There is no better way to learn about Greek cuisine during your time in Athens than taking an Athens food tour. We had the best time trying all the local foods with a local guide.
Food in Athens
The food in Athens is worth writing home about! Greece is a magical country filled with gorgeous landscapes, phenomenal history, fascinating culture and scrumptious food. If you are planning a trip to Athens, you will want to make an “Athens food list” – all the food you will want to try during your trip!
Save this post for later so you’ll known exactly what foods (and drinks) you need to try during your stay in Athens. Read all about coffee in Greece next!
Athens Food Tour
We highly recommend taking an Athens food tour to make sure that you try the best food in Athens, made using the freshest traditional ingredients, in places recommended by a local.
It was so much fun learning about Greek food from our lovely tour guide, Thalia, who brought us to her secret locations and made us feel right at home in Athens as we were sampling the most delicious Greek treats.
We were invited to review this Athens food tour by Secret Food Tours. All opinions are our own.
Athens Food Tour – What We Ate
Koulouri
Athenians love a delicious breakfast on-the-go and this koulouri is it! A crunchy, circular bread topped with sesame seeds.
Related : How to Say I’m Hungry (learn to say “I’m hungry!” in 21+ different languages, including Greek)
Tyropita (or tiropita or Greek cheese pie)
Traditional oven baked cheese pie topped with phyllo is the perfect snack, lunch or dinner.
Related : Make your own Greek tiropita at home!
Greek Coffee
Traditional Greek coffee is unfiltered and strong. Some say it even predicts the future!
Related : Read our Coffee in Greece
Moustokouloura
A round cookie made of grape must and flavored with clove & cinnamon. This little cookie is perfect paired with a strong Greek coffee.
Related : Greek Appetizers (8+ amazing Greek appetizers you can make at home!)
Fried Seafood
Fresh fried shrimp, squid and sardines. We had the chance to walk through the local Athens market and taste seafood.
Ouzo
Ouzo is the National alcohol. It is strong and anise flavored. I don’t personally love it, but Hugo enjoyed it while we were in Greece.
Tzatziki
Tzatziki is the most famous Greek appetizer made by combining thick Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic and olive oil.
Kolokytho-Keftedes
Kolokytho-keftedes are vegetarian fried zucchini balls, filled with feta and dill. After discovering these during the food tour, we ordered them several other times while dining out in Athens.
We loved this tasty Athens street food and have been dreaming about having it again since we left Athens.
Greek Olive Oil
Greek olive oil is delicious and there are various types to try. The olive oil we tried during the Athens food tour was an extra virgin olive oil from the Messinia area in the Peloponnese Peninsula.
Olives
Greece produces many different types of olives. You will want to make sure to try a variety while you are visiting Athens. Each type of olive has it’s own distinct size, color, flavor and texture. We tried 5 different types of olives during the Athens Secret Food Tour.
Atlas Olives
Hugo and I both agreed that these were our favorite olives that we tried during the food tour. These olives are often served stuffed with other ingredients. They are originally from Halkidiki and almost exclusively cultivated in the area of Makedonia, near Thessaloniki city.
Due to their large size, they are also known as “olives for the heroes” or “donkey olives” in Greece.
Amfissis Olives
Amfissis olives are the most widespread table olives in Greece. They are light brown and originally from Amfissa, a town in the central mainland of Greece.
Kalamata Olives
Kalamata olives are probably the best known Greek olives worldwide. They have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status – dark purple, meaning the only olives that can use the name “Kalamata” must come from Kalamata city in the south Peloponnese region of Greece.
These olives are more expensive as they must be hand-picked to avoid bruising.
Throumba Thassou Olives
Throumba Thassou olives also have a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. They are black & wrinkled and naturally fermented due to a fungus. They shrivel and become sweet on the tree and are the only olives that can be eaten directly from the tree without going through any post-cultivation process.
They are exclusively cultivated in Thassos, the most Northern Greek island.
Koroneiki Olives
Koroneiki olives are the smallest variety of olives. They are golden-green in color and suitable for the production of the finest quality of olive oil.
They are from the Koroni area in the southwest Peloponnese region of Greece.
Fave Bean Purée
We loved the fave bean purée in Athens! The purée is made using fava beans from Santorini, raw onion, lemon, olive oil and chopped parsley.
Saganaki Kessarias
Saganaki Kessarias is an omelette made with cheese, onions, peppers, tomato, eggs, sujuki (spicy sausage made of lamb and beef) and pastourma (cured veal meat with spices).
Galaktoboureko
During the food tour, we discovered Galaktoboureko. A dreamy Greek dessert made with creamy custard made of semolina and wrapped in sheets of thin phyllo pastry and soaked in syrup.
Kaymaki Ice Cream
Kaymaki ice-cream, made with sahlep for taste & elasticity and mastic (resin from the mastic trees of Chios island) for aroma & flavor + warm
Rakomelo
Rakomelo is made with boiled raki and honey & cinnamon. It’s strong and sweet and lovely as dessert.
More Athens Food (& Drink) You Cannot Miss During Your Trip
Chicken Souvlaki
Souvlaki is is a very popular Athens food. You will see it on pretty much every menu as you explore Athens. We loved trying chicken souvlaki, lamb souvlaki and even tuna souvlaki during our trip.
Greek Pita
You can’t go to Athens and not enjoy the pita! It is available at most restaurants. Sometimes it is served with your meal and sometimes you need to ask for it. It is delicious with tzatziki, souvlaki and pretty much every other food on this list.
Lamb Giaortlou
This is was one of our favorite meals in Athens! This dish is made with lamb souvlaki, thick Greek yogurt and tomato sauce. It is served on a pita and it is absolutely divine.
Gyro
The Greek gyro (pronounced yee-roh) may be one of the best known Greek dishes as it has been exported the most worldwide. Typically made with lamb, beef or pork, it is served with red onions, tomato and a Greek yogurt sauce on pita bread. The meat for a gyro is cooked on a vertical rotisserie.
Moussaka
This Greek dish is made with lamb meat, eggplant, tomatoes and Bechamel sauce. It contains cinnamon and nutmeg.
Greek Salad
Greek Salad is a healthy, balanced and delicious meal and one of our favorite things to order in Athens.
Dakos Salad
This Cretan salad is not as well known as a traditional Greek Salad, but it is just as delicious! Tomatoes, feta, capers, Kalamata olives, red onion, oregano come together to make this tasty salad served on a thick slice of Cretan bread.
Mussels Saganaki
This is such a tasty and unique way to enjoy seafood! The dish includes mussels cooked in tomato sauce and served with feta.
Grilled Halloumi
Halloumi is a Greek cheese made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk. It is thick and salty and delicious. When it is grilled, it is an absolute dream!
Related : Halloumi Fries Recipe
Cappuccino Freddo
Picture your favourite cappuccino and then imagine it iced! I fell in love with my daily cappuccino freddo while we were in Athens. It’s frothy and delicious and I have been missing it since we got back to Paris!
Fresh Juice
There are incredible fresh juice stands all over Athens. The best part? The juice is so affordable! For 2,75€, you can have a gorgeous and nutritious fresh squeezed juice made with 4 or 5 different kinds of fruit. It’s definitely worth having a daily juice while you are in Athens!
Related : Mango Carrot Smoothie Recipe
Kataifi
This is our favorite Greek dessert made from roughly chopped nuts, kataifi dough, lemon syrup and scented with ground clove and cinnamon.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt topped with candied mandarine peel.
Athens Food Tour
Are you convinced you need to take an Athens food your yet?!
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If you love taking food tours when you travel, take a look at the Traditional Food in Paris with the Paris Guy.
First published September 9, 2019. Last updated March 19, 2021 with more information, additional tips, and better readability.
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Eric says
This Greek food looks delicious! Thanks for sharing all these great foods!
A Hedgehog in the Kitchen says
Everything was so good!
Lucas says
I’ve always wanted to visit Greece, and have everything they have to offer! Thanks for this list, when I make my trip there I’ll have to check out these!
A Hedgehog in the Kitchen says
I hope you enjoy Greece as much as we did!