Backstreet Plaka: Exploring the Culinary Heart of Athens

On this food tour in Plaka, we will explore the district’s culinary diamonds in the touristy rough while at the same time getting a sense of how this ancient district shaped the growth of modern Athens. 

• Taste of a real souvlaki
• Olive oil tasting
• Wine tasting

Starting in one of Athens’ finest bakeries, where we will try goods that have been part of the Athenian diet since ancient Greek and Ottoman times. We will make our way into the backstreets of the Plaka, in an area that is one of Orthodox Christianity’s biggest religious centers. We will visit an establishment where priests from all over the world come to buy their vestments and then we will sample fragrant Greek coffee with kollyva.
Crossing the outcrop of the Acropolis, we will visit the neighborhood of Anafiotika, where we will stop by a family-run store that stocks seasonal products from across Greece. Moving on to nearby Syntagma, we will get a taste of Greek kebab, made by the same family for three generations, and will then go behind-the-scenes at an old-fashioned tradesmen’s canteen, where the local workers choose their food directly from the many pots in the kitchen. We will finish our tour on a sweet note: with a classic desserts based on recipes from the island of Hydra.

• Benaki Museum, Koumpari, Athens, Greece
• Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Vasilissis Sofias, Athens, Greece
• Athens National Garden, Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias, Athens, Greece
• The Meet Market, Petraki, Athens, Greece
• Keramikos' Archaeological Site, Ermou, Athens, Greece
• Ymittos, Ymittos, Greece
• Hellenic Children's Museum, Vasileos Georgiou B, Athens, Greece
• Diomidous Botanical Garden, Iera Odos, Haidari, Greece
• Pnyx Hill, The Pnyx, Athens, Greece
• Industrial Gas Museum, Pireos, Athens, Greece
• The Greek Film Archive Foundation, Megalou Alexandrou, Athens, Greece
• Psirri Square, Aristofanous, Athens, Greece
• Syntagma Square, Syntagma Square, Athens, Greece

Liability Waiver By completing the reservation you acknowledge the following: If you have food allergies, you are ultimately responsible to ensure your own health and safety. If you share information about your allergies, we can provide you with some guidance about the food purveyors on your tour, but we are not responsible for any allergic reactions that you may have. We are not responsible for any damages or losses incurred as result of acts by entities beyond our control, including but not limited to restaurants, shops, market stalls, eateries and food carts. We are not responsible for acts beyond our control, including but not limited to acts of God, act of nature, acts of war, or other unrest caused by state or non-state actors. If you are disruptive, we have the right to ask you to leave the tour without refunding you or providing you with a credit for your tour. You are aware of and responsible for all damages or losses that may arise during the course of the tour resulting from: Risks associated with food, water or other drinks, including alcoholic beverages; physical accidents during the tour or at any of the locations visited; transportation failures; forces of nature; criminal activity; damage, loss or misplaced property; or accident or illness without means of rapid evacuation or availability of medical supplies or services. You agree that any claims that may arise will first go to arbitration and only if not resolved in that manner shall be heard in court. In both cases, grievances shall be heard in the jurisdiction of Washington, DC. You further agree to be responsible for your own welfare and property and accept any and all risks of delay, unanticipated events, inconvenience, illness, injury, emotional trauma or death. You further acknowledge that participation in Culinary Backstreets tours is based upon execution of this Liability Waiver. By completing the reservation process you release and discharge forever Culinary Backstreets, its employees, owners, affiliates, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns, from and against any liability arising from participating in this tour. You further agree that this release shall be legally binding upon you personally, all members of your family, all minors traveling with you, your heirs, successors, assigns, and legal representatives, to the maximum extent of the law. I am aware that while on or traveling to or from my activity with Culinary Backstreets, I might be exposed to COVID-19 from other people, animals or objects. I assume all risk of any such contacts, including sickness, incapacity or death and agree to hold harmless Culinary Backstreets from any such developments. In addition, I recognize that the World Health Organization, U.S. Department of State as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have warnings concerning same and am choosing to travel and assume all risk myself.