Gourmet products local specialties and wines Greece

Halfway between Pelekas and Triklino, just before the hamlet of Karoubatika, there is a 70,000^m2 vineyard valley. This establishment offers courses in local cuisine and cultural secrets of Corfu dishes, and you can taste your own dishes at the end of the activity! It also offers tasting of authentic local wines, accompanied by explanations on the making of the wine. It is possible to eat and buy local products. The menu changes every season and highlights the specialities of Corfu.

The Dimitriadis family has been growing olives and producing oil for 6 generations. Today, they take us through their vast estate to discover the cultivation and production of olives and organic olive oil. The tour starts at the mill, followed by a documentary film and a tasting. The production process takes place in the family's premises in the village of Astrika. A warm welcome and delicious olive oil, all in respect of Cretan traditions and the environment. Store. Good address.

Overlooking the village of Kounavi near Katalagari, the Stilianou vineyard is curled according to organic standards respecting nature and the local Cretan tradition. By awakening nature, the Cretan sun increases the power of the shoots grown on the mountain vineyards, which are refreshed by Eole, the god of winds. Stilianou wines are produced in a new modern cellar, it is a limited production with each bottle numbered. A nice gift idea to bring back in your suitcases.

This delicatessen, established for 40 years, sells dried fruits, Greek ground coffee, pastries, chocolates, spices... We particularly recommend this address for herbal teas from Crete: diktamon, mountain tea, chamomile, etc., and for fine herbs: thyme, oregano... The products are of very good quality and not more expensive than elsewhere. The loukoums are excellent: scented with rose, bergamot and other intoxicating essences, they are filled with almond chips... A good idea for a gift to bring back!

It was the first Naxiote distillery to start kitron production, still managed by the Vallindras family since 1896. The kitron is prepared according to the same secret traditional method. Visits in French of the small museum are organized every day in summer. Sale of kitron and various products of the distillery (ouzo, kitroraki, candied fruits). The Promponas family, who have been running the other kitron distillery in Naxos since 1915, have a shop on the port of Chora where tastings are also free of charge.

The covered market of Hania was built in 1911 and inaugurated by Elefterios Venizelos himself in 1913, on the occasion of the events that took place that year to celebrate the annexation of Crete to Greece. The market is well worth a visit, although it has lost some of its charm with the installation of many tourist shops. You can still buy fish, cheese, spices, and Cretan souvenirs. The weather is cool, which is nice for lunch or a stroll.

The tradition of the lukum was brought by refugees from the island of Chios in 1822 and has been incorporated into local traditions. Today, Syros is famous for its loukoums all over the country and the craftsman Korres is surely the best known of the island's producers. You will find Turkish delight, of course, in a variety of flavours, including the classic rose, but also a delicious bergamot and other varieties. We also recommend the halvatopittes, a kind of nougat which will make excellent gifts to bring back.

The 1866 market is a must in Heraklion, with its spicy perfumes and daily effervescence. Unfortunately, cheap souvenir stalls are beginning to proliferate, as well as clothing shops and leather merchants' stalls. You will find many typical products, fruits, flowers, oil and olives, soaps, groceries, bakeries, fishmonger, gyros, pharmacy, taverns and Cretan food. Push up to the Membo Fountain, its water is said to grant wishes.

The monks of the Toplou monastery produce one of the best wines of the island (especially the white one). You can buy it in some supermarkets and in the monastery store. Don't miss to visit the cellar where it is vinified, the monks are equipped with highly modern facilities! Their raki and organic olive oil are also excellent quality products. The region of Sitia is indeed one of the most important wine producing areas of Crete.

A large choice of traditional Greek yoghurts, plain, with fresh fruit, with honey, for a gourmet, original and refreshing break. Made from cow's milk, goat's milk or sheep's milk, light or creamy, taste the authentic and traditional Greek yogurt. Dip your spoon into the pots of glika tou koutaliou, these candied fruits in a light sugar syrup to flavor your yogurt. Beyond the classics, you can also refresh yourself with a tangerine or chocolate flavoured yoghurt smoothie.

The best ice creams and sorbets in town, prepared with fresh cow or goat milk and seasonal fruit! To have an ice cream, a Cretan baklava-style dessert, a delicious lightning bolt filled with vanilla ice cream, a fruit tart, drink an orangeade or an excellent coffee, here is a shady terrace, frequented by locals and Greek visitors but unknown to tourists. There is a second address at 51 Palaiologou Street, near the Rimondi Fountain, in the old part of Rethymnon.

The famous bakery of Mr. Vasilis Kormoranos was one of the first in the village. On its small outdoor terrace you can enjoy good home-made pastries, but also, just next door and opposite, in the second room, a large choice of small menus for lunch or dinner. In a charming little alleyway, you can discover all the authenticity of the old towns of Crete. Feeling a little hungry? Try the sfakia pie, a cheese cake filled with honey covered in dripping honey and served hot as you like... a delight!

Located 100 m after the Archaeological Museum in amount on the left.

A good address if you have a little slack.

This café-pâtisserie is an institution founded by Michalis Tsivrinis (the other name of the place), a refugee from Smyrna, in the 1950s. After him, his son and then his apprentice continued to make typical pastries from Asia Minor and Kos, according to the rules of the art. In the morning, you will see the locals stop for coffee and a bougatsa filled with cream and sprinkled with cinnamon or honey: a breakfast ritual that we advise you to follow religiously. Not to mention the almond baklava, a must.

This bakery is the aroma of the surrounding area: let yourself be guided to it for typical Patmos cookies, various puff pastries (savory or sweet), doughnuts and other delicious preparations. Of course, you'll also find freshly baked bread and a few cakes. On hot days, opt for ice cream. A delicious option for a bite to eat with the horizon in view, and to get away from it all in high season: picnic in the less-visited corners of Chora, taking your time to enjoy the peace and quiet, while treating your taste buds.

A cosy pastry shop facing the sea that offers all kinds of traditional Greek cakes: kataifi (with cream and angel hair), orange or nut cakes... You can also have a breakfast with pancakes and fresh orange juice. Or succumb to a delicious milkshake! The menu is quite extensive, offering meals at any time of the day, both savoury and sweet, mostly home-made. Great service, great view of the Fiskardo harbour. A bit expensive, but the site and the menu are well worth it!

Frozen Greek yoghurt has become very popular in Athens in recent years. Less calories than ice, refreshing and delicious, try that of Yogurt Stories, accompanied by honey carefully chosen by the owners, or candied fruits coming from all over Greece (figs, raisins, cherries, etc.).

Excellent smoothies and cold cafés also.

Of course, it is a little far from the city centre, but it is here that you will find the treasures of the women's cooperative of the village of Apollonia. If you don't have the time or opportunity to go to the village, you will have to make a little effort to visit this bakery where the best traditional Rhodes pastries are baked: melekouni (made with sesame seeds, thyme honey, almonds and orange peels) or local nougat, mandolatas. Homemade jam lovers will also be delighted.