Shops selling meat and fish – fresh, smoked, cured or frozen – fruit and vegetables, cheese varieties, spices, nuts, coffee, charcuterie, as well as bakeries, plus homeware and gift shops, supermarkets and nurseries may all be found under the one roof at the Kallithea market, not far from central Athens. This lively market is open from the early morning hours, opening times of its shops ranging between 5 and 7 am, until the afternoon, closing times ranging from 3pm to 5pm.
This unique market’s history dates back to 1956 when 62 Pontic Greek refugees joined forces to buy a plot of land that was equally divided. Following the Asia Minor catastrophe of 1922, over 20,000 refugees settled in the area, bring with them considerable experience as merchants and a unique form of customer service, involving a more personal connection with customers. A total of 62 shops were originally opened at the market. The number has remained unchanged over the decades. Some shops are now run by the descendants of their founders, others have been rented out and others sold.
An array of colours and scents, non-stop trade, boisterous activity, playful provocation, enabled by bonding established between shop owners and customers, plus genuine concern for the lives of customers and well wishes for other family members, as well as cooking tips, are typical features of this special Athens market. Some customers have been shopping here for many decades, which has led to close ties.
How to get there:
Take the train (Line 1) to Kallithea station. Having exited the station, take Syntagmatarhou Davaki street headed towards Davaki square. Once past Eleftheriou Venizelou Ave, turn right at Platonos st.
Alternatively, you may catch the 040 bus from Syntagma Square, or the number 1 or 5 trolleybus, to Davaki square. Once past Eleftheriou Venizelou Ave, turn right at Platonos st.
All the market’s shops are situated at the ground level, while storage rooms and toilets are upstairs. The market is sheltered by a corrugated cement roof. It is well lit as the market lights are kept on all day during opening hours, regardless of the season.
Market shops
Fournos Tis Agoras (Market Bakery, +30 2130448727), run by Spyros Parisis, bakes fine bread varieties, but it is the bakery’s sweets that set this place apart. The proprietor’s son, Nikos Parisis, is a skilled pastry chef who makes a range of delightful sweets such as revani, samali, gianniotiko, saragli and, on Saturdays, galaktoboureko. He also makes amazing moustalevria (thick grape must jelly), at harvest season.
Farma Naxou (+30 2109576796) is run by Mihalis Dragazis, who also owns a farm at Sagri, Naxos, supplying beef, pork, lamb and goat meat sold at his market shop. The proprietor also occasionally offers Naxos cheese varieties produced by a Naxos association of farming cooperatives. Cheese varieties often available at Farma Naxou include graviera, arseniko (kefalotyri), sweet as well as dry myzithra (not to be found elsewhere in Athens), and xinotyri.
Psaradiko Tou Kapetan Miha (+30 2110124724). This fish shop’s proprietor has his own fishing boat, bringing in fresh catch of the day from the Gulf of Euboea.
Afoi Boli (Bolis Bros) (+30 2109590245), a large fish shop, offers lots of fresh fish, species depending on the season, as well as terrific crayfish.
Katapliktiko (+30 2130406906) is stocked with everything poultry-related. Litsa Mouzaki and her husband sell their own handmade biftekia (patties), cut any type of poultry mince, and also prepare very good meat roll.
Soufis Farm (+30 2117500828) is the newest arrival at the market, launched just one month ago. The proprietors maintain a livestock farm in the Ilia region, western Peloponnese, with cattle, goat and, depending on the season, ewe. The shop sells its own homemade sausages using beef and pork.
O Thanasis (+30 2109566092, +30 6944356471) sells a wide variety of frozen food products. Its array of prawns, hailing from the seas of Argentina, Ecuador, the Atlantic and Indian oceans, are top selling products. The shop also stocks crayfish and crabs.
Kapetanakis (+30 2109564546), also selling frozen goods, focuses on big fish, species including red snapper, white grouper, and common dentex. Fish purchased here can be prepared as you wish (scaled, skinned, filleted).
Danis (+30 2109592370) sells frozen fish and seafood, including Symi prawns, which are relatively hard to find.
Sokratis (+30 2109569852) sells fresh fish straight off the shop’s own fishing boats at Fournoi, east of the island Ikaria. Besides usual species, this shop also offers fish such as wrasses, comber and shi drum, as well as roe.
Akropolis (+30 2109563069), an old-school grocery headed by Aristomenis Antonopoulos, has been in business for fifty years. Food products stocked here include many olive varieties, among them exceptional salt-free Amfissa olives, Halkidiki feta, as well as authentic Icelandic cod.
Melopoleio o Andreas (+30 694 488 2719), a honey shop owned by Andreas Goranis, sells honey varieties from all over Greece, the range covering customary to rare and lesser-known honey. Besides classic honey varieties, including thyme, flower and forest honey, the shop also stocks varieties such as chestnut, oak, arbutus, heather and vanilla honey. It also stocks royal jelly, honey cream and other goods. All products may be tasted before purchased.
Tyrokomika Paramythias (+30 2160709839) is the place for fresh butter as well as cheese varieties produced at the family cheesery in Zervohori, Paramythia, northwestern Greece, including feta, galotyri, myzithra, kefalograviera, graviera and kefalotyri. The shop also sells bulk feta from the barrel, mild or spicy, as well as feta varieties from Kefalonia and Halkidiki (petroto). It is stocked with Sarry and Miran brand charcuterie, as well as beans, olives and groats. The shop’s Mrs. Vaso is always willing to offer any information needed.
To Manaviko Tis Litsas (+30 2130340027) is a corner grocery store dating back to 1956. It is stocked with everything. Should the shop not have something you need, friendly Litsa-Ioulia will order it for you. The grocery’s wide product range includes lettuce, leek and asparagus, all wild; a wide range of greens, including rare wild greens from the wider Athens area, for pies; and edible flowers, commonly used by chefs.
Batanian (+30 210 95 66 265), a large Anatolian delicatessen run by the Batanian family, is now into its third generation, Aram and Kaspar co-managing the business. A family of Armenian refugee roots, from Caesarea, central Anatolia, the Batanians began a new life and business in port city Piraeus’ Nikaia district in 1922. The family’s delicatessen business eventually grew and relocated to the Kalithea market. It is extensively stocked with charcuterie such as pastourma (cured meat), homemade Armenian soutzouki (spicy sausage), as well as smoked fish, including mackerel, skipjack tuna, and herring. Other delights include sauerkraut, fresh lahanodolmades (stuffed cabbage rolls in lemon sauce), manti (type of dumpling), as well as numerous spreads and cheese varieties.
Psarotrata (+30 210 9565500) offers an extensive range of fresh fish, species to be found depending on the time of year and output. Dil, a charismatic figure with a big reputation, scales and fillets fish with dexterity that surpasses the level of professionals possessing the highest of qualifications.
Lambros (+30 210 9566970) offers a variety of shells, adorning its marble benches, including warty venus, oysters, callistas (Greek and French), mussels and sea snails. An incredible number of seafood eateries buy their supplies from Lambros.
Ioanna (+30 2109578915), a fruit and vegetable shop managed by Ioanna Polatidou, is one of the market’s most authentic shops. The business is owned by her father and has been run by the family since 1956. The shop, offering a restricted but quality-focused range of goods, has loyal customers who have complete faith in this place.
O Kipos Tis Edem (+30 2109511523), one of the market’s liveliest fruit and vegetable stores, is now based by the market entrance, on Grypari st. Besides quality fruit and vegetables, the shop also sells fine beans, olives and wine.
Shops surrounding the market
Kallithea market’s boundaries are defined by Platonos street, running by the entrance, and Grypari street, at the market’s back area. A series of small shops selling special products have established themselves along these two streets over the decades. Their lively and intimate style of doing business resembles that of the shops within the market. These shops attract a wide gamut of customers, from hipsters, foodies, family people and young mothers with babies in prams, shopping for fish, vegetables and particular goods such as kazandibi, konjac pasta, almond flour and red caviar straight from Russia.
Shops on Platonos street
Spitiko (+30 2109573571) sells many types of bread, its 2kg sourdough loaf being a top seller, as well as a large variety of rusks, including four barley varieties, plus rye and carob versions. The bakery also sells superb raisin bread containing olive oil.
Manolopoulos Tyrokomeio (+30 6944330308) exclusively sells cheese varieties produced at the family cheesery in Trahia, Argolida, northeastern Peloponnese. The goods here include myzithra, graviera, as well as yoghurts, puddings and rice pudding. The shop’s exceptional goat milk yoghurt is a standout product. Homemade sweet preserves, pickles and pies are sold here, while the shop is also stocked with renowned Trahia rusks, trahana pasta and eggs, amongst many other goods.
Fish House (+30 2109565274, +30 6973942731) sells freshly cooked fish-based meals, exclusively. Selections include orzo pasta with prawns, stuffed sardines and salmon souvlaki.
Shops on Grypari street
Oikogeneia Gaitanidi (+30 2109568807) sells dairy products made at the Gaitanidis family’s small-scale production unit in Karditsa, central Greece. Cow and goat milk, kefir and a range of cheese varieties, including PDO graviera and kaseri, puddings, rice puddings are all available, along with ready-to-bake pies from the Thessaly region. as well as buffalo meat sausages.
Batavia (+30 2109531042), previously named Arkefthos, sells spices, including the rarest of kinds. The proprietor, Sokratis, continuously stocks his shop with all types of spices, as well as organic products, covering new food trends. Goods available include nut-based flour, glucomannan pasta and essential oils, plus every imaginable type of herb.
Giannakos (+30 2109518508), a classic old nut shop, also roasts Greek coffee. It is stocked with a big range of nuts, chocolates, halva, sweet preserves, candy, loukoumi, and top-quality beans.
Anatolia Sweets (+30 2114205553) is full of wonderful surprises, its range of Anatolian sweets including kazan dibi, kanafeh, dürüm, as well as loukoumi with hazelnut, sprinkled with coconut. All sweets here are handmade and absolutely superb.
To Rossiko Magazi (Russian Shop) (+30 215 5255382) sells exceptional lard, delicious lahanodolmades (frozen), canned cod liver, as well as very good red caviar, often in bulk form, cake sprinkled with poppy seeds, and an assortment of other exotic goods.
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