- Read More
Chrysostomos
Just off the well-worn path of Chania’s harbor, this lively taverna serves authentic Cretan food, mainly from the Sfakia region. (Dialiskari, the amazing sister taverna at Marmara beach is well worth the trip – accessible only by boat or on...
- Read More
Elia + Diosmos (Olive + Mint)
This award-winning restaurant makes an upmarket pit stop after visiting the Minoan Palace of Knossos, 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away. Chef Argyro Varda focuses on seasonal Greek fare: hand-made pasta twirls with local goat’s cheese, snail and bulgar pilaf, and...
- Read More
Giannarakis
This ice-cream parlor uses freshly churned milk to create delicious flavors like crunchy praline with almonds, melon, and fig.
- Read More
Iliovasilema
On a quiet pebble beach in Western Crete, this unassuming joint look like it’s stuck in the ‘70s. But the food is a revelation. The seaside taverna is run by two young brothers—one catches the fish, the other serves it,...
- Read More
Pantopoleion Gefseon
Designed like an old-fashioned grocery store, this cozy restaurant has a loyal local following. The guys who run it love their work, and you can taste it in the ever-changing Modern Greek menu. Just outside Heraklion city center, it’s a...
- Read More
Piperia
In the sleepy mountain village of Pefki, this idyllic taverna is named after the 100-year-old pink pepper tree that shades the main square. Fanis Eikosipentakis dishes up fabulous Cretan specialties such as rabbit stifado and miniature pies filled with freshly...
- Read More
Sinagogi
Quietly cool, this laid-back bar behind Chania harbor is always full of bronzed Greeks flirting over frozen daiquiris. Housed in a crumbling old synagogue open to the starlit sky, it’s only open during the summer.
- Read More
Well of the Turk
If you’re tired of Greek salad, seek out this local institution tucked away in the Ottoman quarter of Chania’s old town. Jenny Pagiavla, the bohemian chef-patron, grew up in Morocco and it shows in her colorful cooking. The historic house,...
Crete

Courtesy Ammos, James Bedford
Cretan cuisine is distinct from traditional Greek fare, though fresh local ingredients reign supreme. Perhaps the most famous dish is dakos, a tomato salad with olive oil, oregano, barley rusks and soft feta cheese.
Destination
Type of Restaurant
Type of Meal
Editors Pick
Beyond…
Consider combining your trip with one of these destinations.
- Courtesy of Mykonos BluRead More
Mykonos
Often referred to as the Capri or St.-Tropez of Greece, Mykonos seamlessly combines sandy beaches and a charming, authentic town, much-photographed windmills, chic hotels, sophisticated restaurants and an exciting night life.
- Courtesy of Grace SantoriniRead More
Santorini
Almost otherworldly in its dramatic beauty, Santorini is all about the simple pleasures of summer in Greece: sun, sand and the obligatory evening aperitif. The Aegean island is a caldera, with steep cliffs and towns dotting the upper ridge. Its...
- Courtesy Jan TielensRead More
Athens
With roots going back to the Neolithic age, Athens in classical times was a breeding ground for ideas that shaped Western civilization. Today, the city that has been regarded as little more than a stopover destination for decades is undergoing...