Ignite your senses on a 3.5-hour food tour of Thessaloniki, exploring colorful markets, seeing fresh seafood, sampling Greek meze and more! With a local guide, visit the vibrant food markets of Modiano and Kapani to sample local bread, and then relax in a traditional Greek tavern to feast on a meze platter (selection of dishes) washed down with ouzo or ‘tsipouro’ – two much-loved Greek liquors. Further samples include a melt-in-the-mouth syrupy sweet at one of the city’s old candy shops.
Numbers are limited to 12 people on this small-group tour, ensuring personalized attention from a guide.
Head to Aristotelous Square in central Thessaloniki to meet your guide and start your food tour of the city. Kick-start your morning with a cup of strong Greek coffee to get your energy levels up, and then continue into Thessaloniki’s bustling commercial district to learn about Greek gastronomy.
A Mediterranean cuisine, Greek food is typically high in nutrients and low in animal fats, and dishes are cooked according to time-tested recipes that have been passed down over generations. With incredible islands and large expanses of coastal land, Greece is known for its incredible seafood and Thessaloniki – as an ancient port town – is one of the best places for it.
Wander through the food markets of Modiano and nearby Kapani to see crates of freshly caught fish loaded onto heaving stalls alongside tempting barrels of juicy plump olives. Try koulouri, a round roll of bread topped with sesame seeds, and compare the flavors with bougatsa, a similar roll that can be filled with almost anything, although spinach, cheese and mince are the usual fillers.
After soaking up the atmosphere of the markets and discovering the best stalls and traditional ingredients, continue to Athonos Square. Home to a cluster of charming old-world ouzeria (taverns), the square is one of the best places in the city to feast on a platter of meze alongside a shot of ouzo or tsipouro.
The adventure isn’t complete without a visit to one of Thessaloniki’s old candy shops, so head inside one to sample siropiasta, a syrupy sweet treat that was introduced to Greece in the 1920s. Your tour then finishes inside the shop.
The food and market tour of Thessaloniki was excellent, as was tour guide Stratos. There was a broad spectrum of tastes and sites that we may not have experienced on our own. Come hungry!
Review by: Parveen S, October 2015
Theresa was fantastic! The information given to me was clear and memorable, not to mention interesting on both historical and contemporary fronts. The tour was completely flexible and I was able to request a detour or rest. My tour guide Theresa was full of energy and information - and at no point did I realise I was meeting her for the first time! Give her a pay rise!
Review by: Tate R, March 2015
My tour guide was very friendly and even showed me additional things that were not planned because we finished early. I learned about so many great neighborhoods and areas that I wouldnt have known of before. I cant wait to explore them and try tavernas in each of the neighborhoods!
Review by: SUSAN L, January 2015
Knowledgable, enthusiastic guide. Great tour, delicious food.
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