Restaurant
Delta
Two-Michelin-star restaurant on the fifth floor of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, serving a single creative tasting menu built on its own garden produce.
Karamanlidika tou Fani
A charcuterie shop and meze restaurant by the central market, serving pastirma, soutzouki and Anatolian Greek specialities from the Karamanli tradition.
At a glance
- Type
- Charcuterie deli and meze restaurant
- Area
- Central Market, Athens, Greece
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- karamanlidika.gr
Good to know
- Deli counter
- Meze
- Cured meats and cheeses to take away
Why we recommend it
Karamanlidika tou Fani is part delicatessen, part meze restaurant, and one of the most enjoyable places to eat near the Varvakios Central Market. The family business has more than 60 years of experience in cured meats, and its roots lie with the Karamanlides, the Orthodox Christian communities of Cappadocia and Cilicia in Anatolia who kept their own recipes, script and religion for centuries. That heritage shapes everything on the shelves and the plates.
The speciality is pastirma, the air-dried, spice-coated beef of Cappadocia, made here by hand from selected cuts following a traditional recipe. Soutzouki, the spiced sausage, is the other signature, and the counters are stacked with cured meats, cheeses and preserved goods from across Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. You can buy produce to take away or sit down and eat meze dishes on the spot, which is the best way to understand the range. Order a few plates to share, perhaps cured meats and cheeses alongside pastirma and soutzouki, with a glass of wine.
The restaurant describes its shops as reviving the spirit of the old Byzantine-era delicatessen, and the dining room has a lively, informal market feel. It suits groups of friends, curious eaters and anyone who prefers a spread of small plates to a formal meal. Vegetarians will find fewer options than meat lovers, though cheese and other meze are on offer. Prices are moderate.
The meze restaurant is on the corner of Sokratous and Evripidou Streets, and the family's separate pastirma shop is a few doors along at 41 Evripidou Street, so you can stock up afterwards. For reservations, call the restaurant or email the reservations address on the official site. It gets busy at lunchtime and in the evening, especially at weekends, so book for groups.
The restaurant is a short walk from Omonia and Monastiraki metro stations. Evripidou Street, which the official city guide calls the food tube of Athens, runs past the door, and the central meat and fish market is around the corner, so it works well as a lunch stop on a morning exploring the market district, or as the start of an evening in nearby Psirri.
Karamanlidika tou Fani FAQs
What is Karamanlidika tou Fani known for?
Handmade Karamanli pastirma, soutzouki and other cured meats, served as meze or sold at the deli counter.
Who are the Karamanlides?
Orthodox Christian communities of Cappadocia and Cilicia in Anatolia whose recipes and traditions inspire the business.
Can I buy products to take home?
Yes, the restaurant doubles as a deli, and there is a separate pastirma shop at 41 Evripidou Street.
Do I need to book?
It is advisable at busy times; reservations are taken by phone or by email.
Is it good for vegetarians?
The focus is on cured meats, though cheeses and other meze are available.
Where is it?
At the corner of Sokratous and Evripidou Streets, near the Varvakios Central Market.
How do I get there?
Walk a few minutes from Omonia or Monastiraki metro stations.