- Pricing
- Whole fish per kilo
- Ask
- Fresh or frozen? Wild or farmed?
- Cheaper
- Small fish, squid, octopus
- Expensive
- Lobster, red mullet, large wild fish
How pricing works
The menu lists a price per kilo. Once you choose a fish, the waiter weighs it; ask for the weight and the total before it goes to the grill. A fish of about 500–700 g serves two as part of a meal with salads and starters.
Fresh, frozen, wild or farmed
Greek rules require frozen products to be marked on the menu, often with an asterisk. Sea bream (tsipoura) and sea bass (lavraki) are often farmed, and cheaper as a result. Ask which fish came in that morning.
What to order
Small fried fish such as picarel (marida) and anchovies, grilled octopus, squid and sardines are good value. Red mullet (barbouni) and large wild fish are prized and priced accordingly. Lobster spaghetti (astakomakaronada) is a celebration dish.
Where
Choose places where locals eat: Nea Chora in Chania, Mochlos and Plaka in Lasithi, and harbour villages along the south coast.
Questions before you go
How is fish priced in Crete?
Usually per kilo; the fish is weighed after you choose it.
How do I know if seafood is frozen?
Frozen items must be marked on the menu, often with an asterisk.
What is good-value seafood in Crete?
Small fried fish, sardines, squid and octopus.
