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Cretans tend to take their meals seriously, and like to sit down in a taverna to a full meal. Family-run tavernas take pride in serving Cretan cooking, and a number of the better restaurants in cities now also stress Cretan produce and traditional dishes. One way to dine casually is to sample the mezedes served at some bars and
Cretans tend to take their meals seriously, and like to sit down in a taverna to a full meal. Family-run tavernas take pride in serving Cretan cooking, and a number of the better restaurants in cities now also stress Cretan produce and traditional dishes. One way to din
Cretans tend to take their meals seriously, and like to sit down in a taverna to a full meal. Family-run tavernas take p
Cretans tend to take their meals seriously, and like to sit down in a taverna to a full meal. Family-run tavernas take pride in serving Cretan cooking, and a number of the better restaurants in cities now also stress Cretan produce and traditional dishes. One way to dine casually is to sample the mezedes served at some bars and tavernas. These often include such Cretan specialties as trypopita (cheese-filled pastry), and a selection of cheeses: Cretan graviera, a hard, smooth cheese, is a blend of pasteurized sheep's and goat's milk that resembles Emmentaler in flavor and texture—not too sharp, but with a strong, distinctive flavor; and mizythra (a creamy white cheese). As main courses, Cretans enjoy grilled meat, generally lamb and pork, but there is also plenty of fresh fish. Mezedes and main courses are usually shared from large platters placed in the center of the table.
Cretan olive oil is famous throughout Greece; it's heavier and richer than other varieties. The island's wines are special: look for Boutari Kritikos, a crisp white; and Minos Palace, a smooth red. Make sure you try the tsikouthia (also known as raki), the Cretan firewater made from fermented grape skins, which is drunk at any hour, often accompanied by a dish of raisins or walnuts drenched in honey. Restaurants often offer raki, along with a sweet, free of charge at the end of a meal.
Lunch is generally served from 1 to 3 or so. Dinner is an event here, as it is elsewhere in Greece, and is usually served late; in fact, when non-Greeks are finishing up around 10:30 or so, locals usually begin arriving.
In an herb-filled multitiered courtyard that leads to a barrel-vaulted dining room, some of the finest food for miles is skillfully prepared. Refined, distinguished dishes are its calling card; sophisticated but true to their traditional roots. Stuffed zucchini flowers are dressed with edible leaves and blooms from the garden, rabbit is paired with sweet tomato and tiny onions, and tender goat, straight from the hillside, is served with honey and herbs. The foams, flicks, and smears that so often blight this level of dining are refreshingly absent. The focus is on the ingredients, the majority of them local and organic, artfully transformed into a cooking of rare sophistication. Resevations are essential in season.
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.
In a modern wood-and-glass conservatory overlooking the Koules, this Heraklion institution serves some of the best fish in town, with the waves only a stone's throw away. Ask a local for a recommendation and they will invariably mention Ippokambos. Family-run with an unflustered spirit, the dishes are simple and well executed, the house white perfectly acceptable, and the portions generous. It takes skill and confidence in your raw materials to present food so honestly.
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.
Elounda, Crete, 72053, Greece
28410-42075
Known For
Fish baked in a salt crust theatrically opened at your table
Clinging to the cliff above the lake, this restaurant offers some of the best views in town. Food is on a par, too: Mediterranean-inspired dishes accompany Greek classics, and the steaks are rightly famous. It's set in a building from the 1890s, and a piano player complements the atmosphere with a repertoire of classics. It's more expensive than some, but the appealing dining room and quality of food compensates. A more informal café next door, under the same ownership, is a great place to unwind.
An enchanting courtyard garden and the high-ceilinged parlors of an elegant neoclassical mansion are the setting for what many consider to be the best fish tavern in Ayios Nikolaos. Simple is the keyword here: fresh catches from the fleet bobbing in the harbor just beyond are plainly grilled and accompanied by local vegetables and Cretan wines. Salads are a winner, often with unusual combinations, and the pasta is well presented, too, but really you are here for the daily seafood specials, handsomely displayed on ice in an old wooden boat at the front of house.
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