by Eleni Psychouli
If you head down to Piraeus in search of the old Lemonadika district and the picturesque arcades of the historic market, you’ll likely be disappointed. The city’s fresh pulse now beats around the redevelopment of the Tower—shops, parking lots, gyms, covered walkways—all forming a new, updated urban landscape. The tough guys of the produce market, the fishermen who once brought island goods ashore, the noisy bargaining, the heavy smells of everyday trade have all been buried beneath a modern, concrete setting.
And yet, this city—both capital and province at once—still carries in its aura something of 1950s Athens: short distances between exceptional finds, a stroll that feels almost exotic, just a breath away from both Athens and the sea. The sea always manages to slip between two buildings and suddenly appear before you as you’re picking lettuce—iodine, lightness, travel, and open horizons blending into the ordinariness of a city day. If you have a Saturday to yourself, don’t waste it at the neighborhood supermarket. Shopping in Piraeus is an excursion, a dose of nostalgia—and it often ends with beer and octopus by the sea, or unexpected midday revelry with tsipouro in the narrow streets of the old market.
What Remains of the Old Piraeus Market
Beneath the new metal canopy, the Central Market bears no resemblance to its former self. A couple of fishmongers, just as many butcher shops—that’s all that remains of what was once a bustling commercial hub. What still stands out is the market greengrocer, run by Vasilis Koliavasilis. Mrs. Kiki, who comes all the way from Kokkinia to shop here, praises its unmatched freshness—“better than any street market”—as the staff collectively clean fragrant wild greens at the entrance. Crisp chard and endive, bulbs, legumes for boiling, Nevrokopi potatoes, Cretan snails—everything you could crave lines the shelves.
In the surrounding streets, old Greece still survives intact: shops with vintage shutters selling slippers, robes, socks, undershirts. Among them, you’ll discover hidden treasures for the kitchen and home—aluminum wine flasks, metal hoops, enamel pots, plates and glasses at prices that feel like a step back in time. At Markela Deligiogi (Tsamadou 4), you’ll find everything old that has made a comeback in today’s style-conscious kitchens.
Everything You Could Ever Want—and More
Mandragoras (14 D. Gounari St.) somehow manages to contain the entire spirit of the old market within its narrow aisles, packed to the brim with goods spilling out of shelves and fridges. It’s the most vibrant and comprehensive deli in the greater Athens area—a paradise for those who seek the very best from Greece and beyond. In fact, Mandragoras is not just one shop, but many. It began with herbs and spices, when grandfather Vasilopoulos started the business in 1955. His son Giannis expanded it next door, and today, Giorgos of the third generation serves customers at the counter. A little further down, they’ve added a new organic shop.
It’s impossible to fully describe the life inside this grocery, or to explore its range without doing it an injustice. Pickles of every kind, all the finest olives from across Greece, salads and spreads displayed in enormous ceramic platters—leaving you unsure whether to admire the dishes or the handmade fasting tzatziki with avocado. From rare Greek cheeses and small-batch cured meats to an endless variety of halva and soutzouki, handmade trachanas, rustic bread loaves, and freshly baked pies filled with Kefalonia feta and wild greens—this place is a feast. But what truly stands out are the salads: unbeatable taramasalata, skordalia, herring salad, stuffed zucchini flowers, cabbage rolls, shrimp salad, marinated spicy anchovies from Amvrakikos, stuffed eggplant from Messinia. Their marinated goods are unique: mushrooms from Evia, wild artichokes, crisp okra, even stamnagathi, samphire, and purslane. Handmade delicacies crafted from the best seasonal produce Greece has to offer.
In 1991, Levon Tsertsian introduced Piraeus to the concept of the delicatessen. Still there today, with the unmatched kindness and warmth typical of Armenians, Levon now welcomes customers alongside his daughters, Talin and Armik, who have dynamically joined the family business. You’ll find exceptional cheeses and cured meats from around the world, but the Tsertsians are above all experts in sourcing rare Greek delicacies: Cretan cheese aged in a sheep sack by Xylouris, Skyrian pit cheese, salted mackerel roe, smoked sea bream from Leros, Naxos-style cured fish, and of course handmade Armenian specialties—dolmadakia, cabbage rolls, manti, lahmacun, ichli kofte, kebabs, and pastourma pies.
With roots dating back to 1922, when grandfather Aram first made pastourma, the Avakian family (21 D. Gounari St.) continues to uphold its reputation quietly. Their factory in Acharnes produces pastourma from premium cuts, soutzouki ranging from mild to fiery, kavourma, and sausages based on family recipes brought from Kayseri. In their fridge, you’ll find handmade frozen pies, pastourma pies, lahmacun, and fresh dolmadakia. Alongside them: rich head cheese, pork preserved with orange, select cheeses, cured meats, and rusks from Kythera.
Feeling Hungry After Your Shopping?
Right where the market begins, you’ll find Giorgos’ Souvlaki (18 Gounari St.). Tiny shop, lines ten times its size. It hasn’t been open long, yet fans travel even from Kifisia just to try it. Small and perfect, with red sauce, tomato, onion, parsley—no fries, no fancy sauces. Just irresistible souvlaki made with passion by Grigoris Tsakiris (yes, of the famous chips family) and his son Giorgos. The secret lies in their signature pita, their beef-only meat, and their homemade sauce. Everything is handmade—nothing industrial—for one of the best souvlaki experiences in recent memory.
Across from Avakian, inside a charming arcade, Elefthera Politeia Ikarias (21–23 D. Gounari St.) is run by Stamatina from Ikaria and Vasiliki from Parnitha. A traditional café that takes you back in time, serving simple, homemade dishes—“liana,” as they say—using the freshest ingredients from the market. Fried fish of the day, black-eyed peas with cuttlefish, shrimp and crayfish on the grill, hearty boiled greens, saganaki, Turkish-style eggs with pastourma, milk-fed liver, and lamb baked with potatoes. A delicious journey into the authentic Piraeus that still survives—if you know where to look.
