Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Psyri Neighborhood
- Varvakios Market
Photos & Highlights
- Traces the development and character of Athenian cooking from farm to fork
- Led by a culinary expert
Select a date
Tour Description
While it may not be well-represented outside of Greece, Greek cuisine goes well beyond feta cheese, olives, and other common favorites. On this Athens Food Tour, we'll join a local chef to explore local markets and specialty food stores, delving into the varied, nuanced, and often highly localized world of Greek food. Along the way, we'll sample local wine, taste thick honey with full-fat Greek yogurt, and try oily olives and anise-flavored ouzo. Are you hungry?
Athens Food Tour
Food culture in Athens revolves around the central market, the Varvakios Agora. Here, nut vendors vie with butchers and fishmongers in a heady, excited atmosphere for the attention of passersby. On the surrounding streets specialists in honey, cheese, and fresh-baked pastries offer a fantastic array of foodstuffs that demonstrate the intricacies of Greek cuisine.
Tasting Greece
After a cup of rich Greek coffee paired with sticky-sweet treats, we’ll stroll the area surrounding the market. We’ll visit several bakeries to discuss the centrality of grains in the Greek diet, explore the seasonal offerings at the vegetable market, and wind down a street devoted to cheese and spices. Here, we’ll sample a wide variety of Greek cheeses, taking care to break down the stereotype that Greek food—and specifically, Greek cheese—is one-dimensional.
Traditional Merchants
Depending on the day, we’ll also take time to visit a number of different merchants, many of whom specialize in one item or another. Examples include the garlic merchant who keeps an ad-hoc seed museum of local edible plants, and the medicinal herb purveyor who carries on the traditions of his ancestors. There will be several opportunities for tasting along the way.
Varvakios Market
Our tour will include a turn into the Varvakios Central Market. Depending on the interests and stomachs of the group, we’ll pass through the lively meat and fish markets where we can discuss the various uses of animals in Greek food, from innards to local seafood. We may also walk through one of the market restaurants to catch a glimpse of local fare in its least manicured state.
Our walk will wind down at a local Greek tavern, where we will share a rustic lunch with retsina wine. We will emerge from the market and from our time together with a much better appreciation for the nuances, history, and depth of Greek culinary traditions. To explore more about the history of food in Athenian society, try our Ancient Agora of Athens Tour.
FAQ
Can we start the tour later in the day? Some of the markets and vendors that we visit close after lunchtime, so the walk can only proceed in the morning.
Can this walk be tailored to my dietary needs? Yes, but please check in about any dietary restrictions before your walk so we can make arrangements with your expert.
Is this tour kid-friendly? Yes, the walk is kid-friendly.
Is this tour kid-friendly? Yes, the walk is kid-friendly.
Is this tour possible for reduced mobility?
In general, it is but there are some difficulties. Athens, especially the central market area, is not friendly for people with mobility issues. Wheelchair access is very difficult, and there are also some steps along the walk.
In general, it is but there are some difficulties. Athens, especially the central market area, is not friendly for people with mobility issues. Wheelchair access is very difficult, and there are also some steps along the walk.
Is it walking-intensive? Not really. We walk for short distances and we sit down a lot. The walking is on flat surfaces with no change in the gradient.
Experts
Where You'll Start
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183 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
I would have liked a warning to eat a very small breakfast. We tasted a lot of delicious foods I liked the variety and flow of the tour. I enjoyed talking with the docent about a variety of topics.
Lynne
Reviewed on:
Jun 20, 2016
The walk provided an excellent exploration of Greek food and drink. What particularly impressed us was the preparation the docent undertook before the walk to make sure the various vendors were ready for our arrival. In many cases, the food we were to sample was prepared when we arrived. Our docent was personable and very knowledgeable about food and customs as well as the Psirri neighbourhood which was the location of the tour. There was nothing that did not work.
Judith
Reviewed on:
May 11, 2016
Nikitas was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. Not just about food, but about the city he clearly loves. Our favorite moments were when he introduced us to food vendors and told us the history of what we were eating. One vendor owned a spice shop, which was more of an old-fashioned apothecary that sold everything from fresh herbs to bizarre unguents and talismans, including dehydrated bats! Our favorite spot was probably an old tavern next to the market. We thought Nikitas was taking us down into a cellar. What we found was a tavern full of wine barrels and delicious, rustic food that catered to locals. There was no sign luring in tourists. Greeks we spoke to about it afterward were jealous and wanted to know about it. Nikitas was also VERY generous with his time, and knowledge of the city that extends far beyond cuisine.
Luisa
Reviewed on:
Apr 12, 2016
