The best restaurants Heraklion

The Fifty is the new name of 50/50, an establishment that for more than 12 years welcomed its clientele on 1860 Street. It is an allday café-restaurant that attracts the young people of the city. The food is good and the prices are reasonable. If you don't feel like eating, just have a coffee, a glass of ouzo or raki, it will leave you with a pleasant memory. Otherwise, late at night, especially on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, there is a DJ atmosphere or live Cretan and traditional music.

On the main square, this delicatessen offers a pretty terrace where you can sample refined, light Cretan specialties, such as vine leaves with yoghurt and fresh mint (made with bulgur, not rice). Various local and regional products are also on sale, including Cretan wine. The idea is to cook creatively with ingredients from neighboring farms, often organic: recipes are kindly provided on request. If you feel like it, you can even take a cooking class.

An establishment that's got people talking. This tiny tavern on the corner behind the Bogatsi doesn't have a view of the port - but we're quick to forgive it. We love its little blue-and-white terrace, where it's good to sit down for an aperitif, a coffee or a homemade sorbet. Dimitris trained as a chef in Switzerland before settling in Mochlos, and his French wife is in charge of cocktails and reception. Impeccable, tasty and surprising cuisine, at reasonable prices. Hospitality, culinary discovery and an authentic atmosphere.

Mouragio is a family-run fish tavern, located on the beach of Agia Pelagia. The mother of the family is in the kitchen while the men, Vassilis and Nikos, run the service with great efficiency. The seafood and fish are prepared to perfection, just seared and drizzled with olive oil. Typical Greek dishes and mezzedes are also on the menu, we recommend the pork or chicken gyros. Ideal for a meal or a drink, at any time, between two dives in the turquoise water. A good address.

It is a small tavern, the only one near the beautiful beach of Potamos, some 10 meters before the archaeological site. It serves good Greek-style cuisine. It's crowded in July and August, so if you manage to get a bite to eat, be careful with the bill as a mistake could happen. Indeed, many tourists who come to admire the archaeological site are aware of the interest of the place and come to eat there in season. Out of season, the place is a joy of calm and good and frank gastronomy.

This family tavern is easily recognizable because it is the only one to carry the colors of Greece with the national flag on the sign. It is located in the middle of the beautiful beach of Agia Pelagia, by the sea. The portions are well served there and with a big smile, the atmosphere is friendly and the food good, which is why customers come back again and again. A la carte, among others, seafood rice, snails in Cretan style, fisherman's salad, various soups, lamb kleftiko, grilled lamb chops, grilled sea bream...

Peskessi is established in the manor of the Kapetan Polyxigkis, a character who participated in the uprising against the Ottomans. The renovation of the building in 2014 has earned it a place among the 10 best bar-restaurants in Europe. In its stone-built rooms you can enjoy authentic Cretan cuisine: just taste the Peskesi salad, made with organic products from the owner's farm, to find out. You can also choose the habiba snail dish or the sindrimades . The list is long, original and impressive.

At Hippokampos you will find fish and seafood specialties at unbeatable prices. In particular, we recommend the unmissable grilled octopus, always a pleasure. But lovers of Cretan cuisine will not be outdone with good traditional dishes as well. To be tasted in front of the sea (and unfortunately also the road!), and just a stone's throw from the old Venetian port. This address is frequented as much by tourists as by locals for years: you can go there with your eyes closed.

True to its reputation and with over 50 years of history, this ouzerie is among the best in town, according to the locals who flock to it. Close to the port, it's behind the pedestrian street in a hidden alley in the old town, opposite the tiny chapel of Saint Dimitriou. The mezzedes reinforce its reputation, but the rest is very good too. The kitchen uses mainly organic olive oil from the Toplou monastery. The menu varies according to the season. Ask the waiter for the daily special and the price per kilo of fresh fish.

A rather trendy restaurant that offers, on the kitchen side, quality dishes with generous portions. Cretan and Greek specialities cooked over a wood fire are carefully prepared in accordance with the old tradition. Fresh fish, pasta, rice, mushrooms and grilled vegetables, fava, various salads, meat... In Cretan dialect, parastia refers to the kitchen area where food is cooked in the most ancient way: with two stones on each side of a wood fire, resulting in a very rustic and warm decoration for this restaurant which is well worth a stop.

Located a stone's throw from Place Saint-Tite, this all-day bar is a warm and welcoming place. Seasonal vegetables, salads, meats and pastas - directly inspired by Mediterranean cuisine - dominate the menu. You can have lunch, dinner, drinks and a chat... It's a modern and elegant place where you'll come back again and again, because it's so good to eat light creative dishes to the sound of modern music. It's also a nice bar where you can easily chat with locals and travellers until late at night.

This restaurant offers a peaceful atmosphere and is one of the best restaurants in town. Here, the chef offers refined dishes based on fish, seafood and shellfish. Very popular with the locals, the 7 Thalasses is an establishment to be discovered. Opt for black cod, tuna fillet or crab pasta. The paella is exquisite as well as the lobster pasta. Do not pass, either, besides the vanilla ice cream of Madagascar. Impeccable service. A little expensive but the quality-price ratio is never disappointing.

A fun atmosphere with waiters and waitresses in antique Greek garb, but that's not why everyone gathers here. On the table, white tablecloths, candles and crystal glasses to enjoy original dishes, all washed down with a local white wine. This is undoubtedly the best restaurant in the area. Since 1987, the family-run Galini restaurant has been serving creative Cretan cuisine, inspired by French and Italian cuisine and prepared with organic ingredients. Panoramic view of Hersonissos harbor from the terrace.

This gastro-pub bears this name because it was established in the ruins of old buildings. It is one of the best bar-restaurants in the city and for good reason. It is very posh, but it offers a nice atmosphere with locals who flock there to taste its specialties, cocktails and have peaceful moments that last until the early hours of the morning. The renowned chef N. Kassotakis offers brunches, fusion cuisine and snacks to accompany the original cocktails. An excellent address both for the service and the quality of the menu.

An excellent address to taste the inventive Cretan cuisine from the beginning of May to the end of October. Ideal for a romantic dinner on the roof terrace overlooking the old port and the Venetian ramparts. The chef, a native of Crete, uses only fresh produce from the island and herbs that grow on the hotel roof (hence the name of the restaurant). The panoramic view and the professional service of the staff are appreciated. The menu changes regularly. Remember to make reservations, especially for dinner in season.

Set back from the tourist flow, O Tembelis (the lazy one) is a must when visiting Heraklion. It's a café/mezzedopoleio where you can enjoy a variety of tasty dishes prepared daily to accompany the excellent fresh raki... Take a seat on the chairs that cover a good part of the esplanade in front of the establishment and let yourself be carried away by the friendly atmosphere. Dishes include homemade sausages, stews, mushrooms... To round off the meal: doughnuts with a scoop of ice cream.

A small, simple but pleasant restaurant where tortillas and salads are prepared before the customer's eyes. Opened in 2019, Umami is a popular address for vegans, vegetarians and anyone who likes fast food but good quality. All dishes are prepared with organic raw materials from certified Cretan producers. The menu varies according to the season. The eggplant lasagne, the mushroom tortilla, the salad with coconut bacon are real delights. To take away or to eat on the spot.

This pretty tavern is nestled in a quiet location in the old village of Malia. This restaurant of traditional Greek cuisine and mezzedes distils a cosy atmosphere in a beautiful handcrafted setting. An address a little apart in Malia, to be preferred in high season to try to avoid the crowds and the mediocre taverns of the tourist centre. We like the warm and quiet atmosphere, the successful and unpretentious but tasty cuisine. A good address, tastefully decorated and pleasant, with all the basics of a good Greek meal.

Since 1924, this café has been synonymous with Heraklion's history. In its early days, the establishment, which measures no more than 15^m2, served coffee to market traders. Over the years, raki and ouzo, accompanied by a few delicacies, brought together a clientele who flocked to the small tables to catch up on old times. Today, three young chefs are carrying on the tradition with succulent dishes. Don't leave before you've tried the zucchini dumplings and goat's cheese stew... You'll be back again and again, jostling for a seat.

Traditional Greek cuisine for this family-run restaurant, which is already 25 years old, as we love them at the water's edge. You will enjoy tasty seafood pasta, octopus or squid grilled over a wood fire, fresh fish to choose from in the entrance window (as always with fresh fish, confirm the price per kilo before ordering to avoid salty additions), steamed mussels, grilled lamb chops... Impeccable, quick and polite service. Kostas and his family have been at it for ages.