Athens Food & Evening: The Perfect Culinary Night Out
Athens comes alive after dark, when the tavernas of Plaka fill up and the streets of Monastiraki hum with music. Spend an evening eating your way through the old city — a guided food tour, a hands-on cooking class or a mezze-and-wine crawl. Here is how to plan the perfect food-focused night, with the best-rated experiences to book.
At a glance
- 1Food tour through Plaka & the market
- 2Hands-on Greek cooking class
- 3Mezze & wine in Monastiraki
- 4Nightcap under the lit Acropolis
Early evening: a food tour of Plaka & the market
Begin with a guided food walk through Plaka and the Varvakios central market, where a local leads you between family bakeries, cheese stalls and souvlaki grills. Expect ten or more tastings — from loukoumades and olives to grilled meats and ouzo — for roughly €65 to €90. Come hungry; the stops add up to a full dinner, and the guide's stories turn a simple meal into the history of Greek cooking.
Hands-on: a Greek cooking class
For a more immersive night, swap the tour for a cooking class. You shop at the market with your host, then cook a full Greek menu — tzatziki, dolmades, moussaka — before sitting down to eat what you made, often on a rooftop with an Acropolis view. Classes usually run three to four hours and include wine. Book in advance, as the small-group sessions and the best rooftop venues fill quickly.
Late: mezze & wine in Monastiraki
End the evening in Monastiraki, where rooftop bars look straight onto the floodlit Acropolis and tavernas serve mezze late into the night. An evening food-and-wine tour is the easiest way in, pairing regional Greek wines with small plates of grilled octopus, saganaki and meze boards. Linger over a last glass as the old town lights flicker — the most atmospheric way to close a night in Athens.
Book the experiences in this itinerary
Top-rated tours for exactly what this plan recommends in Athens — prices per person.
