The Moveable Sunday Feast

Athens Food Tour

Enter some of Athens's favorite Sunday kitchens

Meet the local heroes sustaining Athens's culinary culture

Taste the flakiest and tastiest baklava in town

See a side of Athens that combines the old with the new

Sit down for a family-style Sunday meal, just like Athenians do

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On this tour– our own take on a classic Athens family-style Sunday – we move at a leisurely pace, enjoying the quiet streets around downtown’s normally bustling historic Monastiraki Square, as we fill up on some of its best-kept culinary secrets.

About

Sunday is traditionally a day of leisure for the average Greek, dedicated to two important aspects of life: food and family. On this tour we’ll get a chance to experience Athens like a typical Greek does, visiting a series of beloved family-run institutions that have kept locals happily fed on the weekends for decades. We’ll begin with a fresh-baked koulouri at the bakery that supplies most of the city’s street vendors with this iconic street food, before exploring the nearby weekly flea market. There will be a good Greek coffee and breakfast’s second course: thick strained yogurt with honey and nuts alongside hosaf, a dried fruit and spice compote that’s a specialty of the Pontic Greeks exiled in the 1920’s from Turkey’s Black Sea region. As our Sunday stroll continues through the cobblestoned streets of the Plaka, the historic neighborhood under the shadow of the Acropolis, we’ll walk past buildings and monuments representing the depth of Athenian history, from the ancient Agora and the Stoa of Attalos, a 2nd century B.C. shopping arcade, to one of Athens’ oldest functioning churches, where students still go to get a blessing before final exams. From here, we’ll wend our way through Thissio and Petralona, two lively neighborhoods filled with cafes and classic tavernas, which still maintain an air of “old Athens” about them. Here we will make our first lunch stop, sitting down for a meal of unforgettable grilled lamb chops and hand-cut fries in a family-run local institution. Our final stop will be in nearby Psyri – a working-class neighborhood that’s still home to many old-school small businesses – to eat at another family-run spot, a traditional taverna located on a tranquil pedestrianized street, where we’ll join the locals who are eating out with their extended families. There we’ll enjoy Greek comfort food like dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), soutzoukakia (Smyrna-style meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce) and the season’s best horta (salads made of wild greens) among Athenian families and friends – a fitting end to our moveable feast.

Details

Group Size: 2-7
5.5 hours
Sundays 10:30am
Monastiraki - Monastiraki Square
Price: Adults x $140

Dietary

Meat-heavy tour. Cannot accommodate a vegan diet. Can accommodate gluten-free diet.

Mobility

Easy, flat terrain and stroller-friendly. Includes visits of old city of Plaka and residential neighborhoods. Children welcome.

Reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the fee?

In addition to your Culinary Backstreets guide, all food consumed on the walk – almost a dozen different edible specialties – are included in the price. A limited selection of alcohol is served on the walks and is included in the price.
Why is the Culinary Backstreets tour more expensive than some other walking tours?

Our approach is different than most tour companies. Each of our culinary walks is the outcome of considerable research. We work with academics in the field and our own team of experienced professionals – both guides and local journalists. Our ongoing publishing of articles, from restaurant reviews to features about the intersection of food and culture, constantly feeds new material into the culinary walks, so they evolve and constantly improve. Though costly, we believe that this is how to create the quality experiences we strive for. We practice honest tourism and would never accept a free lunch or any sort of commission. On the contrary, we are proud to know that the money spent during the culinary walk goes to support businesses that we believe in, helping to preserve the social and cultural fabric of the cities we love so dearly.
How does the payment process work?

Once you have made a reservation, we require the full fee to be paid in order to complete the online booking. Our online booking system uses Stripe to process secure payments.
What is your cancellation policy?

90% will be refunded if given 1 week notice prior to walk and 50% will be refunded if given 72 hours notice or more. Less than 72 hours is non-refundable.
Are your walks public or private? How many people are on them?

Our walks are 2-7 people and are open to the public. If you would like to do a private walk, you can book it for a supplement by selecting book entire excursion. If it is not available on booking, we may be able to arrange one for an additional fee. Please contact us at walks@culinarybackstreets.com for more information.
Can I get a discount if I join more than one walk?

Yes, we offer a 10% discount to those who join more than one walk. Please email us at walks@culinarybackstreets.comif you’d like to join multiple walks.
Are your walks suitable for people with food allergies?

This can vary based on a number of factors, including the food item in question. Please email us at walks@culinarybackstreets.com to discuss your situation before booking. The Moveable Sunday Feast walk can accommodate participants who do not eat fish, seafood, or pork. Dairy and nut allergies can also be accommodated. Please always make note of your dietary restrictions on your booking. Participants with allergies to raw tomato, raw onion, raw garlic, mint or bell peppers can join this walk.
Are your walks suitable for vegetarians, pescetarians and vegans?

We do not recommend this activity for vegetarians and vegans but pescatarians will only have to pass on a few offerings.
Are your walks gluten-free?

This walk can be modified for gluten-free route.
How physically demanding is the walk?

The walk is about 2KM (1.25 miles) of fairly flat terrain, broken up into almost a dozen stops. The streets and sidewalks of Athens are quite well kept but we do recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes.
Can children join the walks?

Of course! We offer a 50% discount to children ages 12 and under, and we charge $25 for children 6 and younger.
Can you pick me up from my hotel? How will I return, once the tour is over?

Our tour prices don’t include transportation to and from the tour. If you book a tour, you’re responsible for arriving to the pre-arranged meeting spot on your own. Once the tour is over, we will help you get an authorized, safe taxi to your hotel, or provide directions on public transportation, if you’re interested in that.
How much food will I get to try?

This is really up to you. We generally make between 10 and 12 eating stops on our walk and try to include some breaks from eating along the way. The price includes as much food as you’re open to trying. We offer a suggested portion size at each stop and you can take our recommendation if you’d like. Our walks often involve street food and sharing food.
How are you dealing with health and safety on your walks?

We have reinforced our commitment to safety with new guidelines and have altered our routes to assure the maximum safety of our guests, guides and community while maintaining the quality of the experience. For more details on our precautions, read here.

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