- Chania
- Seafood, bougatsa, old-town restaurants
- Heraklion
- Cretan kitchens, wine villages
- Both
- Raki, meze, seasonal greens
- Tip
- Book the best tables in summer
Chania
The old town and harbour have many restaurants, from historic settings such as Tamam, in a Venetian bath, to wine-led places like Salis. Nea Chora's beach tavernas are where locals go for fish. For breakfast, bougatsa with myzithra is the local speciality, and boureki, a bake of courgette, potato and myzithra, is a Chania dish to look for.
Heraklion
Heraklion has some of Crete's most serious Cretan kitchens. Peskesi, in a restored mansion, grows its ingredients on its own farm. Parasties cooks over fire in a 1903 neoclassical building. Merastri is known for suckling lamb from its wood-fired oven.
The wine villages of Peza, Archanes and Dafnes are less than half an hour away.
How to choose
If seafood by the sea is your priority, Chania. If you want to explore Cretan cuisine and wine more deeply, Heraklion. Staying in either, the other is a day trip away.
Questions before you go
Is Chania or Heraklion better for seafood?
Chania, especially Nea Chora.
Where are the wineries near Heraklion?
In Peza, Archanes and Dafnes, 15–30 minutes south.
What dishes are typical of Chania?
Bougatsa with myzithra and boureki.
