Restaurants in Crete
-
Waves on the Rock
The unassuming fishing hamlet of Ravdouha Beach, on the western side of the rugged Rodopou Peninsula, is one of the area's hidden gastronomic treats. Follow the signs to Ravdoucha until you reach a fork in the road. To the left, a rough dirt road leads 700m to the Waves on the Rock run by fisherman Theodoris Falelakis, who serves excellent fresh fish. If you really feel like getting away from it all there are also five rooms upstairs with kitchenette and air-con.
reviewed
-
Thalassino Ageri
It can be tricky to find, but this solitary fish taverna in a tiny port amongst the ruins of Hania's old tanneries is one of the most delightful eateries in Crete. Apart from the superb setting they have fresh fish and excellent mezedes such as tender octopus in wine vinegar and melt-in-your-mouth calamari as well as a delicious fisherman's salad. Take a taxi or follow Venizelou around the coast turning left at Noel St as soon as you veer away from the coast.
reviewed
-
A
Yiorgos Hatziparaskos
One of the last traditional filo masters in all of Greece, Yiorgos Hatziparaskos still makes super-fine pastry by hand in his traditional workshop. The highlight is when he throws the dough into a giant bubble before stretching it over a huge table. His wife Katerina encourages passers-by to watch the spectacle and try some of best baklava and kataifi they will ever eat.
reviewed
-
B
Pelagos
For an excellent selection of fresh fish and seafood, this place is generally considered the best (and priciest) restaurant in Agios Nikolaos. The mezedes are excellent. It's in a beautifully restored house with an ambient garden.
reviewed
-
Akrogiali
One of the best seafood restaurant in Hania, Akrogiali is on the beach side of the new town. The fish is fresh and the accompaniments are superb. The airy restaurant opens onto the seafront giving you a great view of the sunset.
reviewed
-
C
Lemonokipos
Dine among the lemon trees in the lovely courtyard of this well-respected taverna in the old quarter. It's good, typical Cretan fare, with a decent range of vegetarian dishes and lots of tasty appetisers.
reviewed
-
D
Sitia Beach
This unassuming place on the beach makes a decent pizza but it is more highly recommended for home-style cooking that appears daily on the specials board. Try the pork with lemon and rice.
reviewed
-
Megaro
This recently refurbished place on the corner of the square is popular with locals around the district. The owner fishes from his own boat and the menu also includes Cretan specialities.
reviewed
-
E
Sarri's
Tucked away in the back streets, Sarri's is a good spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner on the shady garden terrace. Check the daily specials board.
reviewed
-
F
Othonas
The touristy-on-the-outside but decent Othonas is recommended for traditional Cretan food. It's a member of Concred and uses quality produce.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Kafeneio
Just above the small square you'll probably see local black-clad gents under the mulberry tree of the old-style Kafeneio, where apart from the local myzithropita (cheese pie) with honey you can normally get a basic meal like local sausage, or on weekends traditional wild goat or lamb tsigariasto or vrasto (boiled), charged by the kilo. And lots of raki.
For a glimpse of traditional Sfakian village life, it is worth veering right off the main road to arrive at a small square flanked by four kafeneia and statues of local resistance heroes.
reviewed
-
Kali Kardia Taverna
Kournas is a traditional village of white-washed houses, a few stone homes and a couple of kafeneia. You can get a delicious meal at the Kali Kardia Taverna on the main street. Owner Kostas Agapinakis is known for his award-winning sausages, excellent apaki (smoked pork) and meats cooked on the grill outside the taverna. If you are lucky you might get to try his delicious galaktoboureko (custard pastry) while it is still warm.
reviewed
-
Iliomanolis
It's worth the drive through the spectacular Kotsifou Gorge to eat hearty home-style Cretan food in the village of Kanevos, in a lovely setting with the gorge on one side and a forest on the other. This place is renowned for its excellent food, and Maria is happy to show you the tempting array of pots in the kitchen (between 20 and 25 dishes each day). The meat is mostly their own produce and they sell their own wine, olive oil and raki.
reviewed
-
Gargadoros
This stylish restaurant opposite a relatively quiet beach on the way to Almyros is a recent and promising addition to Agios Nikolaos' dining scene. It's light and cheery with colourful chairs and tables and a relaxed feel. The food is well executed, with modern takes on traditional dishes and emphasis on Greek and Mediterranean flavours. It's a longish walk from town along the beach front (there's a path).
reviewed
-
G
Third Eye
It's not just vegetarians who flock to the Third Eye, just inland from Pahia Ammos. Crete's only vegetarian restaurant has an eclectic menu of curries, salads, pastas and Greek and Asian dishes, much of it made from the family farm's organic produce. There is often live music on Saturdays. They also have good budget rooms and apartments upstairs with air-con, fridge and balconies.
reviewed
-
Kourites
Some of the best Cretan cuisine around is served at Kourites, including vegetarian delights such as artichokes. Try some of the dishes cooked in the wood oven - the suckling pig with baked potatoes is delicious. There are simple rooms above the taverna with small balconies (single/double including breakfast around €25/around €35) and you can have free use of the bicycles.
reviewed
-
H
Avli
This former Venetian villa is the place for a romantic evening out, or at least one with maximum ambience. The nouveau-Cretan-style food is superb and there's an idyllic garden courtyard bursting with pots of herbs, bougainvillea canopies, fruit trees and works of art. The sleek wine bar in the adjacent old stables boasts more than 400 Greek wines.
reviewed
-
I
Portego
This delightful restaurant serves excellent Cretan and Greek cuisine and has dishes cooked in the wood-fired oven (as is their bread). Try the lamb in a clay pot with yogurt. It is housed in the historic 1900s house of local character Anna Bey, whose portrait is in the back room. It has a good wine list, a lovely courtyard for summer and a cool bar.
reviewed
-
Prima Plora
This stylish modern restaurant on the developing beachfront strip on the western side of town is worth the hike. It has an exceptional setting with tables right on the water near an old Venetian water pump with views of the fortezza. It has a sophisticated menu of top-quality seafood dishes such as prawn risotto, and uses organic vegetables.
reviewed
-
J
Syntagies
Housed in one of Iraklio's few surviving 1920s neoclassical mansions, this elegant place has original painted ceilings (including damaged sections from WWII) and tables in the flower-filled courtyard garden. There are well-executed classic Greek/Cretan dishes alongside international cuisine. The pastrami pastries are stand-out starters.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Ferryman
With a lovely setting on the waterfront, the Ferryman claims its moment of fame from being featured in the TV series Who Pays the Ferryman. The food and service is excellent (they even clean the fish for you), though it is on the pricey side. Its speciality is fish and lobster, but there's a broader menu of Cretan specialties
reviewed
-
Apostolis I & II
In the quieter eastern harbour, this is a well-respected place for fresh fish and Cretan dishes in two separate buildings. Apostolis II is the more popular as the owner reigns there, but the other store has the same menu at marginally cheaper prices. Service is friendly and efficient, and there's a good wine list and harbour setting.
reviewed
-
Zisi's
Locals swear by Zisi's for cheap, quality Cretan food, particularly the charcoal-grilled meats and the 25 or so daily trays of home-style dishes. It's a little out of town along the stretch of beachfront hotels and resorts (on right just before the Creta Palace), but is worth the trip. Kids will love the playground.
reviewed
-
K
Ela
This 14th-century building was a soap factory, then a school, distillery and cheese-processing plant. Now Ela serves up a decent array of Cretan specialities, such as goat with artichokes, while musicians create a lively ambience. The tacky board outside tells you it's in every guidebook but the accolades are not undeserved.
reviewed
-
L
Pavlis
Ierapetra has an excellent tradition of rakadika, relaxed evening hang-outs where a carafe of raki or wine comes with half a dozen or more tasty tid-bits, making it a good value slow dining experience. Try Pavlis , near the port, where for around €3 per carafe you get six or seven plates of excellent mezes.
reviewed
