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Food markets in Athens are an integral part of the local culinary culture in Greece.
These vibrant and colorful markets are at the heart of the country’s famous Mediterranean cuisine.
In Athens, you’ll find the country’s largest food market as well as several neighborhood markets known as Laiki.
While exploring the local food specialties in Athens, we visited several farmers markets for a taste of the fresh produce, meats and seafood.
To help guide your visit, check our review of these top Greek farmers market in Athens for a deliciously memorable experience.
Athens Food Markets Map
You’ll find wonderful markets all over Athens. Be sure to explore Athens’ food markets and get introduced to some of the best local specialties on your visit to the capital of Greece.
AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: Exploring the food markets in Athens is an unbeatable experience especially for food lovers. On Rachel’s traditional Greek food tour, we dove deep into the market culture along with the seasonal produce and traditional food items. See our detailed review of the Best Food Tours in Athens for a Greek Feast.
Top Food Markets in Athens
1. Varvakeios Agora – Athens Central Market or Varvakios Central Municipal Market
The Central Market in Athens is the largest covered food market in the city.
The official name of this Athens food market is “Dimotiki Agora,” but it’s known locally as Varvakeios Agora.
Considered one of the best markets in Athens, Varvakeios Agora is hard to miss as it takes up large city blocks.
This Athens central market was first built by the mayor of Athens in 1875. It has been in
operation since then, other than a number of instances where it burned down.
What To Buy At Athens Central Market
The Varvakios market in Athens is quite impressive. We found the market to be very clean when we visited. It’s lively, colorful, and bustling with energy.
The food market can be noisy at times, with vendors and customers haggling and joking with each other. It’s all part of the fun and spirit.
Here, you can find high-quality produce at affordable prices, with both locals and chefs buying their food items here.
Go early in the morning if you prefer fewer crowds. As you walk around stalls, take time to admire the clock, the paintings on the walls, and the impressive dome ceiling.
As many as 30,000 people shop at the market every day. During Easter and Christmas, that number can multiply up to 10 times.
The central municipal Athens market is located on Athinas Street, which is the oldest commercial street in the city.
The Athens central market is made up of two main parts. There is a covered meat market known as kreatagorá and a covered fish market known as psaragorá.
Outside, you’ll find an olive market with a wide variety of Greek olives as well as food-related products.
AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: One of the most enjoyable food experiences we had in Athens learning about the local produce was in a cooking class. We learned how to make traditional Greek dishes using farm fresh seasonal ingredients. If you want to learn more about Greek meat, seafood, and herbs, and eat and drink delicious specialties, consider taking this cooking class with a view of the Acropolis.
Athens Fish Market
The fish market part of Varvakeios central market is home to one of Europe’s largest fresh fish markets.
There are more than 100 fish stands, and anywhere from five to ten tons of seafood from Greek islands arrive daily.
As you peruse the stalls, the fresh fish, many of them still moving, are captivating.
We were impressed by the wide selection of locally sourced octopus, sardines, red mullet, mackerel, and many others.
Watching the locals and vendors haggle is quite amusing. Even though it all happens in the Greek language, getting a good deal is key.
Be aware that the floor is wet and can be slippery. The fish vendors regularly spray the fresh catch with water, so you want to wear covered shoes.
Meat Market
The meat market is the heart of the Athens central market. If you are not comfortable seeing carcasses or dead bodies of meat, this part of the market can be quite jarring.
There are at least about 100 meat vendors, and many of them are family-owned and passed down through generations.
Be prepared to see dead pieces of whole pigs and cows hanging from hooks around the stalls.
Some are in refrigerated cases, while others are fresh and exposed in the open air, ready for purchase.
You’ll also find some meat vendors specializing in organ meats with displays of hearts, liver, kidneys, intestines, and more.
Other vendors that surprised us had heads and feet from goats, pigs, and cows, all beautifully displayed for sale.
While the Athens meat market is “raw,” it was refurbished before the 2004 Athens Olympic Games to bring it up to date with EU hygiene standards.
Visiting this meat market is an experience not to be missed. Even if you don’t go through all the meat stalls, don’t miss stopping by this part of the Athens central market.
Olive Market and More
Across the main food market, you’ll find a section of vendors selling a wide variety of other local Greek specialty items.
The most impressive part is the section of open-air stalls stacked with several dozen different types of Greek olives.
From fresh ones of all colors to salted ones and even some that are aged, the options are numerous.
If you are curious, ask the willing vendors if you can try a variety of olives. Beyond juicy and plump Kalamata olives, we loved trying some that were stuffed and dried.
One tip, if you are planning on buying any olives, is to first sample the ones you want. Ask how fresh they are, and then ask to have them vacuum sealed.
Beyond olives, you’ll also find some vendors with dried fruit, nuts, honey, and more.
While the central market is slightly more touristy than other Athens food markets, it is nonetheless worth a visit.
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Practical Information: Athens Central Market
You’ll find Varvakeios halfway between Monastiraki Square and Omonia Square on Athinas Street.
Address: Νο68 Βαρβακειος Αγορα, Athina, 42 Athinas Street, Athina, Greece
Hours: Open Monday to Saturday, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Closed on Sundays
2. Kallidromiou Farmer Market
Kallidromiou farmers market is a popular Athens food market that takes place in the Exarchia neighborhood.
This market stretches up and down Kallidromiou Street and is also known as the Exarchia farmers market or Laiki farmers market.
At this local market, you’ll find a wide range of seasonal produce and local goods.
The fresh vegetable stands with mountains of fresh peppers and eggplants of different sizes and shapes were some of our favorites.
Bright colors from stands filled with tomatoes, fresh herbs, and seasonal fruits will fight for your attention as you explore the stands.
Locally sourced black and green fresh figs were in season on our visit to the market, and we couldn’t resist picking some up.
As you wander through the market, look at the various stalls with vendors selling the food items you are interested in.
The prices are typically well-marked, and very reasonable. Simply shop from the vendor with the best looking produce and prices.
While seasonal fruits and vegetables dominate, you’ll also find food stalls with nuts, olives, honey, and cheese.
There are only a handful of fish vendors and only one or two butchers. While Greek is the main language you’ll hear as locals shop, some vendors also speak a little English.
Take your time wandering through the Kallidromiou farmers market, it’s one of the best local markets to explore.
Kallidromiou Farmer Market
Address: Kallidromiou, Athens 114 73, Greece
Hours: Open Saturday, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm
3. Evripidou Street Market
Evripidou market is one of the best markets in Athens for spices and herbs.
It is a long street near Varvakeios Markets just off Athinas Street. Described as one of the most fragrant streets in Athens, its a fascinating place to explore.
On this street, filled with family-owned stalls, you can stock up on Greek herbs, dried fruits, nuts, spices, and more.
Many of the small family-owned stores are famous and are visited by Athenians for their specific local goods.
One fascinating store we stopped in while exploring Evripidou Street Market on an Athens food tour was for cold cuts.
This famous store had all kinds of different cold cuts, including several thousands hanging from the ceiling.
The stores are on the street level, and some are also underground.
Even though we visited Evripidou Street market several times while exploring local food specialties in Athens, there was always something new to discover.
Evripidou Street Market is part of the city’s cultural and culinary heritage. This is one of the most intriguingly scented Athen’s farmer’s market to explore.
Evripidou Street Market
Address: Evripidou, Athina, Greece
Hours: Open Monday to Saturday, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm; Closed Sunday
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4. Piraeus Market
Piraeus is a passenger port and city easily accessible from central Athens via metro. It’s a popular destination to catch a ferry to the Greek islands nearest to Athens.
For food markets in Athens, Piraeus is host to an excellent fish market. You’ll find a few stalls with some of the freshest fish and seafood from the nearby islands.
Expect to see gleaming piles of fresh octopus, various sizes of shrimp and all kinds of shellfish and other seafood.
Around the market stalls are local restaurants, including fish restaurants, where you can savor the fresh catch of the day.
In addition to the Piraeus fish market, the area is also known to host a flea market every Sunday.
Stalls at the flea market sell low cost clothing and knock off designer bags, clothes, kitchen household items and a wide variety of items.
We found the flea market to be very crowded and we weren’t particularly impressed by the offerings.
Be aware that you also won’t find food stalls or fruit and vegetable vendors on Sunday.
Keep an eye on your belongings and watch out for pickpockets. Haggling with vendors is expected.
Piraeus Markets
Piraeus Fish Market
Address: From Dim. Gounari. Dimosthenous, Athens, Greece and on Likourgou
Hours: Open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm; Closed on Sunday
Piraeus Flea Market
Address: El. Venizelou 10, Pireas 185 31, Greece
Hours: Open Sunday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
AUTHENTIC FOOD QUEST TIP: Make your culinary travels worry-free! With the right travel insurance, you’ll enjoy a delicious experience. From medical emergencies, flight cancelations, car rental protection, or tour cancelations, a good travel insurance has got you covered. Check out our travel insurance review for food lovers to get started.
5. Λαϊκή Αγορά, Laiki Agora – Local Farmer’s Market
Greek farmers markets, known as Laiki Agora are local public markets. In Athen’s you’ll find them in every neighborhood, and this is where the locals shop for fresh produce at affordable prices.
No matter where you are staying in the city, ask your hotel or host for the nearest Athens farmer’s market.
The markets or Laiki are typically open-air markets and the location changes every three months or so.
At a Laiki you can buy seasonal fresh fruits, vegetables, olives, spices, honey, eggs, fresh herbs and much more.
The vibe is very local and visiting a Laiki is a great opportunity to immerse yourself into the local Greek food culture.
More than just food markets, the Laiki agora are revered cultural and social spaces. These markets are opened daily except for Sundays.
Plan to have small euro bills or coins with you as you shop. You’ll have the greatest selection of produce early in the morning, and less selection but interesting prices towards the end of the markdet.
The Laiki agora farmers markets are some of the best markets to visit in Athens.
In Pagrati Neighborhood
On our culinary travels to Athens, we stayed in the Pagrati neighborhood and frequented our local Laiki agoras.
There were two markets, one on Tuesday and one on Friday on different streets in the neighborhood.
Some of the vendors, we learned, were farmers selling their fresh produce directly to locals.
Stands are both markets were colorful and stacked up high with fresh fruits, vegetables, olives, nuts and more.
These two markets sold mainly vegetables and we didn’t see options for meats or seafood.
If you have access to a kitchen and want to cook up a Mediterranean feast, a Laiki agora is the best place to shop.
Pagrati Neighborhood Laiki Agora
Tuesday Market
Address: Laertou & Timotheos Street, Athens
Hours: Open Tuesday, 6:00 am to 3:00 pm
Friday Market
Address: Diacharous 13 – 15, Athens
Hours: Open Friday, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm
Have you been to any food markets in Athens? Please let us know in the comments, which one you’d like to visit most.
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Claire is co-founder of Authentic Food Quest and a lover of simple and exquisite cuisine. Since 2015, with her partner, Rosemary, she has been traveling the world as a digital nomad, creating content about local food experiences.
Her advice from visiting 45 countries and more than 240 food cities has been featured in Lonely Planet, Business Insider, Honest Cooking, Food Insider, and Huffington Post. She has also co-authored three books, including one in collaboration with Costa Brava Tourism.
An ex-mechanical engineer, Claire is responsible for SEO, keeping the website running, and the fun food & travel videos on YouTube.
When Claire is not eating, she can be found running or cycling. Find out more about Authentic Food Quest