2 Best Restaurants in Elounda, Crete

Named after a TV series that put Elounda on the map in the 1970s, Ferryman is the pick of the tavernas that crowd the waterfront. Dishes are a cut above, well presented, and with an emphasis on Cretan flavors that put fish, seafood, and locally reared meat in the spotlight. The open kitchen lets the chefs create culinary theater if you can tear your eyes away from the postcard views.

In a picturesque position next to the sunken ancient city of Olous, and the later canal from where it takes its name, Kanali serves elegant Greek seafood staples. Wooden furniture and an old stone building dressed with white furniture and ship 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.