Diporto

Diporto is one of the oldest koutoukia, the traditional basement tavernas, in Athens, and it remains a favourite lunch spot for market traders, local food lovers and visitors who have heard about it by word of mouth. It sits beneath a building of around 150 years old on the corner of Sokratous and Theatrou Streets, a few steps from the Varvakios Central Market, and there is no sign above the door: look for the stairs leading down from the street.

Inside, the room is simple: around ten tables with paper cloths, a kitchen visible along one side and a wall of huge wooden wine barrels. Tables are shared and there are no reservations, so you will often sit with strangers, which is part of the charm. Orders are taken quickly and food arrives almost at once.

The food is the plain, honest cooking of the market. Expect pulses such as bean soup, chickpea soup, butter beans and broad beans, yellow split pea fava, sometimes served with stewed capers or aubergine, fried sardines and salt cod, potato stew in tomato sauce, beef with pasta, and fresh salads. Wine comes from the barrels. Prices are low, and the experience is as much about the atmosphere as the food. It suits budget travellers, solo diners and anyone curious about old Athens.

The taverna has long been considered the canteen of the central market, serving workers from early in the day, and it is essentially a lunchtime place. Opening hours are not published, so go around midday on a weekday or Saturday and be prepared to wait for a table at peak times. Bring some cash in case, and keep your order simple. It is not a place for a long, lingering dinner.

Diporto is a short walk from Omonia and Monastiraki metro stations. Combine it with a morning browsing the meat, fish and produce halls of the market and the food shops of Evripidou Street, then walk on to Psirri or Monastiraki in the afternoon. Its long-time owner, Kyr Michalis, ran it for decades, and after his death in 1991 a former waiter, Kyr Mitsos, took over and still keeps the place spotless.