Dinogo’s Ultimate Guide to Crete

Crete, Greece’s largest island, has been a culinary haven for centuries. With its ancient olive trees, including the world’s oldest still-bearing tree, the island’s rich history from the Minoan civilization attracts millions of tourists annually. The Minoans’ legacy includes paved roads, a written language, and sustainable food practices that continue to captivate visitors today.

Located between the Aegean and Libyan Seas, Crete is a short flight from Athens or a scenic overnight boat ride away. The island’s pleasant year-round weather makes it an ideal spot for tourists and a burgeoning community of digital nomads. Its fertile land and sunny climate foster a vibrant culinary scene, bolstered by food festivals and global acclaim, making Crete a top gastronomic destination in Greece.

In the 1964 Oscar-winning film Zorba the Greek, the character Zorba epitomizes the enduring spirit of Crete, which celebrates life through exceptional food, fine wine, lively dance, and the pursuit of joy.

What defines Cretan cuisine?

Crete, the expansive island, is segmented into four distinct regions: Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, and Lasithi, each named after its largest city. While these areas share many ingredients, each region brings its own unique flavor to the table. Though major cities draw most of the international spotlight, the island’s small villages offer traditional dishes that are also worth exploring.

Across Greece, you'll find a blend of taverns and kafenia (cafes), crucial establishments that utilize local ingredients and time-honored recipes, often prepared in the owners' homes. Taverns are known for their family-friendly atmosphere, serving set menus of hearty stews, stuffed vegetables, and grilled meats. In smaller villages, kafenio is popular among men who gather to socialize, enjoy live music (often from a lyra player), sip coffee or raki, and sample local bites like cheeses, omelets with apaki (cured pork), meatballs, wild greens, fresh vegetables, olives, and staka (sheep or goat cream).

Many of the island’s cooking methods trace back to Minoan Crete, including the renowned dish chochlioi, or snails. The Minoans also pioneered various culinary practices by cultivating chickpeas and lentils, raising pigs, goats, and sheep, hunting and fishing, and foraging for wild greens, fruits, and mushrooms. These practices fostered a local diet that surprised Rockefeller Foundation researchers in the late 1940s, who were astonished by the longevity of the island’s residents. Their findings helped popularize the Mediterranean diet.

Centuries of Venetian (13th-17th century) and Ottoman (17th-19th century) rule have deeply influenced Crete’s architecture, culture, and gastronomy. Venetians introduced rice, which was once a luxury and now a staple in Cretan dishes, often paired with beans or used in desserts with milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Ottomans contributed their herb-rich cuisine, cultivated the island’s first potatoes, and inspired names for local dishes like tzoulamas, a sweet-salty pie from Mesara made with rice, liver, nuts, and sugar.

Many Cretans continue to be involved in food production, from farming and animal husbandry to cheese and wine making. Restaurateurs are now growing their own ingredients sustainably and experimenting with Cretan cuisine using innovative methods. Despite living on an island, Cretans often prefer meat, especially goat and lamb, which are prepared in various ways and used in renowned Greek cheeses. Recently, farmers have started growing avocados, making Crete a leading supplier in Greece.

Essential food terms for travelers

Dakos salad: Known as one of Crete’s most iconic salads, dakos features a piece of dakos (rusk) topped with grated tomato, feta or mizithra (a sweet soft cheese made from sheep’s or goat’s milk), a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of dried oregano. It can be enhanced with olives or pickled capers. This salad can serve as a side dish or as a standalone meal.

Chochlioi: These snails, a cherished Cretan dish since Minoan times, are traditionally foraged during rainy autumn or spring days. Commonly found in stews or casseroles, they are often prepared as boubouristoi, where the snails are boiled, floured, and then pan-fried in a mixture of olive oil and vinegar.

Staka: A unique Cretan treat, staka is the creamy layer that forms on goat and sheep milk immediately after milking. It can be enjoyed straight, gently heated with salt, flour, and a splash of water, or used to enrich dishes such as eggs, pasta, or gamopilafo—a traditional rice and goat meat dish often served at weddings.

Antikristo: Often seen at rural village gatherings, this circular barbecue grill, also known as an ofto, is used to cook whole animals like lamb or goat. The meat is grilled over indirect heat, achieving a crispy exterior while staying tender and juicy inside.

Tsikoudia (also known as raki): While enjoyed throughout Greece, Crete is particularly renowned for its tsikoudia, a potent spirit also called raki. Served as a gesture of hospitality at the end of meals, this drink is made from the residue of freshly pressed grapes and typically has an alcohol content of 30 to 40 percent.

Xerotigana: Cretan's favorite dessert features fried phyllo dough drizzled with honey syrup and topped with cinnamon and grated walnuts. Many cooks prepare their own phyllo, sometimes adding a splash of raki to enhance the dessert’s flavor.

Local Wine and Beer: Crete is home to some of Greece's top winemakers, with a variety of unique wines. The ancient Liatiko, named after the month it matures (July), is notable, alongside reds such as Kotsifali, Mantilari, Tsardana, and Romeiko, and whites like Vilana, Thrapsathiri, and Vidiano. Visit leading wineries like Manousakis and Dourakis in Chania, Michalakis Estate and Lyrarakis in Heraklion, Klados and Metaxakis in Rethymno, and Toplou in Lasithi, which belongs to a local monastery.

While wine and raki dominate, Crete is also seeing a rise in breweries and microbreweries. Check out Barbantonis, Solo, and Notos in Heraklion, as well as Charma, Lyra, Lafkas, and Xaos in Chania for a taste of local brews.

Top dining spots across Crete's regions

Chania

Crete's western region, being the most densely populated, serves as a central hub for dining. Visitors flock to Chania's old town on the northern coast, where they can admire the scenic architecture around the Venetian port. Notable spots include Tamam, a restaurant within a 15th-century Venetian bathhouse, known for its Sfakiani pita, a traditional cheese pie with honey from the Sfakia village, since 1982.

Recently, Chania's culinary scene has expanded with exciting new additions. Red Jane offers artisanal sourdough in a repurposed interwar factory. At Maiami, an art gallery and brasserie, artist Alexandra Manousakis serves lemon feta pasta on her handmade ceramics. Alibertos, run by sommelier George Badogiannis, pairs premium beef with a curated wine selection. Matzenta Kuzina del Sol blends Mexican flavors with Cretan ingredients, while Monogram and Grain Café enhance the specialty coffee scene. Don’t miss Almyvita by the renowned Ettore Botrini, who also heads the Michelin-starred Botrini’s in Athens.

Just outside the town lies Ntounias, an organic farm and tavern where young goat is slow-cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven and veal is braised in clay pots. Further west in Kaliviani, Gramvousa grows its own ingredients, roasts meat using the antikristo method, and offers kalitsounia, pies with diverse fillings. The family-run olive mill Biolea has recently opened a restaurant in Kolymvari, serving dishes like fava beans with bitter orange and seaweed, and smoked pork chops.

Rethymno

Rethymno, located in the center of the north coast, is renowned for being one of Greece’s most well-preserved medieval cities. Dominated by the Fortetza, a Venetian fortress perched on Palaiokastro hill, the city showcases a captivating blend of Venetian and Ottoman heritage intertwined with churches and modern elements, reflecting its rich multicultural history.

The dining scene is a fusion of tradition and innovation. Katerina Xekalou, a trailblazer in local cuisine, has created Avli, a renowned restaurant located in a 16th-century Venetian villa, which also houses a wine cellar, a luxurious hotel, and a shop for local produce. Nearby, Raki Ba Raki offers Xekalou’s modern twist on the traditional kafenio, serving dishes like shrimp saganaki, rabbit stew, and slow-cooked lamb with yogurt. Also in the old city, Hasika provides Greek meze such as beef liver with herbs, lamb tsigariasto with bulgur, and cod with okra.

As you travel south through Rethymno towards the Libyan Sea, visit Iliomanolis in Kanevos, a tavern offering seasonal specialties like braised goat and stuffed vegetables since 1994. Check out lyra player Alexandros Papadakis at Thromyli, a century-old kafenio in Ardaktos, known for its few but exquisite seasonal dishes made from foraged ingredients. In Anogeia, discover Plateia tou Syntagmatos, one of the island’s oldest kafenio, operating for 150 years and formerly known as Kafenio Mixalos.

Heraklion

Also known as Iraklion, Crete’s largest city and administrative center hosts the Heraklion Gastronomy Days festival, which began in 2018 to celebrate top culinary talents from Crete. In 2023, UNESCO recognized Heraklion as one of the seven World Cities of Gastronomy.

In the heart of the city, Peskesi utilizes ingredients from its farm in Hersonissos to prepare local favorites like chochlioi boubouristoi, rooster burgers, and kreokakavos, an ancient pork and honey dish mentioned by Athenaeus in his third-century work Deipnosophistae. Thigaterra offers traditional pies with seasonal greens, carob leaves, and galeni (Cretan cream cheese), plus young lamb for gamopilafo (wedding pilaf risotto). Athali adds unique twists to Cretan cuisine, featuring lamb and pork antikristo, rooster braised in wine, and honey-drizzled kalitsounia (pies). The highlight of the city might be Apiri Greek Dinogoy, a venture by celebrated chef Stefanos Lavrenidis, known for his work at Northern Europe’s elite kitchens like Kadeau in Copenhagen, now bringing his expertise to traditional Cretan fare.

Outside the city, diverse dining options await. For authentic Cretan dishes, try Koula’s Tastes in Skalani, or Dichalo in Agriana, which quickly gained acclaim after its 2020 opening. For a truly unique dining experience, visit Gianni’s Taverna in Kyparissi, where Giannis Somarakis prepares whatever inspires him daily. This unmarked tavern, set in Somarakis’s grandfather's former home, offers an intimate, candlelit meal.

Lasithi

The easternmost part of Crete may be sparsely populated, but its culinary scene is vibrant. Archaeologist Jerolyn Morrison, residing in Ierapetra on the southern coast, moved from the U.S. to study Minoan culture. Since 2012, she has been hosting the Minoan Tastes dinner series, organizing private events, walking tours, and feasts featuring ancient recipes prepared in Minoan-style pots.

In Kroustas, the Stavrakakis family has been delighting patrons with traditional Cretan cuisine since 1968 at their tavern, O Kroustas. The menu includes katsikaki tsigariasto, a hearty young goat casserole with olive oil and onions, often accompanied by french fries. Kalliotzina, originally a cafe since 1954, is now a full restaurant serving dishes like chochlious in tomato sauce and stuffed grape leaves and pumpkin flowers. At Dragon’s Cave (Spilia tou Drakou) in Ierapetra, guests can watch bread being baked in a traditional wooden oven before enjoying grilled lamb ribs or fish soup made with fresh garden vegetables. Newcomer Magali, located in the upscale Elounda hotel, offers dishes such as rooster with sioufihta, a local pasta, crafted by chef Giorgos Papakyritsis.

Top hotels on Crete known for their excellent dining options

Domus Blanc Boutique Hotel

Nestled near Chania’s port, the former home of 19th-century French consul Paul Blanc, known for his lavish parties, has been transformed into the Domus Blanc Boutique Hotel. Sisters Aria and Litsa Paraskevaki revitalized the historic estate into a charming boutique hotel with 12 suites and a lovely garden. Guests can enjoy meals at Atelier Bistro, where chef Iosif Petrof’s finger foods and inventive French-inspired dishes are complemented by signature cocktails. Rates start at 190 euros.Mavrogenidon 4-6, Halepa, Chania, Crete 73134

Eleonas Country Village

Situated just outside Zaros, beneath the majestic Psiloritis mountain, Eleonas Country Village offers a village-like retreat with 22 private stone cottages. This agrotourism haven invites guests to hike, bike, bird watch, and explore rare orchids. A guided truffle hunt leads to a meal featuring local Cretan dishes at the on-site restaurant, which also boasts an extensive selection of Cretan wines. Rates begin at 158 euros.Zaros, Heraklion, Crete 70002

Kapsaliana Village Hotel

In the historic village of Kapsaliana, this upscale hotel features 25 elegantly designed guesthouses that blend Cretan and Venetian styles. Once a neglected 16th-century village centered around an olive mill supplying Arkadi Monastery, it now offers unique experiences such as vegetable harvesting, cooking classes, and tastings of local wine and olive oil. Executive chef Pavlos Kyriakis, known for his Michelin-starred experience at Spondi in Athens and Benu in San Francisco, creates refined Cretan dishes. Rates start at 120 euros.Kapsaliana, Rethymnon, Crete 74100

Minos Beach Art Hotel

Located in Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, this exceptional hotel is set along the shores of Mirabello Bay, offering luxury bungalows with stunning views. Since 1962, the hotel has been a favorite of politicians and celebrities, including Walt Disney, due to its striking modern art sculptures and top-tier Cretan cuisine. On-site restaurants feature collaborations with acclaimed chefs from Greece and beyond. Rates begin at 479 euros.Akti Ilia Sotirchou, Ag.Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete 72100

Demetrios Ioannou is a freelance journalist and documentary photographer based in Athens, Greece, and Istanbul, Turkey. His work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic, NPR, The Daily Beast, Time Out and BBC Travel, among other notable publications.