If is true that ‘love passes through stomach’ then, in order for us to truly love Athens, we should pay a visit to its notorious central food market, the Varvakeios market.
This is mandatory because this market is the stomach of Athens! It took its name from a rich benefactor of Greece, Ioannis Varvakis. Its building started at 1878 and completed at 1886. The place was fully refurbished between 1979 and 1996. It is strategically placed between the Omonoia Square, Monastiraki Square and Athens’ town hall, in the very heart of Athens’ centre. It is approachable via tube and bus and in any given moment of the day is full of tempting smells of fresh meat and fish.
The general atmosphere of the market refers to good old-fashioned markets of the east, with salesmen vaunting the quality of their meat and their fishes and byers trying to low the prices of the merchandise.