The Cretan dishes to order: dakos, kalitsounia, boureki, gamopilafo, snails, staka, apaki, antikristo lamb, sfakiani pita, graviera and raki.
Quick answer: the dishes to try in Crete are dakos (barley rusk with tomato and cheese), kalitsounia (cheese pies), gamopilafo (wedding pilaf), boureki from Chania, snails (chochlioi), staka, apaki (smoked pork), sfakiani pita with honey, antikristo lamb and fresh horta (wild greens), with raki (tsikoudia) to finish.
Cretan food is simple and seasonal: olive oil, wild greens, cheese, legumes, local meat and fish. Here are the dishes we order when friends visit, and what each one is.
15 Cretan dishes to try
- Dakos: a barley rusk topped with grated tomato, crumbled mizithra or feta, oregano and olive oil.
- Kalitsounia: small pies filled with soft cheese, sometimes with mint, fried or baked.
- Boureki: a Chania speciality of sliced courgette and potato baked with mizithra and mint.
- Gamopilafo: "wedding pilaf", rice cooked in rich meat broth and finished with butter and lemon.
- Chochlioi boubouristi: snails fried face-down in olive oil, then splashed with vinegar and rosemary.
- Staka: a rich cream made from the fat of sheep's or goat's milk, often served with eggs or mixed into pilaf.
- Apaki: pork marinated in vinegar and smoked over aromatic herbs.
- Antikristo: lamb roasted slowly beside an open fire, a shepherd's tradition.
- Horta: boiled wild greens with olive oil and lemon; ask for stamnagathi when it is in season.
- Sfakiani pita: a thin pie from Sfakia filled with mizithra and drizzled with honey.
- Graviera: Crete's best-known hard cheese, sweet and nutty.
- Fish and seafood: grilled catch of the day by the sea, as at Achilleas in Nea Chora.
- Tzatziki: not only Cretan, but on every table. Try our tzatziki recipe at home.
- Loukoumades and xerotigana: fried dough with honey, often served at festivals and weddings.
- Raki (tsikoudia): the clear grape spirit served free at the end of most meals, usually with fruit or a small dessert.
Where to eat Cretan food in Chania
Start with our top 10 taverns and restaurants in Chania. For fresh produce, cheese and honey, visit a weekly laiki street market.
What is the most famous food in Crete?
Dakos is the best-known Cretan dish, closely followed by kalitsounia, graviera cheese and Cretan olive oil.
Is raki free in Crete?
In most tavernas a small carafe of raki and a dessert or fruit arrive free at the end of the meal as a gesture of hospitality.
Is Cretan food good for vegetarians?
Yes. Many traditional dishes are naturally meat-free: dakos, horta, boureki, kalitsounia, fava, stuffed vegetables and bean stews.
