Athens Old Town: Greek Olive Oil & Herbs Tasting

Four olive oils, Greek herbs, and a glass of wine make a compact introduction to one of Greece’s most useful foods. The setting helps: Brettos Bar, Athens’ oldest bar, is tucked into Plaka, close to the Acropolis and lined with colorful barrels of wine and spirits.

I like the clear tasting format and the chance to ask an expert how olive oil is made and used. I also like that the session takes only 20 minutes, making it easy to fit between the Acropolis and an evening meal. The main caution is the short length: one rushed session lasted only a few minutes before the oil was left for the guest to sample alone.

Key points at a glance

• Four oils in one sitting: Compare four Greek extra virgin olive oils rather than sampling just one.
• Herb pairings: Taste Greek herbs with the oils and learn which flavors work together.
• Historic Brettos setting: Follow the steps inside Athens’ oldest bar, with rows of wine and spirit barrels around you.
• A useful 20-minute lesson: This suits a tight sightseeing schedule, but it is not a long food tour.
• Personal hosting can vary: Irini has offered a careful, question-friendly session, while a solo booking elsewhere felt much faster.
• Stay on afterward: You can order extra drinks and finger food at your own cost.

Four Greek olive oils in the heart of Plaka

This experience begins with a walk through Plaka, Athens’ old town. You make your way to Brettos Bar, a landmark drinks stop near the Acropolis. The meeting point is easy to identify: find Brettos, go up the steps on the right-hand side, and ask for the olive tasting booked in your name.

The setting is a good match for the subject. Brettos is known as Athens’ oldest bar, and its interior has rows of colorful barrels holding Greek wine and spirits. You are not tasting olive oil in a blank classroom. You are doing it in one of Plaka’s long-running food and drink addresses.

Once seated, you taste four types of Greek extra virgin olive oil. The point is comparison. With several samples in front of you, you can notice differences in flavor and character instead of treating olive oil as one generic ingredient.

Your host explains the difference between olive oil, virgin olive oil, and extra virgin olive oil. That basic lesson is useful because many visitors use the terms loosely. The session aims to give you a working understanding of what you are tasting, not just a few samples to swallow and forget.

The pace is quick. At 20 minutes, this is closer to a short masterclass than a full food tour. That can be a plus if you have a packed day in Athens. It can also feel brief if you want a long conversation about farming, pressing, regional varieties, or Greek cooking.

Learning to taste oil instead of simply using it

Most of us pour olive oil over bread or salad without stopping to notice much beyond good or not good. This tasting gives you a simple way to pay attention. You compare the four oils, look for differences, and ask the host to explain what you are noticing.

The exact tasting language is not specified, so I would not expect a formal professional tasting course. Still, the structure gives you a useful starting point. You can learn why one oil may seem softer, sharper, greener, or more peppery than another, then decide which style you prefer.

That personal preference is part of the value. You are not being told that one sample is automatically best. You get to find the oil that suits your own taste, especially when it is paired with herbs and wine.

The strongest sessions seem to depend on the host. Irini has led a particularly warm and patient tasting, taking time to explain the oils and answer questions. That kind of personal attention matters in a short activity because a good explanation turns four small pours into a lesson you can remember.

The experience is conducted in English. If you want to ask questions, use that time well. Ask how the oils differ, what foods suit them, and how to tell extra virgin olive oil from other categories. The provided format promises an expert explanation, but the amount of detail may depend on the group and the host on duty.

Greek herbs bring the tasting to life

The oils are tasted with some of the finest local Greek herbs. This is more useful than sampling oil alone because it shows how Greek ingredients work together at the table.

The herbs help you think beyond tasting notes. Instead of asking only which oil you like, you can consider which oil and herb combination makes sense for a dish. The activity does not list specific herbs, so you should not expect a fixed menu of named pairings in advance.

That flexibility may be helpful. You can focus on the combinations that interest you and ask the host for practical advice. If you cook at home, this is the part most likely to follow you back from Athens. A small lesson about pairing oil with herbs can change how you dress bread, vegetables, salads, or other simple foods.

The tasting also fits the way olive oil is used in Greece. It is not treated as a rare product to admire from a distance. It is a basic part of eating, and herbs show how a few local ingredients can add flavor without a complicated recipe.

A glass of wine at Brettos Bar

The experience includes wine in the description, and several sessions have included a glass after the oil tasting. One particularly positive account described a nice glass of wine enjoyed with the favorite oil. Another praised the wine as very good and relaxing.

There is a small booking detail to keep in mind. The formal included section lists the four extra virgin olive oils and Greek herbs, but does not separately list food and drinks. Since the activity description does mention a glass of wine, confirm this point when you book or arrive if the wine matters to you.

The bar itself gives the wine portion extra atmosphere. Brettos has many barrels of Greek wine and spirits on display, so the setting feels tied to local drinking culture rather than added as an afterthought. You can also stay longer after the tasting for drinks and finger food, but those extras cost more.

That option works well if you want to turn a 20-minute activity into a relaxed stop. It does not work as a substitute for lunch or a full meal, since the included experience is mainly the oil and herb tasting. Plan to pay separately if you want to linger over the bar’s other offerings.

Why the 20-minute length matters

The short duration is both the clearest strength and the clearest limitation. At $23 per person, you are paying for a focused tasting in a central location, not a long guided food walk or a full wine-and-dinner experience.

I see the price as reasonable if you want a small, organized activity between major sights. Plaka is close to the Acropolis, and the meeting point does not require a separate transfer. You can fit this around sightseeing without giving up half a day.

The value is less convincing if you expect a detailed agricultural lesson. A 20-minute session leaves only so much time for four oils, herb pairings, wine, and questions. One solo booking felt especially compressed, with the four oils poured and an explanation lasting about three minutes before the guest was left with the wine.

That account is worth taking seriously, but it does not describe every session. A small-group experience with Irini was much more satisfying, with time for explanations and questions. The difference suggests that group size and host attention can shape the experience.

If your schedule allows, arrive ready to take part rather than simply receive the samples. Ask questions early. A short tasting feels much fuller when you use the host’s time actively.

The meeting point and nearby sights

Brettos is in Plaka, one of the most convenient areas for adding a short activity to an Athens sightseeing day. You meet at the bar, not at your hotel, and hotel transfers are not included.

The instructions are simple but specific. Find Brettos Bar, use the steps on the right-hand side, and ask for the olive tasting booked in your name. Give yourself enough time to locate the entrance, especially if you are moving through Plaka during a busy sightseeing period.

The bar is very close to the Acropolis. That makes the tasting easy to combine with a visit to the Acropolis area, though the experience itself does not include entry, guiding, or transport to the archaeological site. Think of it as a short food stop in the old town.

I would place it before or after another central Athens activity rather than build an entire afternoon around it. The location does the practical work here: no hotel pickup, no long ride, and no complicated meeting arrangement.

The host makes the biggest difference

The most praised part of the experience is the personal hosting. Irini has been described as friendly, patient, and able to explain the oils while answering questions. That is exactly what a compact tasting needs.

A good host can help you connect each oil to a herb pairing and explain why the samples taste different. You leave with a clearer idea of what extra virgin olive oil means and how to use it, rather than with four anonymous pours.

But you should keep your expectations flexible. A solo booking may not receive the same conversation as a small group. One person had a very quick explanation and then was left to enjoy the wine alone. That could suit someone who wants a fast, quiet stop, but it will disappoint anyone expecting a hands-on lesson.

The activity is offered in English. If you have a strong interest in Greek olive oil, make your questions specific. Ask about the differences among the samples, the best herb matches, and how the categories of olive oil differ. Those questions give the session direction.

Who should book this tasting?

I would recommend it most strongly to:

• First-time visitors to Athens who want a quick local food experience in Plaka.
• Olive oil fans who enjoy comparing several samples side by side.
• Couples and small groups looking for a quiet activity with a drink.
• Busy sightseers who can spare only 20 minutes.
• Visitors staying near the Acropolis who want an easy stop without hotel transport.
• Independent food lovers who like learning how herbs and oil work together.

I would be more cautious if you want a full culinary tour, a long historical talk, or a substantial meal. The experience does not include hotel transfer, and extra drinks or finger food cost more.

The $23 price makes sense when you value location, a guided comparison of four oils, and the chance to ask questions. It is less of a bargain if you count on a long class or a large amount of food and drink.

The overall rating is 4.2 from 41 reviews, which fits the experience well: generally well received, but not perfectly consistent. The best sessions offer a friendly host and a pleasant, informative tasting. The weakest point is the risk of a very short explanation, especially when you arrive alone.

Practical details before you go

The activity lasts 20 minutes, and starting times depend on availability. English is the listed language. You do not need to arrange hotel transport because you make your own way to Brettos in Plaka.

The activity allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Athens plans are still shifting.

The formal inclusion is the tasting of four extra virgin olive oils with Greek herbs. The experience description also refers to a glass of wine, and recent sessions have included one, but food and drinks are not listed as general inclusions. Confirm the wine detail if you are booking mainly for that part.

Afterward, you can stay at Brettos for additional drinks and finger food at your own cost. This is a useful option, but plan for it as a separate purchase.

Should you book Athens Old Town Olive Oil and Herbs Tasting?

Book it if you want a short, central, low-commitment taste of Greek food culture. Four oils give you a real comparison, the herbs add a practical cooking angle, and Brettos provides a memorable old-town setting. The experience is especially easy to pair with the Acropolis and other Plaka sights.

Skip it if you want a long class, a full meal, or a guaranteed extended conversation. The 20-minute format is tight, and the quality of the explanation may depend on the host and group size.

For the best chance of a satisfying visit, arrive with questions and treat the tasting as a focused introduction, not a full food tour. If you are happy with that tradeoff, $23 is a fair price for a compact Athens stop with local flavor.

FAQ

Where does the olive oil tasting take place?

It takes place at Brettos Bar in Plaka, Athens’ old town. The bar is near the Acropolis and is known as the oldest bar in Athens.

How long does the experience last?

The tasting lasts 20 minutes. Starting times depend on availability.

How many olive oils will I taste?

You will taste four different Greek extra virgin olive oils.

Are Greek herbs included?

Yes. The four olive oils are tasted together with Greek herbs, and the host explains how the herbs pair with the oil.

Is wine included?

The experience description includes a glass of wine, and recent sessions have included wine. However, the formal inclusion lists only the olive oils and herbs, so confirm this detail when booking.

Is food included?

Food is not included. You can stay at Brettos afterward for finger food and additional drinks at an extra cost.

Can I cancel the booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.