Crete is a big island with a lot to offer. So far I’ve only explored Western Crete (Chania Regional Unit). I’ve split my top restaurants picks below by those in Chania the city and those outside of Chania.
Chania is a small, picturesque city in Western Crete. Everything I read online recommended visiting Chania instead of Heraklion, the capital. It’s easy to explore by foot, there are loads of good food options, the harbour area is beautiful, and there are loads of amazing old buildings.
1. Thalassino Ageri
📍Chania. Thalassino Ageri (est 1985) is located in Chania’s scenic seaside neighborhood of Tabakaria. It’s known for being one of the city’s favourite seafood restaurants. Open for dinner only 18:00-23:30 it’s advised to book ahead, especially in summer. This spot is peaceful. There’s no music, just the sound of waves splashing. The abandoned buildings in the background add to dramatic setting. We went for the Cretan salad, octopus, sardines, fries, and tzatziki. Simple fresh food done well. To finish they bring you apple with cinnamon, bergamot in syrup and a bottle of raki. This is a must-visit if you’re heading to Chania.
2. Iordanis Bougatsa
📍Chania. Iordanis Bougatsa (est 1924) is Chania’s oldest bougatsa store. Here they serve two different types of bougatsa – one is sweet with custard, the other is savoury with myzithra (a local goat & sheep cheese), although they sprinkle some sugar on this too. Back in the early 1920s during the Greco-Turkish war, many Greeks returned to Greece from Turkey. A baker from Constantinople bought this bougatsa store from a Cretan Muslim and it’s been in the family ever since. It’s one of two of the most popular bougatsa stores in the city, both on the same street.
3. Bougatsa Chania
📍Chania. Another famous bougatsa store in town just across the street Iordanis Bougatsa. Here they only serve one kind of bougatsa with cheese. Unlike Iordanis, the sugar and cinnamon is given to you to apply yourself.
4. Perperas
📍Chania. Perperas (meaning butterfly) is tucked away on a less-walked street in Chania old town last night. The owner is Macedonian but settled in Crete a number of years back and serves daily changing special menus with a number of Cretan classics. All the dishes I tried were good, service was friendly, and it’s a beautiful setting under the trees.
5. Kouzina EPE
📍Chania. Kouzina EPE (est 2008) is a canteen-style restaurant located in bustling square of Chania Old Town. All the dishes cooked that day are on display for you to choose from. I tried a slow-cooked rabbit dish with fries, an artichoke & broad bean stew and mpoureki (zucchini pie). The portions are very large and it’s a great spot for people watching.
6. Neoria Fish Tavern
📍Chania. Right on the seafront in Chania Harbour you’d assume Neoria Fish Tavern is a tourist trap, but that is not the case. They have a good selection of daily caught fish which the waiter will talk you through. Everything is fairly priced. Out of the seafood I went for the some fried shrimp and a grilled sea bass. Both were delicious and fresh. As far as Chania Old Town goes this is a good spot for sunset.
7. Chrisostomos
📍Chania. A popular spot in Chania Old Town serving traditional Cretan dishes. Try the snails in rosemary and grilled or slow-cooked meat dishes. The lamb was tasty but not as fall-apart as I’d like it to be. All the other dishes were good.
8. Το Σουβλάκι Όπως Παλιά
📍Chania. In English this place is called ‘The Souvlaki Like the Old Times’. They’re known for serving one of the top pork gyros in the city. The meat is tender, well flavoured and crispy. I also tried another city classic called Oasis nearby but it recently changed hands and I didn’t think it was good as this.
9. Red Jane Project
📍Chania. I was hesitant to try a non-Greek bakery in Greece but everything was ok point here. They serve some great pasties and sandwiches. My favourite item was the croissant with cheese & ham.
10. Delish
📍Chania. Awful name, great gyros. This was another popular gyros spot I came across in Old Town. There is plenty of outdoor seating so you can sit down and have a beer with your pita.
The Rest of Western Crete
1. Captain Fidias
📍Sfinari. Captain Fidias (est 1976) is a seafood restaurant in Sfinari, a seaside village in Kissamos. They have two fishing boats that catch the fresh fish they serve each day. All the seafood is cooked over a smoky open fire which the smell of automatically hits you when you arrive. Every restaurant in Crete serves you a free bottle of raki at the end of the meal, but this has got to be the first that served a bottle at the beginning and end. I went for the kolochtypes (slipper lobster) cooked over a charcoal fire and served on linguine. This is one of two types of lobster you get in Greece – the other being astikos (rock lobster). Like rock lobster, they don’t have claws but you can find meat in the legs. The Cretan salad was ten out of ten and the cheese bourek with honey they bring you for dessert were great too. This spot is well worth a detour.
2. Ntouinis
📍Drakona. A family-run roadside farm-to-table restaurant Ntounias, just outside of Theriso (a mountain village about fourthly minutes south of Chania). We went for the slow-cooked goat in the oven, chicken & pasta, gigantes, & free rice pudding to finish. The dishes are cooked over open wood fires and almost everything is sourced from the farm or nearby. This is a popular spot on weekends so book ahead.
3. Leventis Taverna
📍Stalos. Leventis Taverna, open all year round and with amazing views, this is a great spot to try all the traditional Cretan dishes. It’s about thirty minutes outside of Chania in the ancient village of Stalos, previously called ‘Es Talo’ after Talos, a giant Minoan King who protected the island from enemies. I tried the goat with stamnagathi, staka with eggs, Cretan sausages, artichokes, & yogurt with preserved fruit Goat with stamnagathi (a wild green) in an egg & lemon sauce is an island favourite (sometimes served with lamb). Staka and eggs is another popular dish which comes from Western Crete. Staka is made by salting and boiling the creamiest, fattest layer of fresh sheep’s milk for several hours with a little flour, until the butter separates. It’s incredibly creamy and rich, and probably not very good for you, but very delicious. The Cretan sausages were a little dry, coarse and very herby, reminding me a little of Cypriot sausages (which I’m not a fan of). This spot is well worth a visit if you want to try all the Cretan classics in one place.
4. Gramboussa Restaurant
📍Kaliviani. A beautiful restaurant in a converted barn overlooking the sea. All the veg is picked fresh from the garden. They have a large menu serving all the Cretan classics. I went for the snails (which were the best I’ve had in Crete), the slow-cooked beef with fresh Cretan pasta and slow-cooked lamb a filo pastry. The lamb wasn’t falling off the bone as much I expected but was still delicious the other dishes were great too.
5. Alikia
📍Falasarna. The name “Alikia” comes from the salt pans which are located a few metes from the restaurant, where many villagers collect salt for their houses. This is Service was friendly too.
6. Captain Nicholas
📍Falasarna. A seafood restaurant on the seafront of Limeniskos. Expect daily caught fresh fish, shrimp and squid. There are a couple of tables right on the sand.
7. Oinohoos
📍 Topolia Τοπόλια. ‘Οινοχόος’ on Google Maps. A roadside restaurant in the village of Topolia with some great views of the hillside opposite. The meat they serve comes from their local farm. Go for the slow-cooked goat or lamb with fries. Service is friendly.
8. Cretan Brewery
📍 Zounaki. Where they brew the islands favourite beer, Charma. Go to sample all the beers they make at cheap prices. A tasting flight is only €5.
James Dimitri 