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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.
Airy blue-on-blue sofas and chairs look over the lake here, with a menu dreamt up by sweet-lovers. Waffles, pancakes, and toasts are offered but it is really all about the ice cream---up to 45 flavors are offered.
Right on Lake Voulismeni, Karnagio is a riot of multi-colored tables, shouted orders, and running waiters. Proudly Cretan and proud of their local products, the grill is the center of attention here with a wide selection of meat and fish. Salads and a meze selection top up the offerings and the outdoor square is a fun, lively place to spend a couple of hours.
Konstantin Paleologou 24, Agios Nikolaos, Crete, 72100, Greece
28410-25968
Known For
The best service in town
Portions fit for a king
Always busy but waiting customers are offered wine
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.
Enhance the short trip out to Kritsa and Lato with a stop in the nearby village of Exo Lakonia to enjoy a meal at the homey kafenion of Manolis and Katerina Stavrakakis. Dishes are based on family recipes, and most are made from ingredients the couple grow themselves. Dolmades are made with zucchini flowers instead of vine leaves, wild mountain greens appear in salads dressed with local olive oil, pumpkin is served stifado style, and the local wine and raki are good. It's all served with charm under the shade of a magnificent bougainvillea or by a roaring fire on nippy winter nights.
Exo Lakonia, Crete, 72100, Greece
28410-22478
Known For
Authentic Cretan cooking, not tourist taverna fare
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