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Central Market
Central Market
4
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The Central Market of Athens is where both travelers and locals head to procure the finest cuts of meat, fresh seafood, and vibrant spices. Immerse yourself in the irresistible flavors of Greek cuisine by booking a gourmet food tour and letting the guides navigate you to the best stalls. Then sit back and enjoy a coffee or cold beer at one of the cafes or taverns in and around the market. When you’ve had your fill, walk southward to catch some live music in the quaint Psyri district. The market is usually the busiest in the morning and early afternoon. – Tripadvisor
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Omonia
Omonia Square is as plain in appearance as Syntagma is grand. Surrounded largely by functional blocks from the 1950s and 60s and no longer boasting its underground stalls, the square is now mostly frequented by immigrants and bargain shoppers. The most rewarding area to explore is to the south. Set off down Athinas Street, with the Acropolis gradually coming into focus in the distance, and you will get a sense of old commercial Athens, especially at the picturesque meat, fish and vegetable markets some way beyond the City Hall. The blocks to the west of Athinas are home to many Chinese and South Asian traders, adding a multicultural atmosphere to what was until the late 1990s a very homogenous society.
How to get there
  • Omonoia • 6 min walk
  • Panepistimio • 7 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • De B
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A fascinating look at a marketplace
    When you go be prepared. The fish market floor is slippery, there is raw meat hanging everywhere, and anything you could ask for fruit and spice wise. We finally overcame our intimidation at buying and got some fruit for breakfast. The peaches, plums, grapes were all sweet and juicy and CHEAP, the nuts, thyme honey and yogurt were wonderful breakfast additions. We didn't get any fish or meat but it was pretty amazing to just wander around and see all of it.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 October 2023
  • sssteveg
    Haifa, Israel1,817 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun market to visit in Athens
    This is one of the biggest markets in Athens. It’s mainly a huge fish and seafood market, but it also has meat and produce. The fish and seafood area is incredible, but the produce area is surprisingly small and half empty.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 October 2023
  • Jezf1000
    Horsham, United Kingdom30 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great and large market but….
    Don’t expect it to be a tourist market like some in France and elsewhere. I didn’t see cheese or cured meats, but there were places selling nuts and dried fruit. It is more like a commercial market so it’s not big on frills but the prices are crazy cheap. Like superb chestnuts for €4/kg, wonderful grapes for €1.49/kg and good sized prawns for €8/kg. The fruit was all at least half the price of a supermarket. So if you are looking for quaint, don’t bother. But if you want to pick up some produce for your stay i. Athens or are just passionate about food then go!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 27 October 2023
  • MissyPA71
    Wilmington, North Carolina1,599 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Large, noisy and lots to choose from
    Passed through and did have a difficult time deciding what to buy. Meat? Fish? Pastries? Soap? Wine? You name it, they had it. However, many of the men were overly aggressive when trying to get attention towards their goods so that was definitely a turn off.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 January 2024
  • Getaway65923410321
    18 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must try, hidden restaurant in the Central Market
    The Central Market is a wonderful place to act like a local and see the finest selections of meats, seafood, spices, fruits, vegetables and olives. Inside the market we found a gem!. A place called Oinomageireio Epirus. Oh my! The food was soooo delicious! And filling. Definitely worth the try. The very nice owner greated us, and walked us over to the kitchen to show us all of our options of soups. Goat, fish,chicken soups, giant beans, potatoes, eggplant, rice and so much more. The place is not fancy and just a very small restaurant hidden in the market but worth your time. This stop was in the top 10 of our favorite meals in Athens.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 January 2024
  • 2016Annette13
    Baden, Switzerland277 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    I had to leave, fast!
    We love going to the big markets in big cities and to look at all the colours of spices, vegetables and also the specialties of a country. Athens was different. Well, it's more authentic maybe and not so touristic. We first entered the half with the meats. Just meats in a huge hall. When we were about in the middle of it I got overwhelmed with the smell and the sheer amount. I had to leave fast. We then entered the other huge part with only fish. Yes, fish smells too, but it's different, more expected. That part was more interesting to me to see. The area of the market is not nice, at least what I saw.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 April 2024
  • Ken D
    Ottawa, Canada152 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great thing to do in Athens!
    The Market has an extensive selection of meat, fish, seafood, spices & produce etc. Take your time to wander around the market area because offerings are spread out, with meat, fish & seafood in the main part of the Market. We enjoyed browsing, and seeing the fresh and diverse offerings.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 30 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles778 reviews
Excellent
279
Very good
293
Average
115
Poor
39
Terrible
52

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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717shawb
Oxford, UK61 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Solo
I had seen reviews on you tube about Saturday night music party atmosphere after the market closed.i heard the music when walking past,so I ventured inside,I asked at the bar for a drink and was politely told take a seat and ask the waitress, which I did,and a big bouncer looking type approached first the waitress and then me asking what I wanted.i aske for a beer and was told they only have Margherita,and got the impression I had gate crashed a private party maybe? So I took my custom elsewhere.
I would be interested to know if this is a regular venue,or if it was indeed a private party,so I could pass relevant information to other fellow travelers.
Ps,I am a 66 semi smartly dressed individual,not a scruffy unkempt trouble maker.
Written 23 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cimmerianbloke
Rixensart, Belgium510 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
I have tried the market restaurant as it was recommended by my tour guide. It serves plain food, locals seem to enjoy it, but I was appalled at the bill for what I had in my plate. I will end my stay in Greece on street food stalls as I am continuously disappointed with Greek food. As you can gather, I don't recommend this particular market for its food.
Written 31 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

De B
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
When you go be prepared. The fish market floor is slippery, there is raw meat hanging everywhere, and anything you could ask for fruit and spice wise. We finally overcame our intimidation at buying and got some fruit for breakfast. The peaches, plums, grapes were all sweet and juicy and CHEAP, the nuts, thyme honey and yogurt were wonderful breakfast additions. We didn't get any fish or meat but it was pretty amazing to just wander around and see all of it.
Written 13 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jezf1000
Horsham, UK30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
Don’t expect it to be a tourist market like some in France and elsewhere. I didn’t see cheese or cured meats, but there were places selling nuts and dried fruit.

It is more like a commercial market so it’s not big on frills but the prices are crazy cheap. Like superb chestnuts for €4/kg, wonderful grapes for €1.49/kg and good sized prawns for €8/kg. The fruit was all at least half the price of a supermarket.

So if you are looking for quaint, don’t bother. But if you want to pick up some produce for your stay i. Athens or are just passionate about food then go!
Written 27 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bobbi S
Lido Beach, NY5,594 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Couples
Unlike others who consider this a place with not much to see/experience, we stumbled across this because it was near our hotel & wondered what all the hustle & bustle was about. What we saw was an interesting side of Athens that tourists don't usually see. It was kind of the underbelly of the city; authentic, kind of messy, men, some apprentices, deep into their work of cutting, dicing, skinning, quartering, hanging, admiring, practicing, etc the art of butchering & shopping for meats, seafoods & resting after a hard day's work & mess. The Greek Orthodox priest we passed by was quite selective in his choices of chicken legs. There are a couple of places here where you can sit down for a seafood, pork, chicken, beef or lamb mini-meal. We liked it because it was SO non-touristy & real workingman's site (didn't see any working women here, or I'd include women in that description). It's colorful, different, as clean as they can make it (actually, we saw a men steam cleaning the floors in the evening) & the folks working here paint a picture of a culture rarely seen.
Written 13 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John S
Peterborough, UK82 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
Great place to browse for a couple of hours then a hot Souvlaki and cold beer at the numerous cafes and restaurants. Hold your bag tight and dont encourage the beggars. Visit the Acropolis but get there early to avoid queues. A little disappointed with the changing of the guard at the Palace , they could learn a lot about timing from Buck House guards !! But nice costumes.
Written 23 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Faedon Pap
Athens, Greece1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Solo
I bought meat from the "Meat Deli" store. While I paid money corresponding to 2.20kg, weighing at home showed 1.45kg. The receipt unfortunately has no breakdown of the market but only the final price. It goes without saying that I am not going to step foot in Varvakeio again and I recommend everyone to avoid it. Avoid at all costs.
Google
Written 22 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

graphi
Zambrow, Poland36 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Solo
You can safely skip this place. There's loads of meat and fish and not much else. The smell is sickening, the floor is wet, the men shout things at you. I'm not a vegetarian, but after seeing all this I felt sick.

Outside, around the entrance and on the other side of the street there are shops with herbs, olives and cheese - these are nice. Perhaps just go straight there :)

Two stars for authenticity and the shops mentioned above.
Written 2 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jimmy C
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Solo
We speak well in Varvakeio, the one who sells Pindos chickens together with her daughter and her father, the personification of vomiting. Their behavior was very bad and when I asked for an explanation, the daughter angrily told me that we don't sell, go away, and so did her mother who, as she says, has been there for 25 years. Anyway, I went next door to another store and bought wings, and while passing by her store, my daughter tells me that you bought wings next door. I tell her logically the way I see you, you must really be in trouble because you don't look like a woman the way you talk. Never again. The rest of the colleagues came up to me and told me that they do this to all their customers. I wanted to know what these people are doing inside Varvakeio and why they are still there..??
Google
Written 11 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jon L
Olathe, KS252 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We took a brief stroll through the meat market, fruit and veggie market, and the seafood market. Other than the fruit and veggies, Americans typically don't get to see this kind of thing. I was there mostly to take pictures, we whisked through quickly so as not to get in their way. Completely recommend.
Written 16 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Central Market - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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