Varvakeios Central Market
Varvakeios is Athens’ municipal market and it includes a “kreatagorá” (meat market), a “psaragorá” (fish market) and a “lachanagorá” (an open-air fruit and vegetable market). The meat and fish markets are hosted in a building whose construction started in 1878 by the architect Ioannis Koumelis. The idea was to consolidate the shopping booths that, until then, had been scattered around the Ancient Agora. Varvakeios is located in the middle of Athinas Street, which connects Monastiraki to Omonia.
Reason to go
The Municipal Market is one of the best ways to experience the traditional, Athenian way of life. It’s a busy, noisy, lively place, full of people. The merchants shout to advertise their products and competitive prices and try to initiate conversation in hopes of selling to you. If you’re a woman, it’s possible they’ll give you a compliment or flirt with you. Besides experiencing the vibe, you can also actually buy something.
In the market and in the surrounding streets (Aeolou, Evripidou, Athinas and Sofokleous) you can find unique flavors and aroma such as olives, herbs, spices, nuts and dried fruit, great varieties of Greek cheese and traditional Greek sausages like soutzouki and pastourma. The Municipal Market has a loyal clientele and people who visit quite often buy from the same booths and have a personal relationship with a few merchants. A friend of mine receives a text message from a fish merchant at the market every time he gets a shipment of my friend’s favorite fish.
If you’re brave enough, in Varvakeios you can try some Greek dishes that are almost impossible to find anywhere else! One example is “patsas” (a soup made from pork leg and tripe) and “mageiritsa” (a soup made from lamb offal and lettuce). There are a couple of cookeries inside the market that offer these and other very traditional greek dishes. One of the most popular of these restaurants is Epirus. Epirus is also a favorite early-morning stop of those who have spent the night partying. They order the patsas, a soup which many say helps them recover from drinking and prevents a hangover the following day. Even though the market closes at sunset, these cookeries stay open 24/7. If you decide to visit during the early morning hours, keep in mind that you may meet with some boisterous company.
Opening hours: It opens early in the morning and closes around 18.00 PM (when the sun sets).
Where to eat in or near Varvakeios:
•Epirus. A traditional eatery in the market. It’s a favorite, especially early in the morning when people visit to have a soup after a wild evening out.
•Diporto. A traditional eatery located opposite Varvakeios market.
•Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani.
•Mama Roux. In case you want a more restaurant-feel and you prefer more hipsterish and young crowds.
•Feyrouz. In my opinion, the best lahmatzoun in the city.
