11 Best Restaurants in Crete, Greece

Dounias

$ Fodor's choice

On a mountain perch above Chania is one of the most singular restaurants in the whole of Crete. A holistic approach is taken---this is farm-to-table eating but ramped up to the nth degree. Your meal is cooked in traditional clay pots that sit over the wood fire, as they have no electricity in the kitchen. Ingredients come from the family farm and they produce everything in-house, organically, of course---only the salt comes from the coast 20 km away. There is no menu, merely what is in season that day, but all tastes are catered for by the friendly staff. It's not fancy, nor is it fast, but it is honest and truly memorable.

Hiona Seafood Restaurant

$$ Fodor's choice

A finger of rock stretches into the sea on the edge of Chiona Beach with a handful of blue-check-clothed wooden tables. It's a magical location with kids diving into the clearest water nearby, and fishermen tying up to the jetty to unload a fresh catch. Those fish are grilled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon for you, along with a menu of traditional Cretan dishes. It's a simple proposition but one that few get as right as here. Choose a local Sitia wine from their list and snooze off the afternoon at the nearby beach.

Raki Ba Raki1600

$ Fodor's choice

Opposite Avli, and part of the same stable, on one of Rethmynon's myriad pretty walkways, this is a modern reinvention of the classic Greek rakadiko—a place to eat small plates and drink raki. Don't assume the food is an afterthought to drinking, though, this is top-quality mezedes. Plates come thick and fast; it's food to be shared. Think imaginative Cretan tapas—sutzuki (spicy beef sausage), askolymbri (marinated hand-picked mountain greens), pastourma (crispy spiced pork cigar rolls), and hot feta with caramelized figs. It's relaxed dining, in a stylish setting reminiscent of an old grocery store, and perfect for a group of friends.

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Erganos

One of Heraklion's most traditional restaurants, just by Kazantzaki park, serves authentic local fare, mainly to a local crowd, far removed from the tourist havens in the center. Mouthwatering bite-sized sfakianopita (pies), filled with cheese and honey, are a classic true taste of Crete, and the lamb and goat are always popular, as are tremendous keftedes (meatballs). The dining room is cozy, especially in colder seasons when the fireplace is lit, and the generous welcome is equally as warming.

Kanali

In an impossibly picturesque position next to the sunken ancient city of Olous, and the later canal from where it takes its name, Kanali serves elegant updates of Greek staples. Wooden furniture and an old stone building dressed with bold prints and lanterns lend it a shabby-chic air that could grace the seasides of Mykonos or Santorini. Fish is the main event, often simply grilled and always impeccably sourced. It may be little more than a beach shack dressed up in Gucci but the kitchen really delivers—a humble lunch here of salad, sardines, and a glass of wine can be a sublime experience, a world away from the nearby resort offerings.

Karnagio

Right on Lake Voulismeni, Karnagio is a riot of multi-colored tables, shouted orders, and running waiters. Proudly Cretan and proud of their local products, the grill is the center of attention here with a wide selection of meat and fish. Salads and a meze selection top up the offerings and the outdoor square is a fun, lively place to spend a couple of hours.

Kronio

The promise of a meal in this cozy, family-run establishment is alone worth the trip up to the plateau. The taverna is in its fifth decade and still offering delicious pies as well as casseroles and lamb dishes, accompanied by fresh-baked bread and followed up with homemade desserts. The charming proprietors, Vassilis and Christine, encourage you to linger over your wine or raki, and are a mine of knowledge about the Lasithi Plateau.

The family has a small apartment complex, Maison Kronio, a couple of miles down the road with a pool and glorious views of the Dikti Mountains.

Kyria Maria

On a blink-and-you'll-miss-it small alley behind the Rimondi Fountain, under an arbor of vines, with caged birds chirping away, this homey little taverna serves some accomplished traditional dishes in an atmospheric setting. Lamb in lemon sauce, stuffed calamari, moussaka, yemista (stuffed vegetables)—the menu is a roll call of all the comfort food you can think of, prepared as Grandma would have made it all those years ago.

Marilena

The choice among the many restaurants that cling to the harbor, this is an Elounda classic, having offered traditional Greek food for 40 years. The large rear garden decked with grapevines and the seafront-facing tables are charming places to sample the house mezedes, many with a Cypriot origin, or try some of the excellent grill dishes. Fish soup is rich and unctuous, sole comes with prawn and lemon butter, and Shieftalia, Cyprus-style skinless sausages are a revelation. This is casual Greek dining at its best—uncomplicated, honest, and unforced.

Taverna Sigelakis

Residents from villages for miles around come to the town of Sivas to enjoy a meal of stifado (meat in a rich tomato sauce), artichokes with avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce), and other specialties, including delicious roasted lamb and chicken, all served on the front terrace in warm seasons or in the stone-wall, hearth-warmed dining room when the weather's cold. A meal comes with friendly service, a visit from proprietor Giorgios, and a free glass of raki and a sweet.

The owners also have some apartments and studios in a stone-walled complex nearby to rent.

Taverna Stavrakakis

Enhance the short trip out to Kritsa and Lato with a stop in the nearby village of Exo Lakonia to enjoy a meal at the homey kafenion of Manolis and Katerina Stavrakakis. Dishes are based on family recipes, and most are made from ingredients the couple grow themselves. Dolmades are made with zucchini flowers instead of vine leaves, wild mountain greens appear in salads dressed with local olive oil, pumpkin is served stifado style, and the local wine and raki are good. It's all served with charm under the shade of a magnificent bougainvillea or by a roaring fire on nippy winter nights.

Crete

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