For decades it stood shuttered and crumbling; today it's one of the best places to eat in the city. Modiano Market — Agora Modiano — is Thessaloniki's grand covered food hall, a long iron-and-glass arcade a block from Aristotelous Square that reopened in 2022 after a top-to-bottom restoration. It's now equal parts market and dining room: you graze your way down the aisle past delis and meze bars, then sit down for tsipouro and small plates under the glass roof. Here's the story and how to visit.
A 1920s market, reborn
Modiano was built in the 1920s (1922–1925) as part of the Hébrard Plan, the sweeping redesign of central Thessaloniki after the great fire of 1917 levelled the old town. It was designed by Eli Modiano — an engineer from the prominent Sephardic-Jewish Modiano family, working with the architect Jean Oliphant — and raised on the site of a Jewish school lost in the fire. Modiano had studied in Paris, and it shows: the long hall under a part-glazed roof was modelled on the covered markets of the French capital. For generations it was the central food market of the city.
Closed, then restored
By the 2010s the building had fallen into disrepair, and in 2017 it closed over structural and safety concerns — for a while it looked like it might be lost. Instead it was painstakingly restored between 2020 and 2022, keeping the historic iron-and-glass roof and the arcade's proportions while completely rebuilding the interior. It reopened on 5 December 2022 with around 117 shops and stalls, run on a zero-waste, bioclimatic footing — a rare case of a landmark saved and given a genuine second life rather than turned into a museum.
What's inside now
Today Modiano is a gourmet food hall more than a produce market: come hungry. Down the glass-roofed aisle you'll find mezedopoleia and seafood-and-ouzo bars, cheese and charcuterie delis, a bakery, and spice and grocery stalls, with tables spilling into the arcade. The move is to graze — a few small plates here, a glass of tsipouro there — rather than to shop for a week's vegetables. It stays lively well into the evening, when the market bars fill up, which sets it apart from the city's daytime produce markets.
Modiano vs the other markets
Modiano is the polished, sit-down half of the city's market scene; right beside it, the Kapani market (Vlali) is the loud, authentic produce half — stalls of fish, meat, olives, cheese and spices at local prices. Most visitors do both, starting with Kapani in the morning for the atmosphere and ending with lunch in Modiano. A block away, the lead-domed Bezesteni is the Ottoman covered bazaar for fabric and trinkets. Our markets guide walks all three, and a food tour is the easiest way to eat through them with a guide.
How to visit
- Where: Ermou 24, in the commercial centre, a flat few minutes' walk from Aristotelous Square.
- Cost: free to wander; you pay only for what you eat and buy.
- When: the hall's official hours run 08:00–02:00 Monday–Friday, from 10:00 on Saturdays and 11:00 on Sundays — so, unlike the city's daytime produce markets, it stays open into the small hours for the bars and tavernas (individual stalls keep their own times, and Sundays are quieter). Weekday late mornings and evenings are the sweet spots.
It's one of the easiest, most enjoyable stops in the centre — a highlight of our free things to do list (until you sit down to eat) and a natural pairing with the markets and street food that define the city's table.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Modiano Market in Thessaloniki?
Modiano (Agora Modiano) is Thessaloniki's historic covered food market, built in the 1920s by the engineer Eli Modiano and reopened in 2022 after a major restoration. Under its iron-and-glass roof it's now a gourmet food hall of meze bars, tavernas, delis and grocery stalls, a block from Aristotelous Square.
When did Modiano Market reopen?
It reopened on 5 December 2022, after closing in 2017 for structural reasons and undergoing a full restoration from 2020 to 2022. The revamp kept the historic glass roof and arcade while filling the interior with around 117 modern shops and eateries.
Can you eat at Modiano Market?
Yes — eating is the point. The hall is lined with mezedopoleia, seafood-and-ouzo bars, delis and a bakery, with tables in the arcade, so most people come to graze on small plates and tsipouro rather than to shop. It stays lively into the evening.
Is Modiano or Kapani market better?
They complement each other. Modiano is the polished food hall for sitting down to eat; the neighbouring Kapani (Vlali) is the loud, authentic produce market for ingredients at local prices. They're next to each other, so most visitors do both — Kapani in the morning, lunch in Modiano.
