Food Tour with a Local Chef: Markets, Tastings & Lunch

Discover Thessaloniki's food culture with a local chef, exploring its historic market, tasting seasonal Greek specialties and finishing with a restaurant lunch shaped by the day's freshest ingredients. You'll learn not only what you're tasting, but how these ingredients are used in Greek kitchens and why seasonality is so important to Greek cuisine. The experience continues with a sit-down lunch at one of Thessaloniki's carefully selected independent restaurants. These are places where the daily menu is driven by the market and the season rather than a standard tourist menu. Menus and tastings change according to the season and the day's best ingredients. This means that there is no rigid menu to follow — instead, you experience Thessaloniki as we would eat it ourselves: according to what is fresh, local and at its best that day!

1. 1

   Thessaloniki

   20 min

   Meet your local chef and begin your culinary journey with an introduction to Thessaloniki's food culture. Learn about the city's multicultural culinary heritage, the importance of seasonality in Greek cooking, and what makes Thessaloniki's cuisine unique.

2. 2

   The Kapani (Vlali) Market

   1.3 hours

   Explore the lively Kapani (Vlali) Market, Thessaloniki's historic central food market. Walk through the market's fishmongers, butchers, produce stalls, spice shops and specialty food stores while discovering the ingredients that form the foundation of Greek cuisine. Along the way, enjoy a selection of seasonal tastings, including Greek cheeses, cured meats, olives, olive oil, honey, traditional specialties and other local delicacies. Your chef guide will introduce you to the products, explain how they are used in Greek cooking and share stories about the city's food traditions.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   2 hours

   Finish your culinary journey with a sit-down lunch at a carefully selected independent restaurant around Athonos Square. Enjoy contemporary Greek cooking based on seasonal ingredients and the chef's daily selection. Depending on the season and what's freshest that day, dishes may include local seafood, seasonal vegetables, Greek cheeses, legumes, handmade specialties and modern interpretations of traditional Greek dishes. The menu changes every day, allowing you to experience Greek cuisine as locals do — according to the season, the market and the best ingredients available that day.

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.