14 Best Restaurants in Crete, Greece

Opposite Avli, and part of the same stable, on one of Rethmynon's myriad pretty walkways, this is a modern reinvention of the classic Greek rakadiko—a place to eat small plates and drink raki. Don't assume the food is an afterthought to drinking, though, this is top-quality mezedes. Plates come thick and fast; it's food to be shared. Think imaginative Cretan tapas—sutzuki (spicy beef sausage), askolymbri (marinated hand-picked mountain greens), pastourma (crispy spiced pork cigar rolls), and hot feta with caramelized figs. It's relaxed dining, in a stylish setting reminiscent of an old grocery store, and perfect for a group of friends.

High in the White Mountains, lambs and goats roam free on the family farm, while on lower pastures in Sfakia, vegetables are tended to. These top-notch ingredients are transformed in the wood oven that dominates the dining room in this backstreet beauty. Moussaka is as fat as an airport paperback but with more action, Mizithra cheese comes with home-baked bread, and those lamb and goats are cooked tsigariasto—slowly in a clay pot. Authentic, this is the true traditional taste of Crete and where the locals come for a taste of home. Reservations recommended as there are often queues by early evening.

On a mountain perch above Chania is one of the most singular restaurants in the whole of Crete. A holistic approach is taken---this is farm-to-table eating but ramped up to the nth degree. Your meal is cooked in traditional clay pots that sit over the wood fire, as they have no electricity in the kitchen. Ingredients come from the family farm and they produce everything in-house, organically, of course---only the salt comes from the coast 20 km (12.4 miles) away. There is no menu, merely what is in season that day, but all tastes are catered for by the friendly staff. It's not fancy, nor is it fast, but it is honest and truly memorable as an experience of Cretan food and hospitality.

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 do as well as here. Choose a local Sitia wine from their list and snooze off the afternoon at the nearby beach.

Steps away from Ammoudi beach, this tavern serves up Cretan classics on a sea-scented veranda overlooking the ocean. Proud of their local ingredients, the family-led team at Arismari offer traditional flavors that respect their culinary heritage. Strong on simply prepared seafood and fish, the menu also offers snails and sea herbs collected from the neighboring shores. Perhaps best is to take a slice of the pie of the day, some freshly fried calamari, and to raise a glass of house wine to the waves that break on the sands.

Open and cool, this no-nonsense riverside café serves up waffles, pancakes, pizza, and roasted meats but it is maybe best to take a coffee and some yogurt and honey and watch the water run by.

One of Heraklion's most traditional restaurants, just by Kazantzaki park, serves authentic local fare, mainly to a local crowd, far removed from the tourist havens in the center. Mouthwatering bite-size sfakianopita (pies), filled with cheese and honey, are a classic true taste of Crete, and the lamb and goat are always popular, as are tremendous keftedes (meatballs). The dining room is cozy, especially in colder seasons when the fireplace is lit, and the generous welcome is equally as warming.

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.

Right on Lake Voulismeni, Karnagio is a riot of multicolor tables, shouted orders, and running waiters. 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. Be prepared to wait at busy times, though the staff hand out glasses of wine to queueing customers.

The promise of a meal in this cozy, family-run establishment is alone worth the trip up to the plateau. The taverna is in its sixth decade and still offering delicious pies as well as casseroles and lamb dishes, accompanied by fresh-baked bread and followed up with homemade desserts. The charming proprietors encourage you to linger over your wine or raki and are a mine of knowledge about the Lasithi Plateau.

The family has a small apartment complex, Maison Kronio, a couple of miles down the road with a pool and glorious views of the Dikti Mountains.

Residents from villages for miles around come to the town of Sivas to enjoy a meal at Sigelakis where mom and dad run the service, and son Stelios cooks alongside his cousin. Stifado (meat in a rich tomato sauce), artichokes with avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce), and other specialties, including delicious roasted lamb and chicken, are all served on the vine-dappled front terrace in warm seasons or in the hearth-warmed dining room when the weather is cold. The owners also have some apartments and studios in a quiet complex nearby to rent.

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 taverna run by the Stavrakakis family. Dishes are still based on hand-me-down recipes, and most are made from ingredients the family 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.

Dine to the soothing sounds at this riverside tavern as the water makes its way over a series of steps. Cool and comfortable under the shade of lofty plane trees, this traditional taverna serves up your favorite Sfakian dishes. Homely and unsophisticated, plates are packed full of flavor from the neighboring farms and mountains. Open all day---come in for morning pancakes, enjoy a breezy lunch, or order meats from the grill for a meal under the stars.