The best restaurants Iles grecques

This is an address that really deserves a detour as the dishes (all homemade from day to day) are so tasty! The waitress will be happy to explain you the specialities of the day. Among them: local sausages, rabbit stew, stuffed zucchini flowers with a creamy yoghurt, salads... Even the setting is appreciable: the terrace is shaded by a majestic tree, drowned in the song of the crickets... You can also opt for the room inside the establishment and its guns on the walls.

A beautiful restaurant, in a courtyard that offers a pleasant setting for a quiet meal - a little away from the tourist crowds around. You can eat all the Greek and Cretan classics and for a very low price. The service is ideal, both friendly and professional, one could not dream of anything better. Very good wines on the menu too. And a small dessert is offered at the end of the meal, as is often the case in Greece - even if it is not necessarily the case in the most touristic establishments of the center of Hania.

Olga was the first name of the deceased grandmother who, in 1977, left it to her son Stathis to carry on here (in this museum) the Cretan culinary traditions that she had successfully served in her best years. At present, her son and his daughter work in the dining room, with a smile on their faces, while mummy works in the kitchen for our happiness. The dishes are prepared with great care and with raw materials of impeccable quality. Moreover, the view is simply splendid from the shaded terrace with local fragrances.

Among the alignment of tourist restaurants on the port, Glossitses is an exception. Of course, it is frequented by tourists like any restaurant on the port, but the locals also recommend it, which of course is a sign that does not deceive! On the warehouse side, this fish tavern cultivates a modern approach and less traditional than its competitors. A good address to watch passers-by, while being watched, reveling in fresh fish (check the prices per kilo, as always!)

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.

Faros Restaurant offers good Cretan cuisine prepared according to traditional recipes and has been serving it for over 30 years. You will also find some international specialties, pizzas, among others. But locals and discerning visitors alike come here especially for lamb, the restaurant's specialty, and fresh fish grilled on charcoal. It's a very affordable, family-run address where you can literally eat with your feet in the water. Ideal for families as there are children's games and the beach is right next door.

The restaurant's tranquil setting contrasts with the large number of tables on the terrace, which are often packed to capacity. The restaurant has become one of the island's most popular addresses, thanks in part to the variety of dishes on offer, from local cuisine to homemade pizzas. The family-run operation does not detract from the charm of the place, as the staff help to make the meal enjoyable. It's also a ouzerie, where you can try this traditional alcohol.

No doubt, one of the best tables in town that will delight gourmets. Located in a pedestrian alley, it will enchant you with its superb vaulted room, its interior stone courtyard crumbling under the vegetation. The creative cuisine is rooted in the Cretan culinary tradition: let yourself be tempted by the tender and tasty goat meat, cooked with honey and thyme. Impressive choice of wines. Pleasant service. An address you will fall in love with! Most of the ingredients are organic and come from small local farmers.

In Splanzia, the old Turkish district of Hania, here is a singular place that will surprise you both for the quality and originality of the cuisine offered, but also by the architecture of the place. The interior is that of an old Turkish house with a well, hence the name of this establishment. The cuisine that is concocted there, always successful, combines the warm flavours of Turkey, the Maghreb and Greece. You can also eat on the terrace in the freshness of this intimate and authentic neighbourhood.

At the foot of the hotel of the same name, the Porto Veneziano restaurant is a promising new address in town. First of all for its unique location, on the edge of the quay and with a view of the entire port of Hania. Then by the service, sincerely friendly and attentive. And finally by the dishes which, if they are for the most part in the great classics of hotel catering, allow themselves some tasty escapes towards local specialties. A fusion cuisine without excess.

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.

This beach restaurant offers classic seaside tavern and snack dishes. The manager and waiters are very pleasant. As an added bonus, you can rent deckchairs and umbrellas to spend some time on the beach in front of the restaurant, for a few extra euros. Ideal for a relaxing afternoon, or for a drink in the evening, as the food itself is not particularly worth the detour. But we appreciate the location and the opportunity to grab a bite to eat during a beach day.

Charming little restaurant with a shaded terrace with your feet in the water on the beach of Ammoudi (not far from the city centre). Here reigns a beautiful atmosphere between bar and gastronomic restaurant. An annex of the famous Ble Katsoralakia restaurant where you can enjoy seafood as well as a salad, but also succulent traditional mezzes and some inventive recipes. An excellent address for a very pleasant dinner with friends in a typically Greek atmosphere. The menu is very varied and the prices are reasonable.

Alexis Taverna is a small and unpretentious family tavern, like the ones you can find everywhere in Crete. The food is very simple but tasty, and is also family style. You must try the excellent seafood risotto. There are no big restaurants in the village of Malia anyway, you have to be satisfied with a simple, efficient and inexpensive cuisine - and a restaurant where the service is, as at Alexis, well done. You will certainly return there several times during your stay in Malia.

The Ristorante Italiano sign of this restaurant refers to pizzas baked over an olive wood fire. Apart from that, here is a Cretan address as we like them, offering traditional local cuisine. As for the decoration, it's rustic but whatever, here is the most romantic address on the walk, offering a beautiful view as a bonus. Opt for the famous Cretan snails(Κοchlioi), offered à la carte and which have nothing to do with ours: an opportunity to discover a deliciously prepared Cretan speciality.

Vritomartes is another restaurant of Cretan specialties and fish, right in the heart of the port as it is literally located on the water! Open from March 25 to the end of October, this establishment is also accessible by sea. Coveted by tourists for the calm and the magnificent view it provides, it is advisable to book in high season. You can enjoy Greek and Cretan musical evenings and a quiet and gentle atmosphere. Taste the shells and especially the gyalisterés, a shell found in Greece and Crete.

A traditional tavern in a rustic village setting. The owner studied in Belgium and speaks very good French. He will make you discover a local and tasty cuisine, as we like it. Alekos cooks everything with his olive oil, as it should be in any self-respecting establishment in Crete! He collects his snails himself under the surrounding mountainous rocks and prepares them with a pinch of garlic. The wine in carafe comes from the Lylarakis estate. A greedy stage not to be missed if you are passing through.

This family tavern looks like it's straight out of a 1960s movie. It opened in 1953, and since then it has been treating its customers to the same traditional good food. In the shade of the large tamarisk trees, facing the sea, you can enjoy grandmother's cooking: veal simmered in a tomato sauce, roasted goat's cheese with artichokes (in season), rabbit in sauce, snails with rosemary... and a variety of dishes (taste the zucchini flowers stuffed with rice). Nothing but the traditional, cooked of the day. Delicious!

We come here a little by chance, when we try to avoid the rabble-rousers and the touristic affluence of the old town. In the bend of a quiet little street at the top of the city, this restaurant has set up its tables, in the cool. The cuisine is inspired by old grandmother's recipes, Cretan above all. One is welcomed with ouzo and at the end of the meal a cake is offered, often accompanied by a raki. The family owns vineyards and offers a wine of their own production. The atmosphere is friendly and family oriented.

This tavern installed in the former village school offers a very pleasant setting with its terrace shaded by numerous trees, including a large olive tree. In addition, there is a beautiful view, beyond the Anidri Gorge, towards the Libyan Sea. Traditional drinks and food, authentic flavours. Among the dishes: kreatopitta (meat pie with goat's and sheep's cheese, a succulent regional speciality), rabbit with lemon sauce, stuffed zucchini flowers... A good address.

Don't necessarily rely on the slightly classic appearance of this establishment from the street, as there is a beautiful terrace at the back, with a view of the sea during the day. Here you can enjoy a hearty breakfast before going to the beach, which is just behind. Also on the menu is a range of snacks and small pleasant dishes for a short lunch break. The desserts are just as good. A good address, practical at any time of the day. Free wireless internet and 4 large TV screens to watch the games.

This tavern, located on the waterfront and facing the island of Spinalonga, invites you to taste very fresh fish. The owner of this tavern also owns the Megaro tavern in Elounda. The fish comes from the same nets, thrown by the family boats. Between two courses, you only have to go down a few steps to bathe in the transparent sea. The addition of salt is a bit salty, but it is well worth it because the dishes are really good quality and quite copious.

This small address in the old town has recently opened its doors to lovers of authentic cuisine and we are delighted. You can meet with friends and share a lot of small dishes made with Cretan products, but the chef, Michalis Hassikos, allows himself to be creative and to invent recipes that go beyond the local traditions. There are only a few tables on the terrace and a few in the beautiful dining room. The food is tastefully presented and the dishes are tasty. A varied wine list. A very good address.

The terrace of this establishment, located 2 minutes from the Aristea Hotel, is almost on the water. The restaurant's winter room is housed in one of the oldest buildings in the village, giving the place a sought-after authentic character. The cuisine is traditional, especially the fresh fish specialities, which are renowned: the varied fish platter, shellfish and seafood salad, lamb stew, veal stew with vegetables, grilled prawns... are among the favourite dishes. Very reasonable prices.

Charm and romance guaranteed. This is the restaurant of the Hotel Pallazzo Di Corina. It has the Greek "organic" label. On the large terrace in the square you can taste, among other things, the following house specialties, depending on the season: "Mitato" lamb with honey, yoghurt and thyme, saganaki kavourma, boureki (meat puff pastry) or stuffed zucchini flowers. Also a la carte, fish, shellfish and seafood, a mix of traditional Cretan cuisine and more creative and contemporary options. Professional service and friendly atmosphere.

A high-flying, generous and gourmet cuisine, intelligently revisiting Cretan and international classics. The menu is adaptable, but you will find there some fans that we can only warmly recommend: tarama revisited with avocado, deconstructed pasticio with truffle, guinea fowl with orange and tarragon sauce or sea bass in paupiette. Everything, absolutely everything, is excellent. No wonder if we look at the personality of the owner of the place, a meticulous and passionate epicurean.

The owner of this tavern has restored and renovated an old village house built entirely of stone. The establishment is located on the edge of the old site, a few minutes from Argyroupolis. The terrace is very pleasant, shaded by old olive trees... It is a classic tavern that offers good dishes cooked in a traditional way and based on local products only. The place is very pleasant to have a coffee, a drink, a breakfast or a glass of raki. There are also rooms for rent with a view of the mountains.

Ladokolla is one of the best restaurants in Heraklion. Very popular with locals, it is an address still unknown to tourists. However, it is an excellent choice if you want to enjoy, in the heart of the city, a refined cuisine inspired by traditional cuisine, mainly based on fish, shellfish and seafood. Herb and vegetable sea bream fillet, lobster pasta, steamed mussels are recommended. The service is remarkable. The welcome is a pleasant surprise!

It is a kitchen that blends Hania's gastronomic influences throughout its history. Thus, you will taste Turkish, Jewish, Smyrnate, Cretan or Arabic specialities. Everything mixes and comes together to create a typically Haniote and therefore cosmopolitan gastronomy. Opt for the few tables on the terrace to take the coolness in the evening but during the hot days, prefer the room below, installed in the old baths of the district and quite fresh. The small room in the bar opposite offers a more contemporary atmosphere

Romanticism guaranteed with a unique sunset in this fish restaurant on the beach. Very good address with a large and beautiful terrace by the sea. Lunch and dinner are served in an idyllic setting. Here we are very far from the Nordic breweries along the main street higher up in a bewildering noise. The establishment also has a cocktail bar. You can relax while admiring the exceptional view.

This tavern is housed in a very old forge, hence the name Sideradiko (forge). Renovated but retaining all the charm of an old workshop, it offers tasty dishes of successful traditional cuisine: goat's cheese, chicken or vegetables are excellent. Enjoy snails with Cretan couscous and tomato sauce, stew and, above all, yoghurt with honey for dessert. High-quality food in pleasant surroundings, with impeccable service and reasonable prices.

Renovated in 2019, New York style, the Kouzeineri is the best meat restaurant in Crete. Even if it is mainly aimed at inveterate carnivores, lovers of tender steaks or nostalgic for farmhouse pork cooked slowly over a wood fire, a few dishes, no less successful, can satisfy vegetarians as well. The menu of hot appetizers is very rich: enjoy artichoke pie and baked potatoes with garlic... without skipping the New York cheesecake. Professional and very accommodating staff.

In the heart of the old town, here is beautiful Venetian architecture in a particularly well-kept setting. Pretty terrace, well shaded and pleasant, marked by bougainvilleas and large flowerpots full of geraniums! Here the cuisine is traditional, Cretan and Mediterranean. Delicious salads and good local meats. Great selection of wines. An address not to be missed both for its intimate setting and its menu. Enjoy the pretty garden and mingle with the locals. Very good address and good value for money.

At this address, the delicious and traditional puff pastries filled with fromage frais, sprinkled or not with sugar are a reference. Since 1924, Iordanis has been revamped. No more formica tables, the room is now ultramodern and very comfortable with its bay window overlooking the street. The recipe for the classic bougatsa is always the same, mixing the crispness of the dough and the melting of the cheese, the salty and the sweet. Unless you prefer the cream version. Their reputation has been established for two or three generations!

This mezzedopoleio is renowned among Rhodians, despite its touristy location, which might put them off. So follow their example and pay no attention to the crowds in the vicinity: here you can enjoy ouzo and mezzedes with your eyes closed. Everything is excellent, but unfortunately in recent years the service seems to have deteriorated, with a sometimes hostile attitude towards tourists. It's a pity, because the food is still delicious. So treat yourself, but be vigilant about your orders, and take the time to study the menu.

One of the only restaurant options on Ladiko's bays is the tavern on the first beach. Nothing exceptional, sometimes even of mediocre quality as is all too often the case under the pressure of mass tourism, but you'll be able to break the fast if you need to. Given the monopoly of the place and the tourist crowds, expect the tables to be full for lunch. Most people come for a coffee break in the shade, between two swims.

Located in the heart of Hania's historic center, this tastefully decorated all-day café/bistro, distinguished by its white tablecloths and courteous staff, offers a varied range of dishes for an excellent breakfast or brunch, lunch or dinner for couples or friends in search of tranquility, good taste and good food. The establishment also offers relaxing moments to enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail. The pastries on offer (strawberry tart with a scoop of ice cream, among others) are also very good.

Bread and souvlakis, as its name indicates, but also very good homemade French fries and some salads. Very simple, very good and very cheap. There are also local beers, such as Corfu and Ionian.

A family-run taverna with a great reputation, located in the port of Plaka. It serves excellent fresh fish all year round, and you'll meet plenty of locals, which is always a sign of quality and authenticity. It's the ideal place to enjoy a Greek-style lobster worthy of the name! Excellent fried anchovies and grilled calamari seasoned with olive oil and oregano, fresh salads and more. As always with fresh fish, ask for the price per kilo before ordering, as the bill quickly rises.

Located in a beautiful stone house, the restaurant enjoys a magnificent view of the sea and the mountains. Run by Dimitri and Kostas, it is warm and offers an à la carte selection of fresh fish and seafood. A home-made cuisine prepared on a daily basis with local products that will delight those who come in search of the authenticity of Cretan, Greek and Mediterranean flavours. To taste:apaki (smoked Cretan sausage marinated in vinegar), saffron risotto, pasta with shrimps and mussels, lamb with rosemary and feta..

This establishment on Akti Tombazi, next to the former Grand Arsenal, is easily spotted by its wooden tables, spread out along the flagstone path that runs alongside the sea to the Koum Kapi district. With its motto "the history of a place is learned around a table", Chalkina offers traditional Cretan cuisine (meat pie, snails, chevron with lemon sauce, coq au vin, etc.). The restaurant is also renowned for the variety of meats on offer: organic black pork, black angus, dry-aged beef.

An excellent address, isolated and quiet, located on the old port of Kissamos. The small terrace is right on the waterfront with its moored fishing boats. The fish is extra fresh and the squid or stuffed cuttlefish are to die for! The Greek salad is fresh and well-stocked. The service is family oriented, with the grandmother at the stove and the daughter in the dining room, while the granddaughter plays with the children passing by and the many cats, attracted by the smell. A nice and pleasant interlude.

This is probably the oldest tavern in the city. Of course it serves traditional Cretan specialties cooked with local olive oil, including fresh grilled fish, the famous rosemary snails, rabbit, mussels in tomato sauce and sheep's cheese. It is a family affair with Mum in the kitchen, the son in the dining room and his brother who runs the Hotel Zafira just behind the tavern, where you can stay all year round. Deckchairs are free for restaurant and hotel guests.

On the road to Vai, 700 m before the beach, is this restaurant of Cretan cuisine. It is an old building dating from 1709, in which the families of the shepherds of the monastery of Toplou lived. It has been rebuilt without losing its authenticity and offers traditional cuisine. Try the Xigalo, a sour cream cheese served with stuffed vine leaves... And don't forget the lamb cooked in a ceramic pot with potatoes, eggplant and cheese.

A traditional restaurant for 30 years. Their mezzedes (dishes) are true masterpieces, by the taste, presentation and quality of the raw materials: fava, tzatziki, eggplant salad, grilled cheese, dried white bean salad, beetroot salad, puff pastry, cheese fritters, taramossalata (cod egg purée), stuffed vine leaves. The restaurant is large, nicely furnished in traditional Greek style, and has an olive garden with vines. The menu is in French and the service is impeccable.

A wide variety of Cretan dishes and superb views.

Situated near the springs, it occupies the old village grain mill which also contained the olive press. The setting is more than pleasant! One settles down in the saving shade of the old plane trees and one tastes excellent golden grilled meats over a wood fire or the gamopilafo (to be tasted absolutely!), the house speciality (wild goat's cheese accompanied by rice pilaf) or theanti-krysto (a kind of typical Cretan mechoui). Good choice of mezzés, too.

George Mamatzakis was a chef in major hotels (including the Hilton in Athens) before opening his own restaurant here near Agapi Beach. He offers interesting à la carte menus: fresh fish, shellfish, Greek specialities, excellent grilled meats... No particular decor, we come here for its atmosphere, the quality of the raw materials and the chef's know-how. The staff is very attentive and welcoming. Very good value for money.

One of the most venerable addresses on the island, founded in 1922 and handed down from father to son. Today, even though it is the oldest tavern in Santorini, it has lost none of its charm. Good typical dishes are served on the often crowded blue and white terrace. Baked lamb with potatoes and feta is a delight. When the tourists are less numerous, the owner and his customers will remake the world and tell you the history of the place.

This establishment is a waterfront tavern, located in the district of Nea Chora. It is a quiet place to enjoy the sunset in the early evening, while drinking a good glass of raki or ouzo, to be accompanied by one or two orders of seafood or fish. You can also enjoy some other Greek or Cretan specialties, a few of which are exclusively vegetarian and made with very fresh and tasty vegetables. For example, their bougasta is a real delight! The service is pleasant.