hide it: I love eating and trying new flavors. For me, discovering culinary gems, hunting them down, and ordering something I’d bookmarked weeks before the trip… That’s honestly one of the most exciting parts of traveling. I could NEVERRR skip that. First the online research, then testing everything out in real life... Everyone finds magic in travel somewhere else, but for me, this is exactly it.

Ergon Agora is a place we actually visited during our very first trip to Thessaloniki. Back then, we only popped into the market part, because yes, Ergon Agora also has a huge food store inside, full of all kinds of delicious things. Mostly Greek, but not only. Think: tomato sauces, spices, olive oils, high-quality meats, olives, dolmadakia to-go, Greek teas, herbs, even ice cream… You can get totally lost in the sea of flavors, all screaming “I’m better than what you can buy back home!”

And honestly… Unfortunately, they’re not wrong. The avocado I bought there beat every other avocado I’ve had in my entire life. Which, yeah, kind of hurts, considering we’re not moving to Thessaloniki anytime soon, but I wish I could have that avocado every single day.

So on our most recent visit to SKG, we finally said: okay, this time, we’re doing brunch at Ergon Agora.
Beforehand, I did a deep dive into the reviews on Google Maps, hundreds of them, and most were glowing, so... we had to try!

And we did. What surprised us?

• They make a really good V60. The beans were well chosen, and Justin loved it.

• The portions don’t look massive, but they’re super filling. I honestly thought I’d just grab a small dish as a warm-up, and then we’d keep hopping around to other spots, but NOPE. I was full for the entire day :o So while locals say the prices aren’t the lowest, a lot of the dishes are rich, satisfying, and really delicious.

Nutritious and ridiculously satisfying: protein from the eggs + chicken, healthy fats from the avocado, and yes, plenty of fluffy pizza dough. Perfection.

I always love looking at menus and daydreaming about what I’ll order when I get there, so I’ll keep sharing them with you too, in case you want to do the same :)

I had the peinirli with chicken, cheddar, poached eggs, and avocado. I don’t eat pork or beef, so I asked them to leave out the bacon, and it was no problem at all. I’m guessing it’d be even more filling with the bacon, though 😅 Justin went for the croque madame, because let’s be honest, it’s his go-to brunch order everywhere. Even back home, I think we’ve pretty much tested the croque madame in nearly every single spot
(Time for a full ranking, I know!)

He said this one was kind of unusual, not exactly like the ones he’s used to, but still really good, and super filling. Afterward, we had to walk like 20k steps just to pretend we were burning off those amazing calories… but honestly, totally worth it 😊

What would I order next time?
Definitely the green shakshuka with pistachios and the toasted 72-hour fermented sourdough with scrambled eggs, avocado, cream cheese, and salmon.

I’d love to try their bougatsa too, but knowing how filling the dishes are… I’m not sure there’ll be room! Maybe if I sip on some Greek herbal tea between bites, I’ll manage?

Okay fine, I’ll admit it: the omelette sounds tempting too. Somehow, when it’s not homemade, it never feels like just an omelette... More like a proper, fancy dish…

The interior is kind of minimal and raw, but still really cozy, not over-designed, just comfortable. The service is friendly but low-key, which I always appreciate. Apparently in the afternoon they switch to a different menu, and I’m honestly super curious, because you can really taste the quality of the ingredients in everything.
So… guess we’ll just have to come back. Again 😇

A shy smile! This was before the first bite, when I still didn’t know what to expect. Let’s just say the smile got a lot bigger after :)

Justin’s croque madame looked seriously tempting… but no, I wouldn’t have swapped plates. I liked mine way too much.

PS. Have you ever been to Thessaloniki? Or is it still on your list?
What have you heard about it? I’d love to know!

I’ll be back soon with more spots for indulgent (and delicious) brunches. But don’t worry, I still try to keep things somewhat balanced. I like my meals satisfying, but nourishing too. You’ll see what I mean :)