If you want to taste of life in a true Athenian neighbourhood, then Koukaki, tucked under the shadow of the Acropolis is where you can find a nice mix of historic bakeries cafes and bars, some greenery and also an intriguing blend of architectural styles. To make sense of it all, we went on a brand new food tour of Koukaki , where under the expert guidance of Theodore, we dived into the history of the neighbourhood, get an idea of the changes taking place in this rapidly gentrifying area and also learn some Greek phrases and of course there is a lot of eating and drinking in some of Koukaki’s finest establishments. If you are looking for a great tour of Athens then this is the best evening food tour of Athens- great insight into athens food scene plus Theodore’s knowledge of local life, history and his easygoing personality and humour definitely made it an enjoyable few hours. I will take you through a few key highlights of the tour, the places we ate and visited during our food tour of Athens Koukaki.
PS: Checkout my earlier guide to Athens and also my guide to where to eat in Thessaloniki if you are planning a trip there soon.
1. Pandora
Lempesi 1, Athina 11742
Our tour starts at one of the oldest bakeries in Koukaki, Pandora which is tucked away on a side street near the Acropolis. Their main claim to fame are their heavenly pies which are an essential part of the Greek and Athenian diet and something that can be enjoyed at all times- breakfast, lunch or dinner. The pies here are made with homemade phyllo pastry and prepared on the premises daily. There is a range of pies to try with interesting filling from pumpkin to cheese and pasta.
During the tour we tried the two classic versions- spinach and cheese and chicken. Both were fantastic, the phyllo crumbly and delicious as well as the fillings. Perfect start.
2. Tavern Thomas
Dimitrakopoulou 18, Athina 11742
Our next stop is Tavern Thomas , a restaurant which is a modern take on the post-war tavern of Athens from the 1950s and beyond, aiming to revive the flavors that Athens had at the time. Dishes here range from homemade bread with olives to lamb with greens, mashed potatoes, greens, pies, Greek salad, braised meats and fish.
Led by their passionate head chef Dimitris Panayiotou, we were treated to some olive oil tasting with their homebaked sourdough bread which was delicious. We then were served some typical mezes, which were fava bean puree and also zucchini balls. Both were fab,
We washed it all down with an excellent local white wine, Malagousia. All the items were from the nearby region of Peloponnese where the chef’s roots are. Overall, a very pleasant and nice experience.
3. Pantopolion
Dimitrakopoulou 34, Athina 11742
For our next stop, Theodore takes us to a popular local delicatessen with a twist : Pantopolion not only offers authentic Greek food specialities but serves visitors a wide variety of Greek beverages, from tsipouro, tsikoudia to wine accompanied by cold cuts of meat plus cheeses.
For our ‘third’ course of the tour, owners Giannis and Stavros served up a tasting platter of Graveira cheese from Crete , cold cuts of meats-pastrami and salami, olives accompanied by tsipouro and the famous Mastiha- a liquer made from the Mastiha resin of a tree which grows only on the island of Chios. Loved all the items, especially the salty mature Graveira cheese.
4. Dyo Dekares Oka
Anastasiou Zinni 29, Athina 117 41
Our last stop was a sit-down dinner of home-cooked Greek classics at one of the coziest tavernas in Athens. If you want to visit a typical Athenian tavern, this is the place, with guitars and snapshots of Greek music on the walls. Run by three brothers, the tavern feels more like a gathering of friends and family and you are being welcomed into their home. The brothers have kept alive their family recipes and culinary traditions so this as Athenian as it gets. We are treated to a delicious homemade moussaka, eggplant roasted in the oven with feta, marinated chickpeas and tzatziki.
We are full and bursting by the end so we were grateful for Theodore taking us on a walk through one of the most beautiful streets in Athens- Tsami Karatasou. You will find some of the finest example of neoclassical architecture on this street, wedged between the 70s apartment buildings and the odd few abandoned mansions with barred doors.
‘If you want to see what Athens was like in the 50’s , this street is time-capsule of that time.’
Theodore remarks wistfully as we slowly wind our tour in front of the Acropolis. If you want to dig into Greek food culture, learn about the history of Athens and also listen to some nice personal anecdotes of what is life like as an Athenian, this tour is perfect and Theodore is great company. My only minor quibble is that there was too much delicious food so my advice is to come hungry and skip lunch!
How to book this food tour
Athens Evening Food Tour of Koukaki lasts 3 hours ( 5.30-8.30pm ) and costs €79, booked directly via the Devour Food Tours website.
Disclaimer- We were gifted this food tour by Devour Food Tours but the views expressed here are entirely my own.
