10 Best Restaurants
Crete rewards a holiday with more than one rhythm. On the north coast, substantial resorts look towards sheltered bays and long sea horizons; inland, vineyards, olive groves and mountain villages give the island a different texture. The most satisfying itinerary makes room for both. A beach morning can lead to a dinner rooted in Cretan ingredients, while a cultural day connects the palace at Knossos with the objects preserved in Heraklion's archaeological museum. The island's western and eastern sides offer distinct bases. Chania brings a harbour, layered architecture and access to the White Mountains; Rethymno combines old-town evenings with inland excursions. Around Elounda and Agios Nikolaos, coves and accomplished resorts encourage a slower coastal stay. Heraklion and its hinterland add archaeological depth and a rewarding introduction to indigenous wines. Our selection spans the whole island, pairing polished hotels with restaurants chosen for the quality and character of their cooking. It also leaves space for public museums, working producers and landscapes that need no expensive embellishment. Choose a base around the experiences that matter most, or divide a longer stay between east and west. Crete is best enjoyed through well-chosen days, with time left for the unexpected.
Makris Fine Dining Elounda
Tsifliki, Elounda, Greece
Makris at Domes of Elounda takes contemporary Greek cooking into an occasion setting overlooking Spinalonga. The current restaurant is in Chora, where an à la carte degustation approach and an emphasis on Greek, particularly Cretan, wines make the meal more deliberate than an everyday resort supper. It is an appealing choice when you want regional flavours interpreted with precision and a setting that remains unmistakably connected to Elounda's coast and island views.
A contemporary Greek occasion dinner
Old Mill
Elounda Mare, Elounda, Greece
The Old Mill at Elounda Mare sets its tables around an old millstone in gardens close to the water. The kitchen approaches Cretan ingredients with a contemporary sensibility, and the wine selection gives the evening room to develop beyond a single course. It is a particularly attractive choice for couples who prefer a settled, intimate dinner setting to a busy beach scene. Allow the meal to become the evening's main event.
An elegant Cretan garden dinner
Elemes Cretan Cuisine
Hersonissos, Greece
Elemes at Abaton Island Resort draws directly on Crete's farmers and seasonal produce, giving familiar regional flavours a contemporary treatment. The restaurant offers a more focused Cretan experience than a broad international resort menu, with dishes built around ingredients such as greens, mushrooms and local dairy. Choose dinner here when food is the reason for leaving your hotel, or when a stay in Hersonissos needs a distinctly regional culinary anchor.
Cretan ingredients in a contemporary resort setting
Peskesi
Heraklion, Greece
Peskesi gives a meal in central Heraklion a direct connection to the island's agricultural traditions. Its work with a farm, local ingredients and the recovery of older food practices shapes the restaurant's identity, while the kitchen keeps Cretan cooking at the centre of the experience. This is a rewarding table after the archaeological museum: the history of the island continues through what is grown, cooked and shared, rather than stopping at the gallery door.
Understanding Crete through its produce
Avli
Rethymno Old Town, Greece
Avli occupies restored Venetian buildings in Rethymno's old town, with a planted courtyard that makes dinner feel removed from the surrounding lanes. The cooking draws on Cretan ingredients and traditions while allowing a more contemporary expression, and wine is an important part of the proposition. It suits an evening when atmosphere matters alongside the food, particularly for couples staying nearby who can finish the meal with a walk through the historic streets.
A romantic old-town courtyard
Salis
Chania Venetian Harbour, Greece
Salis brings a serious interest in wine and seasonal ingredients to Chania's Venetian harbour. Working with local producers and its own growing projects, the restaurant gives its waterfront address more substance than a view alone. The appeal is a meal that can move between familiar Greek references and a more contemporary approach, with the wine selection helping shape the evening. Choose it when you want the harbour atmosphere without making scenery the only criterion.
Wine and modern cooking on Chania's harbour
Hasika
Rethymno Old Town, Greece
Hasika gives Rethymno's old town an intimate restaurant where Greek ingredients and traditional recipes become contemporary plates. The family team places particular emphasis on small producers, indigenous grape varieties and the connections between food, bread and drinks. Its appeal lies in the scale and focus of the experience: a thoughtful dinner that can be lively and personal without the ceremony of a resort tasting menu. Allow time to explore the Greek wine choices.
Inventive Greek cooking in an intimate room
Chrisostomos
Chania Old Town, Greece
Chrisostomos brings the food traditions of Sfakia to the edge of Chania's old town. The wood oven is central to the kitchen, with bread, meats, greens and local dairy giving the meal a direct connection to western Crete. Come for the clarity of that culinary identity rather than elaborate presentation. It makes a satisfying counterpoint to the island's more formal restaurant experiences, especially after time exploring the harbour and its surrounding streets.
Wood-oven cooking and Sfakian traditions
Ferryman
Elounda, Greece
Ferryman places contemporary Cretan cooking beside Elounda's waterfront, with the sea and Spinalonga forming part of the setting. Local, seasonal ingredients remain the point of departure, while the kitchen's approach is more considered than the casual location might suggest. It is a useful choice for travellers who want to leave the resort and spend an evening in Elounda itself. Let the available produce and the team's recommendations shape a leisurely meal.
A relaxed Cretan dinner by Elounda's water
Alibertos Food and Wine
Kounoupidiana, Chania, Greece
Alibertos is in Kounoupidiana, on the Akrotiri side of Chania, and deserves to be treated as a destination dinner. The restaurant combines Cretan references with a freer contemporary approach, a substantial wine offering and a particular interest in quality ingredients. It broadens a Chania itinerary beyond the old harbour and its familiar tables. Choose it when the conversation around the food and wine is more important than being able to walk home through the old town.
A wine-led dinner beyond central Chania